CrispAds Blog Ads




Monday, February 20, 2006

The Muslim Cartoon War: Moderate Muslims?


An unspoken (and sometimes spoken) assumption in the analysis of the Muslim Cartoon protests is that vast majority of Muslims are in fact moderates and do not agree with the escalating violence. Yet the term "moderate" is rarely defined. The implication is that "moderates" eschew violence, but this explanation only addresses symptoms rather than causes. Is "moderation" simply a description of rhetoric and actions or does it describe actual belief?

This poll in the Telegraph should give pause to those who believe most Muslims are "moderate". According to this poll, 40% of Muslims in the UK want sharia law introduced into the country. This of course would include the stoning of adulterers and the amputation of hands for thieves. Is this moderate Islam?