A Call for Accountability

September 3, 2002

Source: The New York Times

On September 3, 2002 The New York Times printed an editorial by Mona Eltahawy that stated, "Muslims across the United States have... visited schools, churches and synagogues to explain how different is the faith they hold dear from the hate-filled zealotry that took control of those planes... But if Muslims are continually called upon to apologize, a defensiveness will set in that will distract from the questions we need to ask to move beyond Sept. 11 and reclaim the stage from the maniacs who want to take over the mosques. All Muslims cannot be held accountable for the murderous actions of 19 men. But we must hold ourselves accountable for examining how those men were able to distort the teachings of Islam to such an extreme end."