IS RADICAL ISLAM connected to terrorism? Notable British voices spoke out on that subject after Britain’s recent terrorist near-misses—the two unexploded car bombs in London’s West End and the fiery SUV rammed into the main terminal at Glasgow’s international airport. Consider what four of those voices had to say:

One declared that the word “Muslim” must not be used in connection with terrorism, and insisted that even the phrase “war on terror” should be scrapped.

The second likewise cautioned against pointing a finger at Islam, contending that in London, “Muslims are . . . less likely to support the use of violence to achieve political ends than non-Muslims.”

The third, asked whether Muslim extremists might be responsible for the attempted atrocities in London and Glasgow, counseled: “Let’s avoid presumptions. . . It can be the work of Muslims, Christians, Jews, or Buddhists.”

By contrast, the fourth noted the resemblance of the latest terror attempts to “other recent British Islamic extremist plots,” pinpointed “Islamic theology” as “the real engine of our violence,” and described British jihadists as “mindless killers” who have “declared war upon the whole world.”

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/07/11/avoiding_the_m_word/
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/07/11/opinion/edjacoby.php