BIRMINGHAM NEWS

Letters, Faxes & E-mail
Letters, faxes, and e-mail
10/23/01

Muslim silence `deafening': 
Since Sept. 11, many have said they abhor the hate attacks on American Muslims just as surely as the worldwide Muslim community must abhor the terrorism inflicted by a fanatical murderer who proclaims to act in the name of Allah. 
It was felt that leaders and members of the Muslim community should at least be given an opportunity to speak out against this dastardly act and to join in its condemnation. 
Well, we were wrong. The patronizing silence of the Muslim community in this country and worldwide is deafening. Few Muslim clerics, civic leaders or intellectuals have come forward. 
When comments are timidly solicited by the media, Muslim respondents offer a meek attempt at assuring us that members of their faith believe in nonviolence. That's it. Others pliantly profess the same but go a bit further in proclaiming that they would never take up arms against a fellow Muslim, including bin Laden. 
Is something wrong here? 
Armond "Si" Simmons 
Pell City