The sins of our Fathers....

Canadian Imams: "Attack on Canada & U.S.A is an attack on Muslims": Read the article here

Many people forget that...356 Muslims were killed as a result of the 9/11 attacks...that act of radical extremism touched all Americans. Unfortunately the lack of sustained public outcry among Muslims...has many people skeptical about this Fatwa.
But the position such views place Muslims within, seem to me, to be almost impossible to answer:

If the Muslim community remains silent...they are all terrorists and terrorist supporters intent on all Jihad.
or
The Muslim community speaks out against violence, issues a fatwa and speaks for peace....and they are called liars.

The comments section of articles like this, are quick to call all of this, simply: Taqqiya

Which I think is a valid position from a certain perspective; I do believe that Muslims have the responsibility to address the issues that honest people are afraid of. But...I think, every religious person has the responsibility, however unfortunate or uncomfortable; to bring forward an apologetic for the actions and/or sins of thier fathers....Muslim, Buddhist, Jew or....Christian.

To ignore the planks in our eyes while trying to dig out the slivers in other peoples eyes is hypocrisy, as Jesus so wisely pointed out in Matthew 7:5.

We followers of the bible, have some pretty big questions; that fair minded people want answers too. Scriptures and the actions that followed them, like:

Deut. 7:1-2, 16
"When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drive out before you many nations… and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy…You must destroy all the peoples the LORD your God gives over to you."

Deut. 2:34-35
"And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones, of every city, we left none to remain: Only the cattle we took for a prey unto ourselves, and the spoil of the cities which we took."

Psalm 137:8-9:
“O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed, happy the one who repays you as you have served us! Happy the one who takes and dashes your little ones against the rock!"

Psalms 58:10:
“The righteous will be glad when they are avenged, when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked”

Yikes...seems like we all have some family tree issues to explain.

We need to remember as Christians, who follow the New Testament: "...It is time for judgment to begin with the household of God..."

I think that judgment, includes the work of cultural restitution, a form of personal or organizational confession that involves:
1. Explaining the past
2. Speaking up in the present
3. Presenting & proclaiming a better vision for the future.

One insightful commenter said:

"Let's see a few courageous Christian leaders step up to the plate and declare with equal humanity..."Attacks against Muslim homelands by western terrorists are attacks against us all".? Right. Western Christian leaders lack the backbone and are too invested in the stuff their churches are made to dare to risk their own comfort and security to speak with righteous moral conviction on this delicate subject. They might alienate the few members of their congregations and then they would have to find work.

I this that accusation and challenge needs an answer.