In response to a post I did about the fabled moderate Muslims, reader Josh wrote this:
Here is a personal moderate Muslim sighting I thought you might be interested in. My best friend growing up in NW Pennsylvania is Junaid. His father and mother had emigrated from Pakistan before him and his younger sister were born, and his father is the local ENT physician in the town, and a role model for me to pursue my studies in medicine.
Junaid himself joined the United States military and was in boot camp when the 9/11 events took place, and as a practicing Muslim, they made him VERY VERY angry that this was done in the name of Islam. He served a tour in Iraq, serving in the infantry before his officers discovered that he spoke English, Spanish, but more importantly also Hindu and at least three dialects of Arabic. After that discovery he served in Iraq in various translating and intelligence roles. Currently he is back in the United States from his tour but still on active duty. He is taking more college classes so he can soon enroll in the Army’s intelligence college and use his background and language skills to keep us all safe. Sgt. Junaid is not only my friend, but also a personal hero of mine.
Also, in the NYPost, here is an editorial from an Arab American apologizing for the role his culture had in the 9/11 attack and speaking frankly of the problem Islam has with extremists and their interpretation of the Koran. (hat tip to Malkin)
There are a lot of Americans (and citizens of other nations) wondering whether every Muslim secretly supports terrorists and the overthrow of the West, and then there is CAIR which seems to be set on convincing everyone that all Muslims are either terrorists or terrorist sympathizers. The constant, trite and often ironic reassurance that “Islam means peace” only aggravates the problem. What’s needed is more stories like that of Junaid. I really don’t know why we haven’t seen such stories that in the media because you’d think they’d be interested in talking about heroic followers of Islam (as opposed to how they recoil from good stories about our troops).
Maybe bloggers need to pick up the slack. Islam has a huge PR problem, and only by people hearing stories of great American who follow Islam can that be improved. We hear constant platitudes of how most Muslims are peaceful, but we know few examples.
Oh, and we need a better term that “moderate Muslim” because A) I hate the term “moderate” as it makes me think of people like Hagel and B) In context, a moderate Muslim sounds like someone who is somewhere between being a nice person and being a terrorist.
BTW, I nominate the Syrian who died today protecting the American embassy as “Muslim of the Day.” Somebody get that guy his 72 virgins, because he earned it.
Liberal muslims. Technically, moderate muslims are liberals. What we are rooting for are the open minded liberal muslims. It is the extremist muslims we dislike there just we dislike the intolerant radical religious groups here in the U.S.
Sarcasm Man,
They’re like Fred Phelps, but with more followers and guns.
Yup. Fred + a milita and/or suicide bombers.
I like the term “Righteous Muslim” or is that too 1970’s?
Ask your “moderate” muslim friends about the dictate in the Koran to “Kill all the infidels”. They won’t have a good explanation for it and it is what the “extremists” use to justify their behavior. (I have a Koran and it is there!)
I don’t hear any leading Muslim clerics condeming suicide bombings or killings of innocents in the US, Europe and especially in Israel. Sorry, but they have ZERO credibility at this point. Their religion is not one of peace!
Little known fact, the whole Peace thing is a translation error. Islam is actually the religion of Peas. There’s nothing about peas that would prevent suicide bombings and such, so really, they’re not defying the very basis of their own religion. If they switched to carrots or something, then they’d be hypocrits.
I am very happy to hear about the Good Junaid. I hate hating people groups as a whole, and he gives me a glimmer of hope that once we wax these terrorists bastards (You’ve seen their faces. Imagine their backs. shudder) and the Leftards (If we can make it look like justifiable homocide), the world can actualy have peace.
But, there is no Peace without Victory. And the Muslims that support that Victory are to be lauded. The Leftards want the peace without the sacrifice. But that which is too easily attained is too cheaply esteemed.
Please, Frank, more stories of Muslims that haven’t gone off the deep end.
Islamic folks are being profiled..and justly so.
When Irish people start blowing up airplanes and knocking buildings down…killing innocent by-standers…raping women and killing babies…then I will start to bitch about my fellow clansmen.(spelt with a “C” so don’t start)
Right now it seems that islamic yo-yos are the ones under the magnifing glass, and until the Muslims that don’t believe in this crap start speaking up and policing their own….well the whole lot can go straight go hell…and I for one wouldn’t mind sending a few on the way. Given the chance all the things I once knew would return. Goes back to long ago..training and active… that the Army was nice enough to teach me.
One-Shot..One Kill and I DECIDE with NO REMORSE.
Folks these arse holes killed 3000 of my fellow Countrymen…and since then close to 3000 active Military….I will not forgive or forget.
PC my ass, you want political correctness..grab a rifle and go to Irag and kill a few of these islamic-nazis. There is nothing that will make me feel good about the Muslim Nations.
White Knight
Any young muslim serving along side our troops in the New Iraqi or Afghan Armies has my vote as a friend of the United States. At last count, there were roughly 375,000 of these guys.
In some ways, Muslims in this country are in the same position that decent whites were in during the days of the Jim Crow South; that non-Jews were in during America’s “Gentleman’s Agreement” days; and that German-Americans were in during World War 2. Most of those who had the courage of their convictions made it a point to publically declare were they stood in unequivocal terms. They didn’t draw the wagons. Accordingly, it’s difficult to understand the frequent complaint from many Muslims who contend they have no obligation to publically apologize for or condemn the misdeeds of members of their own group and religion. Doing so would appear to be an American tradition, part of the assimilation process. This essay is a breath of fresh air.
Maybe I’m wrong, but I think the media does it’s best to ignore stories about people like Junaid because it conflicts with their worldview. Stereotyping is what they do. Also, how long could they maintain the trope that BooooooshrubMcChimpyHitleridiot is fighting a war on Islam if people knew that patriotic American Muslims were on the front lines (and on our side)?
I agree with Gunga. These stories aren’t front page because the anti-theirowncountry media would have to admit there are Muslims who actually love this country! And they would have to have days off because they would be in shock that a Muslim loved this country that the media hates. They would probably accuse this wonderful Muslim of some sort of horrible crime for loving America. How would it play out? They just couldn’t do it.
I thought it was 72 raisins.
That Syrian guy who died protecting our embassy (US Soil) don’t deserve 72 Virgins. He deserves 72 Jenna Jamesons.
Or they could just give him any of the chics from a Peter North video.
“Or they could just give him any of the chics from a Peter North video.”
Nah…that’d be like handing them a peanut butter sandwich right after they ate a steak dinner…with dessert.
The Syrian who died today was one of the men who attacked the compound.
He deserves eternity with 72 Ron Jeremies.
And a dozen John Holmes.
Though we did not know his name, Sgt. Junaid has been a hero to many of us. If we are lucky, Sgt. Junaid will follow in Franks brothers footsteps and go to officer school and make a career of service to his and our great nation. Please Josh, make sure to tell your friend that his story makes us all proud here at IMAO and throughout this country.
Actually, the biggest problem Islam has (aside from a seriously screwed up minority intent on ruling the world by stoneage religious fiat), IS CAIR. I take no issue with pointing out the efforts of the few like your friend Sergeant Junaid – good on him. His actions are highly commendable and most deserving our respect and appreciation. Unfortunately, his deeds are overshadowed by the deafening silence of his fellow Islamic people. No leader among them has come out publicly to condemn the acts of the butchers. No leader among them has come out to criticize these tactics by way of distancing themselves and those like them from the whack jobs with the TNT vests.
I am not suffering from Islamophobia. I don’t think for a minute that the animals doing this are any kind of majority. I truly want to believe they are as shocked and appalled as the rest of the civilized world at the acts of these animals. However, if they are upset at these acts then THEY MUST SPEAK OUT LOUDLY AND PUBLICALLY AGAINST THEM. As long as the silence of the Islamic leadership continues, I have no choice but to question their motives. This is a war for civilization, and unless and until they can convince me they are different, they are not. The ball is in their court.