Day By Day

Friday, December 07, 2007

Ayaan Hirsi Ali Update

Ayaan Hirsi Ali is back, this time with a NYT editorial:

She asks where are all the Muslim moderates? Why have they not denounced the horrific sentences dealt out by Sharia courts in recent weeks?

It is often said that Islam has been “hijacked” by a small extremist group of radical fundamentalists. The vast majority of Muslims are said to be moderates.

But where are the moderates? Where are the Muslim voices raised over the terrible injustice of incidents like these? How many Muslims are willing to stand up and say, in the case of the girl from Qatif [who was sentenced to 200 lashes for being abducted and raped], that this manner of justice is appalling, brutal and bigoted — and that no matter who said it was the right thing to do, and how long ago it was said, this should no longer be done?

....

If moderate Muslims believe there should be no compassion shown to the girl from Qatif, then what exactly makes them so moderate?

When a “moderate” Muslim’s sense of compassion and conscience collides with matters prescribed by Allah, he should choose compassion. Unless that happens much more widely, a moderate Islam will remain wishful thinking.

Read it here.