Mutual mistrust won't stop Extremism

"The arrest of five American Muslims in Pakistan allegedly conspiring to join the terrorist groups Jaysh Muhammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba exposes a troubling phenomenon of domestic radicalisation, but also highlights an evolved, proactive Muslim American community seeking partnership to curb extremism.

Recently, the disturbed army major Nidal Hasan killed 13 fellow soldiers at Fort Hood allegedly retaliating against the US wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, which he often referred to as "war on Islam".

Furthermore, two US Muslim men were convicted of plotting to aid terrorists by filming landmarks around Washington DC and sending the clips as potential target sites to terrorists abroad.

These isolated examples of imported radicalism nonetheless fuel the latent prejudices of a minority convinced their 4 million Muslim American neighbours represent a treacherous fifth column of stealth jihadists ready to spontaneously ignite. Despite the visible existence of millions of practising American Muslims who belie this stereotype by never engaging in terrorism, let alone felonies or misdemeanors, a study by the Pew Research Centre found that 38% of all Americans say Islam is more likely to encourage violence than other religions.

This misperception certainly is not assuaged by prominent religious and political figures, mostly stemming from the Republican party, who espouse divisive rhetoric fostering mistrust and fear. Franklin Graham, an influential evangelical Christian, recently stated on CNN: "We have many Muslims that live in this country. But true Islam cannot be practised in this country … I don't agree with the teachings of Islam and I find it to be a very violent religion." Sarah Palin casually suggested we "profile away" when it comes to our American neighbours of Muslim and Middle Eastern backgrounds.

This polarisation and the reckless mentality of treating Muslims as suspects instead of partners not only subverts civil rights and due process but greatly hinders the best opportunity to combat domestic radicalisation: respectful co-operation with the Muslim American community."

More at link! http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2009/dec/16/virginia-extremis...