What other religion allows its clerics to preach the death of non-believers in the name of God? What other religion condones the murder, mutiliation and torment of children? Moderate Muslims will tell you such outrages are contrary to the Koran and the teachings of the Prophet. But moderate Muslims lack the organizational werewithal to deal with the extremists. There is no centralized hierarchical structure. There is no equivalent to excommunication, and no consensus as to what constitutes heresy.
It is time for moderate Muslims to change this. They need to establish their own transnational conference to undermine the legitimacy of the preachers of murder and hate. Their continued failure to do so forever condemns them to share the blame for the acts of their evil bretheren.
Such a conference also needs to re-evaluate the role of women in Islamic society. Muslim men respect women who are chaste and reverent. But segregating them and hiding them behind a veil limits the possibilities for both romance and friendship. The non-availability of women is frustrating for single men and leads to resentment. When men marry they want complete control and dominance. Long-standing resentment, or a wife's failure to live up to her husband's ideal, can lead to violence and cruelty. So often justified by religious teaching. Any woman who seeks an education, or a role outside the home, is often seen as a whore. So many women in Tahrir Square in Cairo were turned upon by their male fellow protestors. It is an ongoing recipe for social and economic disfunction. And the frustration and resentment of young Muslim men makes them ready recruits for acts of terrorism.
