The SobekPundit Guide to Religious Debate

Step 1: Gather and analyze all reasonably-available, relevant facts. Read primary materials, instead of relying on someone else's summary.

Step 2: Construct reasoned arguments based on sound premises. If you wish to speculate or offer theories, that is acceptable, but you should specifically tell others that's what you are doing.

Step 3: If someone disagrees with you, murder his entire family.

Update: Fat Kid comments on the story and, unsurprisingly, uses an expletive. He also asks the question, "Where's Jesse Jackson / CAIR for this outrage?" Dr. Shackleford asks basically the same question, and links a lot of other bloggers.

I don't know what Rev. Jackson has to say (if anything). CAIR (Council on American/Islamic Relations) is the frequent object of derision of Neal Boortz and conservative bloggers, so I know their reputation well. I remember a while back I heard a CAIR bigwig express frustration with these questions, because he said he does condemn violent acts by Muslims, but conservatives never notice or report it. Perhaps we're too busy being astounded that you spend your time nitpicking the Fox series 24.

But let's be as fair as possible. I checked out the CAIR web site, where I found a petition called "Not in the Name of Islam," where Muslims can assent to the following:

"We, the undersigned Muslims, wish to state clearly that those who commit acts of terror, murder and cruelty in the name of Islam are not only destroying innocent lives, but are also betraying the values of the faith they claim to represent. No injustice done to Muslims can ever justify the massacre of innocent people, and no act of terror will ever serve the cause of Islam. We repudiate and dissociate ourselves from any Muslim group or individual who commits such brutal and un-Islamic acts. We refuse to allow our faith to be held hostage by the criminal actions of a tiny minority acting outside the teachings of both the Quran and the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him."

The bolded part is an interesting choice of words, because it goes to the core of what Boortz et al complain about: if you really frown upon terrorism, why don't you condemn those who hijack the faith? Well, at least in word, CAIR is doing just that. At least in word.

I also found a page of CAIR statements condemning terrorism.