Will you please first define what is the difference between moderate Muslim and other types of Muslim, at least what you think of it .
Hi, Union. While I am not the thread creator, I have a fairly strong hunch that I know what he meant at least in general terms.
Most people feel a bit confused about a perceived contrast between the obviously peaceful majority of Muslims and the unfortunate violence that attempts to justify itself in the name of Islam.
Given that there are, after all, well over one and a half billion Muslims in the world, we must acknowledge that peaceful conduct is very much to be expect of the typical Muslim. It is ridiculous to deny that, or even to hold significant doubt. Statistical evidence alone is plenty enough to solidly establish that.
At the same time, it is just as much of a fact that there
are unfortunate violent acts whose agents seem to be at least personally convinced to be Muslims acting in good faith.
There is an obvious and legitimate need to tell the one group from the other. The peaceful should not be treated as the violent murderer, even if it turns out that the later is justified in some way (a complicated controversy that I would personally prefer to leave for another thread if at all possible).
In part due to our experience with differences of opinion among Christian groups, it is natural to call most Muslims "moderates" and the visible violent minority "radicals", "extremists", or even "fundamentalists". There are many words used for that purpose and I expect that at least a few of them will be offensive, intentionally or otherwise.
I have no doubt whatsoever that most Muslims are very much opposed to violence and feel troubled when it happens in association with appeals to Islam. Neither is there any doubt that unfair judgement, unfair description of complicated, difficult situations and other kinds of injustice that involve the reputation of Islam and of Muslims happen very often.
That, I am sure, is what led the OP to create this thread. He must be aware that Islam is definitely
not about violence and wants to learn what it
is about.
He asked that initially the Islam DIR and hopefully that thread will go on and offer the witness of Muslims on this important matter. This sister thread offers outsiders such as me the opportunity to speak our own understandings (and hopefully be corrected in our misunderstandings) without bothering that other, more authoritative thread.