The Wrong Question

Pretty much since 9/11, Americans have been asking why Muslims aren't speaking out against the terrorist groups committing horrific acts in their name. The question is being asked loudly again, since the Charlie Hebdo attacks.

I am not exempt from this. I have been asking this question as well. And to answer the people who say that Muslims not involved in the attacks shouldn't have to apologize for the attacks, let me be clear. 

While I don't need them to apologize for the attacks, I do need Muslims to speak out against them. Speak out against the terrorism that defines their peaceful religion for so many of us in the west. Just as I expect moderate Christians to speak out against the fundamentalism that is becoming the voice of their religion. Just as I expect men to speak out against misogyny, white people to speak out against racism, straight people to speak out against gender/orientation bigotry. People who do not share the views of the extremists in their group do not get to get offended and start in on "not all {insert group here}" if they allow the extremists to be the voice of their people. Period.

So yes, I have asked the question why aren't the Muslims speaking out?

I have been wrong to ask this question. Any of us who have asked it have been wrong. We have been asking the wrong question.

See, my news sources are CBS, Al Jazeera, and Headline News. Just today (January 15) I found a single article about a single Muslim speaking out in support of the Charlie Hebdo cartoonists, and decrying the attacks. One.

But since the Charlie Hebdo attacks, I have also found this:

46 Examples of Muslim Outrage about the Paris Attacks

This link is from Raw Story, compiled by Katie Halper.

So...here's my new question: Why isn't the moderate Muslim response being reported in mainstream media? Why can I find debate and argument, judgement and distain, over the Muslim "silence" in response to the attack? Why are we continuing to spread the hate and fear that only talking about their "silence" spreads?

The attack took place January 7, 2015. That article was compiled by January 8. It is now January 15th. Yet we continue to insist they are silent.

Their silence may be false, but it certainly makes it easier to hate them all then actually have to listen to them, doesn't it?

Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.