Do research on supposed Muslim 'silence'

Frank Watson’s Guest Commentary “Religious Freedom Condemns Terrorism” is another in an unfortunately long history of predominantly conservative commentators criticizing Muslims for not condemning terrorism perpetrated by Islamic extremists.

Watson is “still waiting for a Muslim spokesman to condemn 9/11.” He goes on to say that the terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka were, “absolutely denounced throughout the globe…except by Islamic political and religious leaders,” who he claims, “were conspicuously quiet.”

Then tangentially, it seems, Watson criticizes a Spokane high school girl for wearing her hijab after 9/11, calling it “insensitive.” He criticizes Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, a Somali-American who, in 2018, was one of the first Muslim women elected to Congress, for not being “the leader who integrates Muslims into mainstream America,” and who was “insensitive” in her remarks concerning prejudice against Muslim Americans since 9/11.

The fact is, Muslim Americans have condemned violence supposedly perpetrated in the name of Islam over and over again. A 19-year-old American Muslim student created a spreadsheet documenting the instances of this when a classmate made the same charge as Watson. It includes examples of Muslims condemning the Sri Lanka attacks. In Sri Lanka itself, Muslims have put up banners with messages of condolence for victims of the attacks, met with Catholic Church and police officials and packed food kits for funeral volunteers.

As for a Muslim spokesperson speaking out against 9/11, Charles Kurzman, a professor at the Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has compiled a long list of Islamic statements against terrorism on his web page.

Although I seldom agree with Watson’s guest commentaries — we come from different ends of the political spectrum — they are usually better thought out than this. Cheney Free Press readers are ill-served by Watson perpetuating the very prejudices against which Congresswoman Omar spoke.

Richard V. Badalamente

Kennewick, Wash.