Jihad Watch - Moroccan official: Those who blame Islam for tragic events are extremists' aides
This kind of thinking is common: if you point out the Islamic bona fides of the terrorists, you are just helping the terrorists. But it is not actually true. The Islamic world has a massive problem; to ignore, deny, or sugarcoat is what actually helps the terrorists, because it does nothing to stop them from operating in a panoply of Islamic contexts. To shed light on how radical Muslims recruit and motivate terrorists is not to help the terrorists, but to identify the source of the problem. Until the non-Muslim world at large is ready to do this, the problem will continue.
Also, of course, Azoulay is talking about "those who blame the whole Islamic world," which is a misstatement and mischaracterization if he is indeed referring to those who point out how terrorism arises from Islam. From ArabicNews.com, with thanks to Nicolei.
Those who blame the whole Islamic and Arab world for the tragic developments in the world could "turn into the most reliable aides of the most dangerous extremists," underscored Andre Azoulay, adviser to the Moroccan king.
Before the Ambrosetti Forum, held over the weekend in the Italian lake region of Come under the Peace, Security and Terror, Azoulay reviewed the historical and spiritual realities of more than a billion Moslem faithful who cannot be blamed for the acts of individuals or groups who chose to act contrary to ethical values.
Azoulay stressed the Islamic religion must be respected the same way other religions are respected and underscored the nature of modernity, creativity and openness that mark the Moroccan society under the leadership of King Mohammed VI.
He called the participants in the forum not to ignore Islamic realities and stressed the need to hold a global discussion where political, economic and cultural issues should be treated with the same importance and priority.
That is just what I am trying to do here at Jihad Watch and in my books, Azoulay: not ignore Islamic realities. |
