Scribbling Monk

Emilio Karim Dabul has a column in the New York Post today in which he apologizes for the Sept. 11, 2001, attack.

WELL, here it is, five years late, but here just the same: an apology from an Arab-American for 9/11. No, I didn't help organize the killers or contribute in any way to their terrible cause. However, I was one of millions of Arab-Americans who did the unspeakable on 9/11: nothing.

Dabul goes on to say his fears prevented public voicing of his sentiments.

The only time I raised my voice in protest against these men who killed thousands of innocents in the name of Allah was behind closed doors, among the safety of friends and family. I did at one point write a very vitriolic essay condemning their actions, but fear of becoming another Salman Rushdie kept me from ever trying to publish it.

Dabul does what's right and encourages other Muslims to also stand up.

Well, I'm sick of saying the truth only in private - that Arabs around the world, including Arab-Americans like myself, need to start holding our own culture accountable for the insane, violent actions that our extremists have perpetrated on the world at large.

Yes, our extremists and our culture.

. . .

Five years after that awful day, it's time for all Arab-Americans, and Arabs around the world, to protest against Islamic fascism, to raise our voices - and, where necessary, our arms - against these tyrants until their plague of terror has been driven from the face of the earth forever.

Another theme of his column counters apologists, including President Bush, who say Islam is a religion of peace.

Every single 9/11 hijacker was Arab and a Muslim. The apologists (including President Bush) tried to reassure us that 9/11 had nothing to do with Islam, but was a twisting of a great and noble religion. With all due respect, read the Koran, Mr. President. There's enough there for someone of extreme tendencies to find their way to a global jihad.

There's also enough there for someone of a different mindset to find a path to enlightenment and peace. Still, Rushdie had it right back in 2001: This does have to do with Islam. A Christian who bombs an abortion clinic in the name of God is still a Christian, at least in his interpretation, and saying otherwise doesn't negate the fact that he has spent a goodly amount of time figuring out his version of the one true and right thing to do.

The men who killed 3,000 of our citizens on 9/11 in all likelihood died saying prayers to Allah, and that by itself is one of the most horrific things to me about that day.

I too have read the Koran and much of the Hadith. I found anger and violence against unbelievers amid calls to service and piety, similar to what's in the Christian Old Testament.

But Christianity has great reformers and authors of its latter-day tenets. Chief among them is its foundation reformer, Jesus Christ who Christians believe to be God.

Dabul, and many others like him, can be reformers. Our communities should reach out to Muslims who embrace and revere freedom for all. Nurture and encourage them to do what is right.

Thank you Emilio Karim Dabul. Thank you to all other Muslims who have spoken out.