Muslim leaders worldwide must work to halt fundamentalism

The headline “Al-Qaeda’s Revenge” (Saturday, January 10) caught me by surprise.

Does that imply the Irish Examiner view the French cartoonist’s work as wrongdoing? Does the Irish Examiner stand with this country’s blasphemy laws?

It is impossible to include in 21st century society a sect that believes in cutting off heads and hands, of banning art and music, of keeping women uneducated, of multiple wives and then public support of their offspring. Political correctness keeps us from stating truth and upholding our values. There are times when a penchant for siding with an underdog is not compatible with the moral creed that is (thankfully) in common acceptance in the Western world. We cannot turn the cheek to an attacking wild animal or reason with that animal or bribe that animal. I suggest that the animal can only be “tamed” by its own kind. It is way past time that Muslim leaders worldwide denounce the deviants and take action to quell the beast. In France on Monday, we saw Muslim leaders march. But it is now time to take action: supply information to the police, discipline your own, stop funding the cause overtly or covertly and expose those who do.

Shaykh Dr Umar Al Qudri can lead this campaign in Ireland by not offering threats of lawsuits if newspapers treads on Muslim toes, but by making certain that the Muslim children attend Irish schools, by making certain by example that Irish Muslims can not only accept the benefits of an Irish free society but add to those benefits.

Joyce Anderson

Knockleigh

Belgooly

Co Cork