Last week's London train bombing attacks represent not just a failure of Western intelligence, but also a complete abrogation of responsibility by Muslim communities in their host countries to root out the enemy in their midst.
So says Mansoor Ijaz, one-time Clinton administration Middle Eastern troubleshooter.
"Verbal condemnations and choreographed press releases against violent terrorist acts, as Britain�s Muslim leaders produced last Thursday, are no longer sufficient," he writes in Tuesday's London Financial Times.
"That moderate Muslims do not take meaningful steps to irradicate al-Qaeda�s cancerous metastasis in their communities is a stunning failure of leadership and lies at the heart of the increasing distrust secular societies have for all Muslims."
"Real action is needed � and fast," the Pakistani-American investment banker urges.
Ijaz proposes a plan of action for British Muslims, one that could serve as a model for Muslim communities throughout the world:
"First, forbid the use of mosques and other religious institutions to discharge bigotry and hatred. As France has done already, Britain should require each imam to pass minimum competency exams. ... Those that pass must accept their citizenship responsibilities to become resources for authorities seeking data on criminal elements residing in Britain�s Muslim communities.
"Any imam failing to comply should be shown politely to the departure lounge at Heathrow airport," says Ijaz.
"Second, open Britain�s Islamic charities to greater financial scrutiny to identify those that fund terrorism. Charities should be asked to limit foreign donations to 10 per cent of operating budgets and certify that the remainder of their donors are British citizens who give from taxable � and transparent � income sources.
"Third, form community watch groups made up of Muslim citizens to reclaim Islam from the terrorists and committed to contributing useful information to the authorities. Britain�s tolerant political environment has transformed it into a haven for militant Islam. Communities joining together to compile and analyse data on Muslim fanatics for use by British authorities in official proceedings is the best way for moderate Muslims to prevent the state�s anti-terror apparatus from appearing biased or being used inappropriately."
The sentiment voiced by Ijaz is being echoed even in some of the media's most liberal quarters.
"Until and unless that religious community takes these [terrorists] on, roots them out and delegitimizes them, [terrorism] is going to continue," New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman told radio host Don Imus on Tuesday. "And if they don't do that, sooner or later, people are going to put up walls."
Friedman complained that Iranian clerics had issued a fatwah-death threat against author Salman Rushdie for merely criticizing Islam in a novel.
But "to this day," he noted, "no major Arab-Muslim religious institution or cleric has issued a fatwah condemning Osama bin Laden."
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