July 5, 2010: There is, for once, a positive trend in the Islamic world. It's that Islamic terrorism, and Palestinian terrorism, are no longer automatically supported. A growing number of Islamic clerics, some of them quite influential, are openly, and unequivocally, condemning Islamic terrorism. Not too long ago, some clerics would condemn terrorists killing Moslems, but allow that dead infidels were less of a problem. No more, and this is a big change. A decade ago, Moslem clerics inclined to condemn Islamic terrorism, had to consider the possibility of threats, or worse, from the militants. That's still a problem in places like Iraq and Afghanistan, but even there, clerics are speaking up against the violence.

Palestinian terrorism is also receiving less support. This is partly due to the growing support Hamas is receiving from Iran (seen as an enemy of the Arabs, and Sunni Moslems everywhere.) There is also the frustration at the Palestinian inability to do anything themselves to better their situation. The Palestinians are seen as their own worst enemy. This can be seen in the Arab journalists who are now openly criticizing the role of Islamic radicals in the bloodshed involved of Israel's effort to stop nine ships from reaching Gaza. Eight of those ships peacefully surrendered to Israeli force. But on the ninth ship, dozens of members of IHH, a Turkish Islamic charity with long term ties to Islamic terrorist groups, attacked the Israeli troops. Nine IHH members were killed when Israeli troops fought back. The dead IHH men were promptly declared martyrs by the Islamic media. But many Arab journalists, who had been following IHH's pronouncements (of seeking a violent confrontation with Israel, and "martyrdom") in Arab media knew exactly what IHH was up to.

But in much of the world, the IHH scam worked, with near-universal condemnation of Israel. But now Moslem journalists are complaining that pro-terrorist outfits like IHH are looking for media attention, not a solution to the many problems that afflict the Islamic world. Where, the journalists boldly ask, is any concern about the slaughter of Moslems in Darfur, Kyrgyzstan and elsewhere? What about the oppression of Sunni Moslems, and  Arabs, in Iran? In all these places, it is Moslems mistreating Moslems, and Moslem journalists, and clerics, have been silent. But no more.