Last November I wrote about the six Imams (read here) who, on a flight from Minneapolis to Phoenix, did all they could – both before and after boarding – to call attention to themselves and mimic the behavior of the 9/11 hijackers.  Passengers were understandably alarmed, crew members were suspicious, and security personnel decided to remove them for questioning.

Not surprisingly, the Imams have just filed a lawsuit against the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport Commission, US Airways, the flight crew, and several “John Does” (to be named later).  These John Does are the innocent bystanders who alerted the flight crew of the Imams’ behavior.

There has been much speculation on the motives of these “spiritual leaders”.  Were they on a “dry run”?  Were they testing security systems?  Perhaps they were probing authorities’ and passengers’ tolerance of – or reluctance to criticize – anything Islam.  Or maybe they were just going for the money and this lawsuit itself was the goal.

But if their goal was money, why sue the passengers?  Whatever their purpose at the time, they are now clearly trying to intimidate all the rest of the nameless John Does who wish Islam no harm and only want to live their quiet lives and at the end of the day go home to their families.

These Imams are hoping that when other freeborn Americans watch the evening news and see the legal system used to intimidate, punish, and harass airline passengers who dared to stick up for themselves, they’ll have second thoughts if it happens to them and cower back into their seats.

And why not?  It’s worked pretty well for them so far.

Just last week, the London Daily Mail ran a story about schools in England dropping the Holocaust from history classes for fear of “offending” Muslim students by saying something that would conflict with the rabid anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial their Imams preach to them.  It was, after all, “home grown” Muslims who bombed the London subways in 2005.

The British aren’t the only ones who exhibit this “toleration of intolerance”.

From the Madrid bombings in 2004 which altered the outcome of the Spanish elections, to the near anarchy and threats of further violence that convinced other publications not to publish those Danish cartoons in 2005, to riots and killing of an Italian Nun in 2006 which affected Pope Benedict’s apology last year, Muslims have found that the West will tolerate their intolerance again and again.

Yet these radical Islamists themselves are intolerant of those who point out their intolerance.  Filmmaker Theo Van Gogh killed in Holland; high school teacher Robert Redeker living in hiding in France; Dutch Member of Parliament Ayan Hirsi Ali forced to flee to Washington D.C.; and her fellow MP now living under military protection, to name just a few.  In Europe, if you say Islam isn’t a religion of peace, they will try to kill you!  And if you point out the irony in this, they will try to kill you!!

Is it any different in America, where we pride ourselves on our tolerance of the expression of even unpopular ideas?  No, in America people who voice their concerns over Islamic extremism aren’t murdered, bombed, or forced into hiding – yet.  Here, these concerns are called “hate speech” and those expressing them are labeled “Islamophobic”, forced to resign, and sued.

After 9/11, we were told that “Islam teaches peace”.  Muslim leaders were invited to the White House.  President Bush had a photo op with local Imams in a Mosque. 

But if Islam teaches peace, where are the Muslim voices condemning Islamic violence, bombings, threats, and other acts of intolerance?  Where is there condemnation of their intolerance of our tolerant society?

Last year, right here in the Dallas / Fort Worth area of Texas, a local talk show host was concerned about this very thing.  He asked for support from Christians, Jews, and Muslims.  He planned a rally of peace and tolerance.  His goal was to have tens of thousands of Americans telling the world that we support all religions.  We are at war with extremists; we are at war with terrorists; we are NOT at war with Islam.

Many of us pledged to participate:  Baptists, Catholics, Mormons, and Jews; Pastors, Ministers, Rabbis, and Priests. …And one Imam. 

But under the pressure of the “intolerance of tolerance” this lone Imam was quickly forced to withdraw.  The “religion of peace” would not participate in this demonstration of tolerance. 

Local Muslims just accepted this “tolerance of intolerance”, and refused to condemn the “intolerance of tolerance” exhibited by their “religion of peace”.

When will “moderate” Muslims step up and begin denouncing and isolating the fanatics who have “stolen” their religion?

Where were the peaceful Muslims on July 4, 2002, when Egyptian Muslim Hesham Mohamed Hadayet attacked El Al passengers at Los Angeles International Airport, killing three and wounding three others?

Or… on March 3, 2006, when Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar an Iranian-born American citizen confessed to intentionally running down people on the University of North Carolina Cmpus at Chapel Hill with his Jeep Grand Cherokee, claiming “I was aiming to follow in the footsteps of one of my role models, Mohammad Atta”, leader of the 9/11 hijackers?

Or… on July 28, 2006, in another attack by Muslim Naveed Afzal HAQ, on a Jewish Center in Seattle, Washington, killing one woman and injuring several others, telling anyone who would listen “I Hate Israel”?

Or… on Aug 29, 2006, when Muslim Omeed Aziz Popal drove his Honda Pilot SUV onto the sidewalk next to the Jewish Center killing one man and seriously injuring fourteen more – claiming “I’m a terrorist, I don’t care” ?

Or… on Feb 12, 2007 when Muslim Teen, Sulejmen Talovic opened fire on shoppers in a Salt Lake City shopping mall, killing five innocent people?

The local Muslim communities aren’t alone in their silence.  All of these cases were classified as “isolated incidents” by our own government.  Authorities have refused to label them hate crimes!  The “med-evil Media” preferred not to mention the religion of these murderers.

Were they suddenly stricken with some sort of “Sudden Jihad Syndrome” where peace-loving Muslims suddenly have an irresistible urge to kill infidels?  Or were they encouraged by the venom they hear from their leaders and their animosity towards our free society?

If we are to believe that moderate Muslims don’t support terrorists, when will we hear them denounce this violence by radical Muslims and stop harassing peace-loving freeborn Americans?  When will the peaceful Muslims stop their “tolerance of intolerance”? 

The real blasphemy to Islam is the deafening silence we hear from the “religion of peace”, and the unwillingness of the world’s Muslims to speak out against this bloodshed.