Persuade extremists to get with program

“ ... While misconceptions about Islam and its true followers continue to grow with extremists spreading such debris, we are making progress in uniting mankind.”

So said Kam Khan in his recent letter to Fence Post, in the apparent hope of expressing Muslims’ attempt to “ ... campaign to combat terrorism by showing our love for life and commitment toward this freedom-loving nation; we too stand united with our fellow citizens.”

Kam, let me tell you about an article I just read. It opens with a rather famous quote by Edmund Burke: “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing.”

The article then went on to point out that radical Islam makes up perhaps only 15 to 25 percent of the Muslim population. That means fully 75 percent of the Muslim world is not extremist. If such is truly the case, perhaps this large majority should begin to impress itself upon those radicals around the world who are giving the rest of you such a bad name.

If and when that happens, you won’t have to tell anyone that yours is truly a religion of peace, as you’ll have proved it by routing out those opposed to that idea. And, I might add, until that happens, there will always be doubt about your true intentions, especially here in post-9/11 America.

John Babush

Big Rock