They Are Fighting A Holy War Whether We Are Or Not.

Two Fox News journalists were finally released by Islamist terrorists but only after the captives "converted" to Islam. (Here.) Not that there's much room for doubt but the conversions were coerced.

"'We were forced to convert to Islam at gunpoint, and don't get me wrong here, I have the highest respect for Islam and learned a lot of very good things about it, but it was something we felt we had to do because they had the guns and we didn't know what the hell was going on,' [Steve] Centanni said."

This event demonstrates a problem for the United States about the War on Terror that ought to be obvious to everybody but apparently isn't. Our enemies are not fighting a geopolitical war; they are fighting a religious war.

The Islamist motivation of the terrorists imposes a special burden on their fellow Moslems. Moslem leaders must demonstrate that Islam is not the enemy. To do that they must condemn each and every atrocity committed by Islamist terrorists in the name of Islam.

Moslem leaders must condemn the forced conversions. They also must disavow the forced conversions as theologically invalid.

This is just like the question of the meaning of "jihad." Moslem leaders constantly tell us that jihad means personal struggle not holy war. Of course, we don't need to be told since we're not the ones killing people in the name of jihad. The people who need to be told what jihad means are the terrorists. In this situation, non-Moslems don't need an explanation that the conversions aren't valid. We don't recognize their validity. The people who need to be told that forced conversions aren't valid, are the terrorists who forced non-Moslems to convert or die.

There's an old saying that "silence gives consent." The terrorists forced their captives to convert to Islam. By doing so the terrorists believed they were acting on behalf of Islam. If Moslem leaders or clerics remain silent about these forced conversions their silence will amount to an acceptance of the conversions. Their silence will be consent and permission for more forced conversions to come.

Modern Christians aren't fighting the Crusades. They don't conquer for the cross anymore. Non-Christians are no longer forced to convert or die. It's time for modern Moslems to mirror that and put a stop to forced conversions. Stop your fellow Moslems from fighting this jihad. You're either with us, or you're with the jihadists. There is no middle ground.

-tdr

Technorati: Islam.