Editor: We must not only condemn the Paris murderers, but also consider the context. Given that the assassins shouted 鈥淎llah鈥� and proclaimed that 鈥淭he prophet is now avenged,鈥� it is clear that while terrorism was the method, extremist Islam was the motivation.
Democratic peoples now need to ask this question: 鈥淗ow widespread is Muslim support for such extremist action?鈥�
Let鈥檚 hope it鈥檚 limited, and that there鈥檚 widespread denunciation by leaders of the 57 countries in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and strong denunciation by Muslim leaders in democracies.
Unfortunately, I鈥檓 not very optimistic. In almost all of the 57 OIC countries, freedom of religion and the press are severely curtailed or non-existent. Twenty-three make apostasy a crime, mainly with a death penalty. Most of the other 34 don鈥檛 tolerate religious freedom.
Also, recent European data is startling: 鈥�35 per cent of all Muslims in France believe suicide bombings are justified.鈥� 鈥�38.6 per cent of Muslims believe 9/11 attacks were justified.鈥� 鈥淥ne-third of British Muslims support killing for Islam.鈥� 鈥�78 per cent of British Muslims support punishing the publishers of Muhammad cartoons.鈥� 鈥�68 per cent of British Muslims support the arrest and prosecution of anyone who insults Islam.鈥�
All of these poll results can be found at
Are we dealing with a tiny, deviant minority?
John H. Redekop,
Abbotsford
