Excerpt:
Anderson Cooper began a recent segment on Revolution Muslim, a radical New York-based group that praised Major Hasan for the Fort Hood shootings, with the caveat that the group is "a splinter of a splinter" group. His warning is no doubt intended to short-circuit the mass hysteria that would ensue if Americans were to view the raw footage. Surely, without the filter provided by supposedly objective mediators, Americans might reach their own conclusions. Many other pundits and talking heads have followed suit, preempting any coverage of the Fort Hood shootings with patronizing warnings to separate the actions of one radical shooter or group against the supposed mainstream version of Islam. The first order question that is missed, however, is the assumption that underlies Anderson Cooper's statement: "How big is the splinter?"
Emphasizing tolerance above all other values ironically enables radical groups that take advantage of American tolerance and secularism. Radical Islamists advance fundamental Shari'a law, a system predicated on the forced imposition of virtue according to the Quran. The strength and representation of these radical groups should not be understated. An examination of history, current trends and public opinion in Arabic countries on issues like suicide bombing demonstrates the clear need for massive reform within the Islamic community.