OK, yesterday I complained about the lack of response from Muslims denouncing the continuing worldwide bloodbath of Islamic violence. Well, here’s one Muslim voice explicitly denouncing the spreading rot of violent extremism in the Islamic world. (Tip to The Corner for the link). The article, by Abdel Rahman al-Rashed (GM of the Al-Arabiya news channel), opens with this:

It is a certain fact that not all Muslims are terrorists, but it is equally certain, and exceptionally painful, that almost all terrorists are Muslims.

And further down:

But let us start with putting an end to a history of denial. Let us acknowledge their reality, instead of denying them and seeking to justify them with sound and fury signifying nothing.

For it would be easy to cure ourselves if we realise the seriousness of our sickness. Self-cure starts with self-realisation and confession. We should then run after our terrorist sons, in the full knowledge that they are the sour grapes of a deformed culture.

Well-said. While public statements of outrage from prominent Muslims is only a beginning requirement to eliminating the stain of terrorism from Islam, it’s hard to imagine it being put much better than this. So, that’s one. There should be many, many more. I urge interested readers not to hold their breath waiting for this sort of thing on Al-Jazeera, however.

As usual, Mark Steyn is all over this. After a quote from the al-Rashed article (above), he writes:

But, as with Nicolson’s prettified prose in London, the question remains: So what? What are you going to do about it? If you want your religion to be more than a diseased death cult, you’re going to have to take a stand.

UPDATE: Slings’n'Arrows points out what a golden opportunity American Muslims have in Chicago this weekend:

Thirty thousand American Muslims gathered together in one city. This sounds to me like a perfect opportunity for them to stand up and condem in one loud, collective, clear voice Islamic terrorism in general and specifically the latest outrage.

UPDATE: Dr. Ameer Ali, president of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, speaks out strongly against the Breslan slaughter:

“They call themselves Muslims, but they are not Muslims. People can say in the name of Jesus they go and do some dastardly act, and then do we call them Christians? It’s exactly the situation that we are facing.

“To go and commit this barbaric crime in the name of Islam, that is what I just can’t accept. They are not in the fold of Islam, these people. They have to be condemned. They are the traitors of the community.”

Again, well-said. That’s two. Keep’em coming!