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Moderate Muslim voices silenced
Dallas Morning News ^ | May 13, 2007

Posted on 05/14/2007 3:07:29 PM PDT by nuconvert

Moderate Muslim voices silenced

PBS won't show 'Islam vs. Islamists,' but you should see it, says ROD DREHER

May 13, 2007

I've asked myself a thousand times since 9/11: Where are all the moderate Muslims? We're assured that there's a silent majority of Muslims who want nothing to do with the jumped-up jihadists. But those voices are few and far between.

Here's the good news: The makers of the PBS-commissioned documentary Islam vs. Islamists: Voices from the Center found some outspoken moderate Muslims and profiled them and their astonishing courage. The film shows these men mounting a lonely resistance against Muslim leaders in the West who are fronting a false moderate face to the public while using oil money from Gulf Arab sources to make their hard-line version of Islam the norm.

Here's the bad news: PBS refused to air the film as part of its recent "America at the Crossroads" series, even though it had been scheduled. I saw Islam vs. Islamists and concluded that it's absolutely vital to informed public debate. That PBS decided not to show, at least for now, such an important film is shocking.

Or is it? Most of the U.S. media has done a lousy job of critically covering Muslim organizations here, of asking serious questions about what their leaders believe and where they get their funding. These folks are quick to shriek "Islamophobia!" when a journalist points out their connections to radical Islam or asks straightforward questions about what they believe. The idea – and it's a successful one – is to squelch a legitimate and necessary public discussion.

As Islam vs. Islamists documents, it's a tactic they use with far less finesse on dissenting Muslims. Tarek Fatah and Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, two of several moderates featured in the film,

(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: islam; islamists; jasser; media; mediabias; moderatemuslims; muslim; pbs; tv
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To: Red_Devil 232

Please search FR under keyword jasser.
Then start reading a lot more. Despite the msm’s efforts, moderates do occasionally get a voice in some publications. Many have been posted here.


21 posted on 05/14/2007 3:51:00 PM PDT by nuconvert ([there are bad people in the pistachio business] (...but his head is so tiny...))
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To: sonic109

Examples of oxymoron: jumbo shrimp, honest lawyer, and moderate muslim.


22 posted on 05/14/2007 4:03:54 PM PDT by Hack
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To: Red_Devil 232

BTW - Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani warned members of Congress and the State Dept about Bin Laden and the dangers of an attack by fanatical extremists, 2 yrs before Sept. 11.

This is from a Salon article.......

“Long before the Sept. 11 horror, one of the most bold critiques of Muslim American organizations came on Jan. 7, 1999, in a speech to the U.S. State Department by Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani of the Islamic Supreme Council of America, another nonprofit organization for American Muslims. Kabbani spoke critically about the ideology of the major Muslim American organizations. Warning that too many Muslims in America were supporting terrorist leader Osama bin Laden in a variety of ways, and that too many mosques in the United States were becoming havens for Islamic extremists, Kabbani said that some Muslim American organizations were a big part of the problem.

Muslim extremism is dangerous, Kabbani cautioned, and the media needs to learn the difference between Islam and extremism. “What I am seeing, unfortunately, are those that are advising the media, or advising the government are not the moderate Muslims,” Kabbani said. “Those whose opinion the government asks are the extremists themselves.”

http://archive.salon.com/news/feature/2001/09/26/muslims/print.html

Newsmax article from Nov. 2001
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2001/11/16/172201.shtml

There’s a lot more. Just have to search


23 posted on 05/14/2007 4:12:22 PM PDT by nuconvert ([there are bad people in the pistachio business] (...but his head is so tiny...))
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To: nuconvert

Are any of these moderate mohammadans Leaders? If so let one step up to the hundreds of microphones that are waiting for him. Let the camers scan the crowd to show us the thousands, no hundreds of thousand mohammdans who cheer him! I bet it would be major news. The MSM could not suppress it! But of course it would be a one time event for him. Fatwa!


24 posted on 05/14/2007 4:17:51 PM PDT by Red_Devil 232 (VietVet - USMC All Ready On The Right? All Ready On The Left? All Ready On The Firing Line!)
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Comment #25 Removed by Moderator

To: nuconvert
I'll accept slimes as non combatants when they revoke the queeranus!

Quran-4:89— Take not friends from their ranks until they flee in the way of Allah. But if they turn renegades, seize them and kill them wherever ye find them; and take no friends or helpers from their ranks.

Sura 9:5 of the “Koranus,” “Slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them captives and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush.”

"Make war upon such of those to whom the Scriptures have been given as believe not in God." Sura 9:29

"Strike off their heads then, and strike off from them every finger tip." - Sura 8:12

Well that all sounds "moderate" to me!! /sarc

26 posted on 05/14/2007 5:14:12 PM PDT by rawcatslyentist (The liberty we prize is not America’s gift to the world, it is God’s gift to humanity.”GWB-03)
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To: Phatboy

That is Turkey! I happen to live in the U.S. and am waiting on the event I described to happen here!


27 posted on 05/14/2007 6:22:40 PM PDT by Red_Devil 232 (VietVet - USMC All Ready On The Right? All Ready On The Left? All Ready On The Firing Line!)
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To: HEY4QDEMS

That’s because even moderate muslims portray themselves that way and they believe it. Fatah and Jasser make interesting points and should be heard. There’s a few others, I’ll name them if you’re interested, who make great points and fight for change but they’re not practicing Muslims according to the Koran/Islam. However, anyone who practices Islam, as taught in the Koran, or considers Mohammed a prophet (the creator of Islam), or basically considers anything Islam teaches as something from God, doesn’t believe in the same God I believe in.

I’m waiting for millions of practicing muslims here in the US to march, protest, condemn the teachings of Mohammed - especially the parts that order the submitting/conversion or killing of all infidels, Jews, Christians. The whole taking over the world/conversion to Islam and Mohammed’s lunatic ravings. When that happens, I may start believing there are moderates somewhere. Until then, I’ll stick to my extensive knowledge of Islam, Muslims, Mohammed, the Middle East, done through much research over the last 27 years. I’ll never understand where the “religion of peace” nonsense came from since it was never such and still isn’t.

People can believe anything they want, I may not agree or like it, but when their belief calls for my death (or conversion, and death would be better imo)then I have a problem with that.


28 posted on 05/14/2007 6:54:37 PM PDT by Twink
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To: nuconvert

From what I’ve read about Islam, the Koran, the traditions of Muhammad and from what I’ve seen of the Muslim leaders and the Muslim street I’m convinced one can NOT be a good Muslim unless they support human suffering, evil and death.

It’s just sad that as they destroy themselves they’re determined to take the rest of the world with them.


29 posted on 05/14/2007 7:05:30 PM PDT by Joan Kerrey (Believe nothing of what you hear or read and half of what you see.)
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Comment #30 Removed by Moderator

To: Valin; zimdog

pong


31 posted on 05/14/2007 9:42:50 PM PDT by nuconvert ([there are bad people in the pistachio business] (...but his head is so tiny...))
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To: nuconvert
Most of the U.S. media has done a lousy job of critically covering Muslim organizations here of reporting on anything of any consequence.
32 posted on 05/14/2007 9:52:54 PM PDT by Valin (History takes time. It is not an instant thing.)
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To: river rat

Thank you for your input. Rest assured I will give it all the consideration it merits.


33 posted on 05/14/2007 9:56:12 PM PDT by Valin (History takes time. It is not an instant thing.)
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To: nuconvert

Once upon a time there was a moderate Muslim. His name was Anwar Sadat. He was killed, by a (not so moderate) Muslim.


34 posted on 05/14/2007 10:05:13 PM PDT by pawdoggie
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To: nuconvert

Signed it.


35 posted on 05/14/2007 10:14:39 PM PDT by Paperdoll ( Duncan Hunter '08)
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To: The Great RJ
“Moderate Muslims are like ghosts, often talked about, but no can really say they ever saw one.”

You nailed it Great RJ. Either “Moderate Muslims” lack the courage of their convictions, or, there is really no such thing as a “Moderate Muslim”. It is my guess that the latter hypothesis is correct.

36 posted on 05/14/2007 10:21:19 PM PDT by snoringbear (')
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To: nuconvert

Might want to check out Bridgette Gabriel at http://www.americancongressfortruth.org/


37 posted on 05/14/2007 10:22:55 PM PDT by Paperdoll ( Duncan Hunter '08)
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To: Candor7
PBS, in making this decision, has assured itself a further budget cut.

In a sane world you would be right.

38 posted on 05/14/2007 10:51:51 PM PDT by TChad
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To: Twink
You’re preaching to the choir.
39 posted on 05/15/2007 1:55:59 AM PDT by HEY4QDEMS (Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.)
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To: Paperdoll

Thanks, I did. In general, I agree.
What’s odd is her omission when she keeps referring to “Christians, Jews, non-Muslims” as being under attack, when the terrorists/Islamic extremists have killed more Muslims than any other group.
It’s other Muslims who have always been in the most danger from Islamic extremists.


40 posted on 05/15/2007 4:46:10 AM PDT by nuconvert ([there are bad people in the pistachio business] (...but his head is so tiny...))
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