Slightly confused musings

I have world views that most consider to be liberal. I ain’t no actual liberal, i.e. member of any party, and lots of times my views could be considered conservative (like when it comes to finance, family and big government). Here in red-neckville I’m usually quite alone when I say that I think the planet is actually warming, or that gays should have the right to be left alone by non-gays, or that women shouldn’t have to ask permission for an abortion. And I think your religion belongs in your church, your home and your heart – nowhere else. I even think that terrorists have the right to a fair trial and not to be tortured.

So I’m having a bit of trouble reconciling my feelings regarding our muslim brethren – not the terrorists, they’re delusional and murderous thugs – but the mainstream folks. I know muslims, I’ve worked beside and under muslims, I’ve broken bread on countless occasions with muslims, and so far I don’t see any reason to think they’re better, worse or unique in the human experience. This is the essence of politically correct thought, no?

But I think the mainstream, enlightened, peaceable muslim community is, in a word, cowed. They’re intimidated by the vocal and extreme factions of their faith, they apologize and/or distance themselves from the radical few, and point out that there’s no shortage of faith-based murder and mayhem outside of islam. Fair enough, but what I don’t get is a sense of ... outrage.

We don’t live in a society, for example, where a religious figure should be excused for issuing death threats against its detractors. Western muslims, immigrants, chose to come to a land where freedom of speech is guaranteed as a constitutional right. Cartoons depicting the prophet fall under the protection of free expression and free press, yet the reaction from the peaceable and respectable muslim community was ... ambivalent? Weak? Guarded?

Consider this headline that you never saw, and never will: “Outraged Western Muslims Publish Prophet Cartoons as Show of Respect for Basic Freedoms”; “ ‘We don’t like them either’, says leader, ‘but we won’t be bullied by misguided extremists making us all look bad.’ “