Unless an American wants to put a huge amount of effort into the issue it really isn’t that easy for the average person to really know what to think about Islam. They don’t trust the media (for good reason) and they are not going to be pacified simply because a talking head told them not to worry. When they see polls showing 40% of the Muslims in the UK support sharia why should they believe that they have nothing to fear? They watch CNN and are told that the imam who wants to build the “ground zero mosque” should be trusted because he is a moderate then they learn he refuses to condemn Hamas as terrorist and they begin to question what people mean when they say moderate Muslim. When they look around the and see people living under oppressive theocracies in the name of Islam and so few Muslims willing to condemn they worry. There is no majority Muslim nations that most American’s want to visit much less live in.

If Americans are going to trust Muslims Muslims are going to need to do more to earn that trust. When we see Muslims condemn the radicalism of some in their faith it is almost a nuanced condemnation that leaves you unsure what they really believe. When we see Muslims willing to give as much tolerance as they demand we may be more sympathetic.