There are constant calls in the west to find the “root causes” of terrorism, and try and address them. Oh, it must be poverty, or illiteracy, or unemployment. These views are trivially proved wrong simply by looking at the demographics of the worst terrorists – they’re so often well educated, financially successful individuals.

Unfortunately, jihadist terrorism (like so many of Islam’s problems) is not some isolated problem to a few fringe religious extremists, as so many wish to pretend. It never was. Jihad and religious world dominance is a significant goal of mainstream Islam. And until we recognize and confront the problem, it will only get worse.How can I say that mainstream Islam is the problem? Simple: while it is true that only a small number of Muslims are willing to personally commit jihad, mainstream Muslim organization after organization constantly support terrorism around the world. And even many of the ones who don’t support terror still pursue Islamic dominance outside of jihad – through our courts, through government infiltration, through intimidation, through radical education, and through claims of political correctness and tolerance being used to suppress free speech. These softer sort of approaches to Islamic dominance is precisely why incidents like the ground zero mosque must be confronted, and why they are offensive – especially when they seek taxpayer funding with a wry smile.

The plain fact is that the atrocities against women, all other religions and ideologies, the fatwas and bounties, the antisemitism and torture – they’re a product of the culture, and not isolated incidents. I’ve frankly stopped blogging on most of the honor killings, drive by shootings, and just atrocious behavior that happens here in western countries, because they’re so frequent. The mainstream Muslim community does not stand up and condemn this behavior – instead they always deflect about Israel, or other excuses.

What needs to be done? Islam must be reformed, however little they wish it. Muslims need to recognize that they have problems within their own culture, and need to shame them out. Some do – and there are also tolerant branches of Islam that are willing to stand up and do what is right. All of these need to be supported and propped up, while we recognize and call out the jihadist elements. In other words, the left’s current tactic of trying to disregard terrorists as merely criminals (whom they can’t prosecute), and their willingness to blindly look at terrorist elements as okay or even good simply because their true enemies (conservatives, of course) have called these organizations out is exactly wrong.

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