Mark Steyn points out an aspect of terrorism that is rarely mentioned, and if it is, it's in an apprehensive whisper: Muslim complicity.
It's a very striking dimension to the War on Terror that somehow always gets a pass. The Vatican is always front and center denouncing terrorist violence and calling for prayers, as are various and sundry heads of state. However, you don't hear many mullahs (if any) condemning the brutal murder of innocents, murders that are perpetrated by their own kind.
As Steyn very cogently notes:
"...When events such as last Thursday's occur, two things happen, usually within hours if not minutes: first, spokespersons for Islamic lobby groups issue warnings about an imminent backlash against Muslims.
In fairness to British organisations, I believe they were beaten to the punch by the head of the Canadian Islamic Congress whose instant response to the London bombings was to issue a statement calling for prayers that "Canadian Muslims will not pay a price for being found guilty by association".
In most circumstances it would be regarded as appallingly bad taste to deflect attention from an actual "hate crime" by scaremongering about a non-existent one. But it seems the real tragedy of every act of "intolerance" by Islamist bigots is that it might hypothetically provoke even more intolerance from us irredeemable white imperialist racists..."
It boils down to another chorus in the one-note song, "America's To Blame." Every evil visited upon mankind since September 12, 2001, is immediately set on the America's doorstep. I find it distressing, but strangely fascinating, that so much of the world is able to shut its eyes, cover its ears, and hum this misguided tune.
I also find it indicative of a much larger problem, one that is serving the terrorists very well, and one in which I'm sure they take great delight and solace. Much of the Western world simply can not accept the magnitude of the evil with which we are dealing. It's as though Neville Chamberlain, with his disastrously naive assertion that Hitler wasn't such a bad guy, has replicated millions of times over to plead the terrorists' case for them. The Chamberlain folly of appeasement is there in Congress, in MSM, in liberal circles, in foreign governments, telling us that we're making a huge mistake in picking a fight in Iraq, all these poor downtrodden terrorists need is some TLC and a free meal or two.
Right. And don't forget the freshly-sharpened machetes, and what about laundry service for those blood-soaked orange jumpsuits? Westerners make a terrible mess during slaughter. Of course, so sorry, that's our own fault.
It seems to me to be a psychosis bordering on insanity, this refusal to see the necessity of purging the snake pit before our families, friends, and homes are annihilated. But then again, it could be as simple as cowardice. The overwhelming fear of looking evil in its glittering eye and seeing it for what it is can be paralyzing. Some people will never have the fortitude for it. For them, perhaps, it is easier to look over their shoulders and blame their own country rather than to look forward and see the dark, inescapable tunnel of evil that yawns ahead. A tunnel whose long, difficult, merciless length must be navigated with strength, determination, and courage if we are ever to be safe again.
Or perhaps we should just cooperate nicely, sit down, and die. That, too, would be our own fault.
