A Toronto Rabbi Who Sees A Problem But Is Still Impressed By That "Outpouring Of Muslim Support"

“The outpouring of local Muslim support for Jews after the murderous attacks in Paris and Copenhagen by self-proclaimed devout followers of Islam has been heartwarming and greatly appreciated.

Jews were particularly touched by the human chain around the synagogue in Oslo, the capital of Norway, after the tragedy in nearby Denmark. Some 1,000 Muslims, almost as many as there are Jews in all of Norway, are said to have held hands around the synagogue to tell those who worship there that their sanctuary will be protected.”

                                                  — from an article in the Toronto Star by Dow Marmur, March 15, 2015

Dow Marmur, of Toronto, has written an article to express some worries about the behavior of some Muslims who, of course, do not and could not conceivably represent Islam. And he has been heartened by what he describes as “an outpouring of local support” after the attacks in Paris and Copenhagen. What “outpouring” of “local support”? All over France, Muslim students refused to take part in, and noisily mocked, the one minute of silence on behalf of the victims. In Copenhagen, not only was there no “outpouring” but 500 Muslims shows up to honor the Muslim murderer at his funteral. As for those by now ballyhooed and much mentioned “1,000 Muslims” who formed a human chain around a synagogue in Norway to show solidarirty, Dow Marmur appears not to have received the correction to those first bright reports; there were no 1,000 Muslims, but rather about 1,000 people of whom several dozen were Muslims, and of those most were apparently Kurds. It is these people who keep being photographed again and again, in another variant of fauxtography, and Rabbi Dow Marmur was not the only one to have been misled and never followed the story to find out the truth. He also says he has been “heartened” by unspecified other Musilm support for Jews — what in god’s name is he talking about? Where? When? And yet he no doubt thinks he is being daring and brave to suggest that not all is right with Muslims who deplore attacks after the fact, but apparently say little ahead of time to “prevent extremist violence.” “Extremist violence” — the phrase the Obama people insist upon.  What can Muslims who know what Islam inculcates possibly say to prevent such attacks except “don’t do it now because it harms the image of Islam, and we are not yet securely settled deep within the West in sufficient numbers as yet”? That’s the thought, but it can’t be said.  Has Rabbi Dow Marmur studied the Qur’an, Hadith, and Sira, to find out what is in those texts? I don’t think he has. Why hasn’t he? And why does he think he has a right to comment on Islam and what it teaches, what it is, if he has not done so?