Gerecht, Wehner Speak Out Against Islamophobia

Jeffrey Goldberg deftly points out the growing conservative backlash against the frenzied ignorance of Pamela Geller, Robert Spencer, Newt Gingrich, et al on the issue of Islam in a blog post over at The Atlantic. It’s a welcome sign of hope that sterling-credentialed figures like Reuel Gerecht (a former CIA operative) and Peter Wehner (former special assistant to President Bush) are taking on those talking heads who prefer to make their buck by stirring up misunderstanding. Gerecht notes that all the recent railing against “sharia law” creates evident PR problems for the United States:

Whatever vestigial pride Muslims may have in their religious law (most Muslims aren’t particularly fastidious or knowledgeable about the Sharia, but nevertheless have an understandable historic affection for it), gets crudely pummeled by such commentators.

Of course, Geller will still get her airtime. But it’s good to see that fellow conservatives are starting to self-police the out-of-control discourse on Islam.

— Charlie Dameron