The Philadelphia Inquirer has published a book review by Jonathan Last on “My Year Inside Radical Islam” by Daveed Gartenstein-Ross.
The author states: “The book also illustrates the troubling state of Islamic organizations in the United States. Nearly every discussion of Islamic radicalism and terrorism is prefaced by a disclaimer that of course the vast majority of Muslims are morally opposed to both. This may well be true.
“But the problem in the current struggle against Islamic fascism is that the radicals often find succor from moderate Muslims – even ‘moderates’ aren’t always as liberal as one might hope. While Gartenstein-Ross never came into contact with actual terrorists, he was surrounded by people – normal Muslim citizens – whose worldviews were unsettling.”
“One of Gartenstein-Ross’ coworkers, for instance, often complained about the Nation of Islam, whose members he believed were deviants. He said, ‘Let them choose true Islam or cut off their heads.'”
“This sentiment – not from an al-Qaeda fighter or a fire-breathing radical, but from a normal, devout Muslim – is important. The challenge Islam poses to the West goes beyond mere terrorism.”
Read full article: http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/columnists/16670675.htm
ACTION:
1. Write a letter to the editor asking them to be more responsible in their approach to book reviews by covering balanced viewpoints within the book review: inquirer.letters@phillynews.com.
2. Contact book review staffer Jonathan V. Last: jlast@phillynews.com and ask him to write a piece that is more balanced.
3. Contact Philadelphia Inquirer Editor, Bill Marimow: bmarimow@phillynews.com
