Actually, the connection was raised by the ABC article and Muslim organization and community comments in that same article. Phil did not set the trend, Islam did. And I have to agree with Phil.

The opportunity to say something righteous was presented, and the narrow minds of the American Muslim Council, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the Council on American-Islamic Relations of Southern California, and the various Muslim communities cited were unable to find it. They face the event, but speak in circular logic, completely missing the point, and the chance -- again.

"The whole Muslim community was praying day and night: 'God, please. There has to be no connection to Muslims.' We'll probably have a backlash. People in a hurry will think that this is just a Muslim thing again. The community really fears it."

Not the issue.

"It's like a ball in your stomach: 'Oh God here we go again. Every time we seem to make some advancements, it's like we take one step forward and two steps back."

Not the issue.

"We're doing what we did after Sept. 11: holding onto our seats, holding on for the ride and hoping this one will be shorter."

Not the issue.

Muslims said, the release of Muhammad's name had done new damage.

Not the issue.

"We're concerned that because of his last name, Muslims will again be scapegoated, and people who don't know any better will act on that."

Not the issue.

There are key differences things mainstream Muslims want the rest of the world to know.



For example, they disapprove of the sniper boasting to police: "I am God."

"No good Muslim would ever call himself a god," said Mahdi Bray of the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation.

Also, Orthodox Muslims generally do not consider the Nation of Islam a mainstream religion.

"We don't represent their views, they don't represent our views," said Rehman of the American Muslim Council.





If “no good Muslim would ever call himself a god,” then it stands to reason that Muhammad is “a bad Muslim.” However, calling himself a god did not kill innocent people. The “bad Muslim” did, with his nifty little bushmaster. “Bad Muslims” exist. They are real. They are in the world. They are in “our” world. The free world (that satanic Western regime) has been at war with them for over a year. Will the Muslim clerics who whine on and on about how unfair the world is around them please step forward and condemn the shootings?!

Likely not today. They’re too busy whining, so they’ll need a few days to mull it over -- and then it will all be forgotten, and they can continue to sit on their hands and moan.

Cheers,
Dan