Against 'Us' and 'Them'

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The media's focus on radical elements, Siddiqui argues, has pushed moderate Islam to the periphery, deeming it less worthy of coverage. By limiting the debate in this way, thoughtful voices that speak to the true diversity within the Muslim world have been silenced.

Unlike Plate, however, Siddiqui also places blame on 'those Muslims who called for violence.' While the modern media tend to focus on inflammatory voices, those people behind them must be held responsible. They, just like the media, fail 'to acknowledge that diversity must be negotiated in the context of multiple voices and not as the product of any polarization between two competing world views.'

Both Plate and Siddiqui agree that this storm was not created by any intrinsic dualism. Rather, the current flare-up is a product of an age that levels diversity of thought, silencing nuanced views and ignoring centuries of history. We will only move beyond this inevitable violence, they argue, once we discard such polarizing language.

Go there >> Islam Is the West

Go there too >>Muslims Don't Speak With Just One Voice

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