Islamophobia?

Sean, over at Everything I Know Is Wrong has some interesting thoughts this morning as regards what the leftist pres in the UK is calling Islamophobia. says the ironicly named “Independant”:

“Growing Islamophobia in Britain in the wake of the September 11 attacks could lead to a dangerous backlash of riots and extremism, it was reported today.”

Sean has some issues with that;

“People in Western countries are justifiably afraid of Islamo-supremacists. We are told that Islamo-supremacists are a small minority of Islamic people in general, but it is difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff when the wheat won’t decry the actions of the chaff. Islamic leaders, and rank and file Muslims, must stand up and abhor the acts of Islamo-fascists loudly and continuously for them to have any credibility when the time comes to draw a distinction between themselves and radical Islamists. So far this has not happened. I’m sure there are individual Muslims who are horrified by Al Qaeda and their ilk, some of my very favorite bloggers are writing from inside Muslim countries, but that only serves to make the point sharper. Where are the Western Muslims who should be expressing their horror? How are we to know that they are not Al Qaeda sympathizers when they won’t even whisper that they aren’t? It’s time to shout it from the rooftops!

It would be easy to get Westerners on the side of Western Muslims. All they have to do is show us that they are on our side.
Just say so.”

I’m not so sure it’s that easy, Sean.

Look, part of the problem we face with the Islamofacists is like any other terrorists, they mix in with the general population, often by lying about their feelings and goals. Which, in turn, is why the Muslims who are against AlQquieda and it’s actions and beliefs are silent on the matter; they know that the chances are very high some of these animals are lurking amongst them, posing as muslims who are happily pro-western… and that, therefore, speaking out against such people could be a fatal act. That’s why they call them terrorists, you see.

I do agree that calling the reaction of the British people “ignorance and intolerance” is so far off base… but it’s sadly predictable. So is the outcome, if these people are ever taken seriously.