Today, people who refer to the likes of the Islamic State and Boko Haram as terrorist groups are easily the majority. Every article you read on the subject of terrorism refers to groups like these as 'fringe' and 'fanatical' which 'have nothing to do with Islam.' While they do engage in terrorism, these are Islamic groups first and foremost, yet no one wants to acknowledge this point.
Two things need to happen in order for this to change. 1) Defenders of Islam, particularly western apologists, need to actually study the religion and what it teaches. 2) Muslims the world over need to acknowledge that everything IS or Al Qaeda or Boko Haram or Shabab does is sanctioned, overtly, in either the Quran or the Hadith.
I understand the defensive nature they take on, "we're not all terrorists." I understand that they feel their values are being misrepresented. What Muslims need to understand is that by pointing out and admitting the flaws in Islam, it shows that their values are superior to what Muhammad taught and how he acted. If you don't condone beheading and stoning, you are morally superior to Muhammad right off the bat.
Stop being defensive. No one is attacking you, we are attacking harmful ideas from a barbaric age which were spread at the edge of a sword by a conquering Arab warlord and his followers. Just admit it, and then we can finally talk about what you think 'moderate' Islam or a 'reformed' Islam would look like. But continuing to insist that the religion, the ideology itself, is without fault is going to do nothing but bolster the likes of IS. "If there is nothing wrong with the religion, then nothing we are doing is wrong." It's as simple as that.
Arab Muslims are particularly defensive, because they can't seem to separate Islam from the rest of their culture. Speaking ill of Muhammad's 7th century ideology is viewed as an attack on all of Arab culture. This is simply not the case. Arabs the world over are known for having a distinct and beautiful language, excellent cuisine, tremendous generosity and hospitality. Why throw all that away to defend ideas which you don't even agree with?
And please, don't shift the discussion to, "well, Christianity has bad ideas, Judaism has bad ideas." We all agree, especially Christians and Jews. They admit it. Ask one. Christians and Jews have long ago learned to laugh at themselves and their books and their 'prophets'. But deflecting the conversation to other religions accomplishes nothing.
Perhaps it's true that most Muslims don't believe in the literal truth of the Quran, and perhaps it's true that they find much of the ideology barbaric and intolerant. These are all good things. What's not good is insisting, again and again, that Islam is not to blame. Why not? Blame Islam for its barbarism if it is barbaric. Just because you identify with an ideology does not mean that you alone understand it and have to defend it against all comers.
If the majority of Muslims said something along the lines of, "I believe Islam offers some moral guidance and gives many people consolation and comfort, but I do not believe in the literal truth of the Quran as the perfect book," then we could all, Muslims and non-Muslims, actually prevent groups like IS and Boko Haram from popping up. They get their strength and their legitimacy from the fact that Muslims will not condemn the ideology, the same ideology they use, correctly, to justify their behavior. "If Muhammad was the perfect man, and the Quran is the perfect book, and most Muslims agree, then we are doing nothing wrong - in fact, we are doing what God wishes us to do."
