Asking Muslims To Condemn ISIS Is Offensive, Writes Columnist: Internet Goes Crazy


Asking Muslims to condemn ISIS, or the Islamic State, is “offensive,” writes columnist Eli Talbert for The Pitt, a student newspaper at the University of Pittsburgh.

In the piece published on Thursday, Talbert asserted that pressuring Muslims to condemn ISIS is “highly problematic for a number of reasons, not to mention that it probably stems from Islamophobia.”

“The public and Obama’s blatant hostility toward Islam is especially evident when one examines the treatment of other groups,” Talbert notes. “After all, we don’t call on Christians, Democrats or Republicans to disavow radical members of their group. That is, unless one of them makes a statement that is seriously nonsensical and in bad taste, such as Todd Akin’s ‘legitimate rape’ comment that drew condemnation from all across the Republican party — including from the Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and the Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell.”

“Why can’t Muslims feel free to refuse to condemn ISIS? I’m sure that, even given the horrible nature of Todd Akin’s comments, a Republican could have refused to condemn him based on the fact that Akin doesn’t represent all Republicans. Similarly, I bet the Pope could refuse to condemn pedophiliac priests because that would imply that pedophilia is the norm for the priesthood. Why are people singling out Islam?”

Talbert’s views instigated a furor on the web, particularly on Reddit. To the point that “we don’t call on Christians, Democrats or Republicans to disavow radical members of their group,” one commenter took issue.

“We absolutely do, as he gave an example of in the next f***ing sentence.”

Following that same thread, another commenter drew out the non sequitur comparisons.

“Making bad statements= condemn / Beheading civilians and having sex slaves= don’t condemn”

“I feel bad for this kid,” wrote another. “His writing is f***ing terrible, he must be a freshman. Even if he doesn’t change his views, I hope he’ll look back and be embarrassed at how awkward his writing was.”

“I feel bad for him too,” wrote a fourth. “This is the kind of thing that gets your internet history, movements and known associates monitored.”

After the piece blew up online, the Pitt News received such an outpouring of anger that it updated the page today with the following note.

“Trigger Warning: This is satirical.”

So, breathe a little easier readers in knowing that Eli Talbert apparently doesn’t believe the full diatribe linked above. However, the fact that so many responded to it in the way they did goes to show that today’s audiences would not be surprised to read something like this as legitimate.

In fact, recently a spokesperson for a moderate Islam group flatly refused to answer the question of whether ISIS beheadings were wrong on Australian television.

That was legitimate. He even called the question “offensive.”

Do you think asking Muslims to condemn ISIS is offensive? Is there a double standard as Talbert alluded to?

[Image via ShutterStock]

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