Senior government and politics and information systems major

In Wednesday’s edition of The Diamondback, a column by Charlie Bulman noted that “a conservative culture of offense-taking” can crowd out the realities of the past. For instance, members of the political right were recently appalled by President Obama’s speech at the National Prayer Breakfast critiquing Christianity’s history of justifying violence such as the Crusades and Jim Crow laws. According to his logic, this violence is not much different than the violence we see in extreme forms of Islam. 

In light of the recent terrorist attacks in Paris and Copenhagen, Denmark, as well as the deaths of three Muslim students in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, it’s welcoming to see dialogue addressing both interfaith relations and free speech on this campus. The hashtag #JeSuisCharlie (in response to the Charlie Hebdo attacks), as well as a fast in Stamp Student Union to address Muslim awareness are examples of such initiatives.  

However, to prevent heinous acts from happening again, we have to be realistic of what type of violence extreme forms of religion create. Sure, Christians might have been offended by Obama’s remarks because they critiqued Christianity, but perhaps we should also be concerned that our president cites Christian violence that occurred decades ago (and even hundreds of years ago, considering the Crusades), when we really need to focus on the here and now. 

There seems to be a belief that pockets of Muslim extremism in the world are very small — that it’s entirely rare to find Muslim adherents who hold extreme views, particularly in the West. Despite the fact that, out of all religions in the United States, Muslims were most likely to believe Islam is not sympathetic to al Qaeda (according to a Gallup poll), 78 percent of British Muslims, according to NOP Research, believe the Danish cartoonist who depicted Muhammad in a negative light should be punished. Sixty-eight percent of British Muslims support the “prosecution and arrest” of British people who insult Islam, and an ICM opinion poll found 4 in 10 British Muslims want sharia law introduced into parts of the country. These statistics don’t come from a so-called “backward” country — they come from a country with democratic ideals. 

Though some might counter these polls by citing different extreme acts that were carried out in the name of Christianity — such as the Catholic Church in Brazil threatening to sue over a television commercial depicting Christ in a soccer jersey or the murder of abortion doctor George Tiller by Christian terrorist Shelley Shannon — there are much fewer polls or aggregate data illustrating Christian support for prosecution or punishments against media or individuals who critique their religion. 

I’m not making an argument that Muslim extremism is something we’re experiencing on the campus. I’m sure most Muslims on this campus, and many in this country, support the peaceful and loving aspects of the religion. I also admire the work of different religious groups on the campus seeking to improve interfaith dialogue. 

However, on a global scale, we need to prevent political correctness from blinding us of harsh realities. To improve the perception of different religions, it takes more than just advocating religious awareness — it involves looking at the numbers and exposing ourselves to the truth behind radical forms of religion and the violence they can create around the globe.

Caroline Carlson, opinion editor, is a senior government and politics and information systems major. She can be reached at ccarlsondbk@gmail.com.