April 20, 2004

An American Muslim Speaks Out Against Terrorism. But Exactly What is He Saying about American Muslim Communities?

An opinion piece appears in today’s LA TIMES by Mansoor Ijaz, chairman of a New York-based private equity investment firm:

In the United States, Muslim citizens who want to help rid their communities of extremist elements are afraid and increasingly angry. Those who venture into the nearest Federal Bureau of Investigation office to offer a helping hand are often met with suspicion about their motives. Also, their communities often brand them “Uncle Abdullahs” for betraying the Muslim cause.

It sounds as though he’s saying that Muslim communities in America consider it a betrayal of the Muslim cause, to want to help rid those communities of extremist elements.

I really hope I’m reading too much into it.

Ijaz does seem to be on the right side of things. He concludes:

Islam’s lunatic fringe, embodied by Al Qaeda’s message of hate and fear, has never respected state boundaries or the duties imposed by citizenship in free and democratic societies. It is time for European and American political leaders to redress this disconcerting trend by inspiring their Muslim citizens to join the fight against terror and extremism before more of our youth fall into the abyss of fanaticism.

Kerry Hides Military Records.

That headlne is no exaggeration. Kerry said on national TV that he would make all his military records available; immediately thereafter his campaign staff refused to do so.

The day after Kerry told MEET THE PRESS he would make all of his military records available for inspection at his campaign headquarters, a spokesman said the senator would not release any new documents, leaving undisclosed many of Kerry’s evaluations by his Navy commanding officers, some medical records, and possibly other material.

We all remember the huge fuss the press made about Bush’s military records recently. Will they let Kerry slide on the same issue?