The Bombers Left the Subway
The first phase of Western reaction to the London subway and bus bombings focused on Churchillian rhetoric and admiration for the proverbial British “stiff upper lip.” The second more or less blamed the British government because of Britain’s easy asylum laws and long-standing acceptance of Islamic radicals preaching, writing and inciting. Interspersed have been rather definitive assertions that Islam is really a peaceful religion practiced by many Brits and only “perverted” by radicals. Along the way, bits of blame have been assigned to the attackers themselves.
The first phase of Western reaction to the London subway and bus bombings focused on Churchillian rhetoric and admiration for the proverbial British “stiff upper lip.” The second more or less blamed the British government because of Britain’s easy asylum laws and long-standing acceptance of Islamic radicals preaching, writing and inciting. Interspersed have been rather definitive assertions that Islam is really a peaceful religion practiced by many Brits and only “perverted” by radicals. Along the way, bits of blame have been assigned to the attackers themselves.
Muslim reaction in both Britain and the U.S. has more uniform – denunciation of the bombings and the perpetrators as being contrary to the interests of Muslims (not morally “wrong” generally, but “not helpful”), fear of a backlash against the Muslim community and a sincere desire not to be blamed.
We need a third phase. Let’s give the Muslim spokespersons their due and agree that a) the bombings were counterproductive for the British Muslim community and Muslims in general and b) having non-Muslims think all Muslims are terrorists would be a bad thing. So let’s pose to them a question, “What are you going to do about it?”
The answer must begin with the fact that these were not suicide bombers – the bombers left the subway and went… where? Home? To the mosque? To their brothers-in-law’s house? Who let them in? Where did they sleep? Who was their mentor? Where did their money come from? What preachers did they listen to, what lessons did they learn? What package arrived and was secreted away? Who hasn’t told the police what they know? People know more than they are telling. And whoever isn’t telling is an accomplice.
Muslims in Britain, as in the U.S., are largely free of government interference. It is the obligation of free societies to leave religious communities alone. But people IN those communities have obligations too. At a minimum, they must NOT organize around principles that prove deadly to their fellow citizens. If “regular” Muslims organize around violent principles or hide their eyes and protect those who do, they are not separate from the terrorists.
Rather than exhort non-Muslims to think kind thoughts about their Muslim neighbors, Western leaders should be exhorting their Muslim residents to learn to pay the price of living in a free society. It is past time for “regular” Muslims to participate in this war against terrorists and the states – and mosques and schools and newspapers and radio preachers – that harbor and support them. The tolerance of non-Muslim communities for being blown up has limits and non-Muslim anger can be righteous too.
Yes, this is a demand that people turn in their co-religionists and maybe their friends; that “regular” Muslims be told to place themselves on one side or the other of the civilizational divide. It surely won’t be easy, but others have no obligation to die because “regular” Muslims are afraid to stand up to those who blow up subway trains at breakfast time and then come home for supper.