Remember This: Facing Hard Truths About Extremism

A Lesson from Catch-22

Joseph Heller penned his classic novel, Catch-22, about World War II in 1961. It became legendary during the Vietnam War. Knowing most reading this column have little to no idea as to its contents, the thesis basically was that soldiers were often faced with two choices, neither of them good. He included an observation that may be timely for us today—”just because you are paranoid does not mean they are not out to get you.”

Silence in the Face of Extremism

The Heller phrase came to mind when reading about all the recent instances of Muslim extremists doing more than proclaiming their hatred for the United States and active desire to do us harm. Let’s state the obvious. This is not to argue that the Muslim faith is inherently evil or that most Muslims do not peacefully practice their faith.

However, it is also fair to observe the silence of Muslim leaders, and this community at large, in condemning those who do commit violent acts, is somewhat deafening in its silence. Moreover, observing fact, reason, and logic turned on its head to avoid being labeled guilty of Islamophobia is more than a little annoying. It comes closer to being maddening.

The Lingering Shadow of 9-11

9-11 stands out for its magnitude of horror. More than 3000 died, including the 19 terrorists. At the time, and since then, great pains have been taken to avoid saying or doing anything that might label one as harboring ill will towards Muslims as a group. This, in a nation where there is no such reservation in finding others, as a group, deserving condemnation. If you doubt the willingness to condemn other groups, sentence yourself to a week of watching CNN.

Liberal journalist, Juan Williams, was fired by National Public Radio (NPR) in 2010 when he expressed concerns over flying with Muslims. “I’m not a bigot…but when I get on a plane…if I see people who are in Muslim garb…I get worried. I get nervous.” Goodbye Juan said NPR.

Statistics and Security Concerns

Lest someone believe there is no reason to have some concerns in other situations involving Muslims, there are some readily available statistics. Since 9-11, there have been more than 120 deaths as a result of attacks by radical Muslims in our country. Fortunately, in excess of 100 other plots have been disrupted. At some point, it simply has to be fair and reasonable to be concerned, even fearful.

With the recent military action in Iran, Muslim extremists have stepped up their game. All the time, we are told that extremism must not result in anyone thinking, much less saying, that something is terribly wrong here.

A Tragedy in Virginia

Perhaps the perfect example would be the horrific mass shooting this week at Old Dominion University in Virginia. The shooter, Mohammed Jallow, was from Sierra Leone. He was previously sentenced in 2017 for attempting to provide material support to ISIS. Records indicate he was released by the Federal Bureau of Prisons in late 2024 during the Biden administration.

What did the Commonwealth Attorney have to say about all of this? Ramin Fatehi blamed the lack of gun control for the tragedy. Put into office with the financial backing of George Soros, Fatehi doubled down when asked about such a view. “I absolutely stand by what I said. It is the truth, no matter how much the gun lobby wants to deny it.” Maybe he would have preferred that Jallow had used a bomb as an attempt less than a week earlier in New York City.

More Incidents in a Single Week

On March 7, two Pennsylvania teenagers, Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi, citing their loyalty to ISIS, tossed homemade bombs into a crowd who were protesting the totalitarian regime in Iran. Fortunately, the bombs did not detonate. That the protest was held near Gracie Mansion, the home of its Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, led the corporate media to speculate it was actually an attack on the Mayor. Put this into the “not hardly” category.

Meanwhile, the Mayor was defending his wife, Rama Duwaji, for her expression of support for the idea that rapes occurring in the October 7 attacks of Israelis being a “mass hoax.” That, he explained, was in her role as a private citizen. His defense of “free speech” was extended to include a dinner invitation to Mahmoud Kahil, the poster child for anti-Israel protests in the United States.

To complete the week, Lebanese-born Ayman Mohamed Ghhazali of Dearborn Heights attempted a shooting of a Synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan. Again, this is all in one week!

A Question for America’s Leaders

Houston, we have a problem. Would you not think the same people so very concerned about Christian Nationalism could come together to loudly proclaim their united opposition to radical Muslim behavior? Behavior that is literally resulting in the loss of innocent life. Where is the Muslim leader willing to bring together leaders of all faith traditions to do just that? Uniting to oppose violence in the name of any religion should not be so difficult. It certainly should not result in someone being accused of being guilty of Islamophobia.

Remember This

Remember this: the poet of a generation, Bob Dylan, said it best. “You don’t have to be a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.” Voices for peace are not hateful.