Submitted by alvin_day(Israel), Oct 23, 2004 at 23:33
It would've been wonderful to have had, say, 40000 Muslims at the demonstration. Having most Muslims take a public stand against Muslim terror would bring the noose around the extremists. But, it's also clear that for many Muslims, merely going out on such a demonstration, is a form of saying "Islam is to blame, Muslims are to blame. Muslims have to work hard to clear their name".
You may disagree with these sentiments, or you might think that "yes, you bet you have to clear your name". But its clear that nobody likes taking the blame even when they deserve it. Nobody likes reminding people (even if 'people' never forgot it in the first place) of their own guilt. Nobody likes to place the blame on their family members even when they disaprove of that their family does.
Should they take a clear stand against Muslim terror? Of course! But it's human nature to prefer to put your head deep in the sand and hope the storm passes, rather than face up to it.
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