Why couldn't he just be proud to be an American?
Why did he seek to define his identity through the prism of islam?
And in so doing, how did he come, like many others both modern and historical come to the conclusion that the only way to affirm his faith was through violence against non muslims?

I can't believe the Post keeps publishing this drivel by Eboo Patel. There are lots of thoughtful Muslims in the US...please go find some of them. His stories are such blatant and often easily falsified pro-Islamic puff jobs. Please, please find a serious Islamic commentator!!!!

ON some points, I have to agree with Arif. This young man came from a good family and was in on way deprived. Many other people, millions, have grown up with far more damaging social pressures than he. Jews must still keep their Judaism at home.

They fled from genocidal conditions and here they again faced institutionalized discrimination, were legally denied access to colleges solely because they'd already met there tiny "Jew quota." They were denied jobs, housing--you name it.

They now have to face not only the antisemitism of many Christians but that of Muslims as well. And yet, they do not attempt to mass murder.

African Americans, regardless of religion? American Indians? Mexican Catholics?

No Christmas Tree bombers among them.
--------------
The explanation for this young man's crime lies elsewhere. It is also obvious that we cannot cavalierly lay the blame on Islam.

MR. EBOOO- GOOD ARTICLE!
TO SOME OF THE COMMENTORS HERE: IGNORANCE IS YOUR DIAGNOSIS - !

Eboo, your article is flawed. First you refuse to blame Islam for the way this young man turned from peace to militant. If anyone can draw youth to violence using their history and religion then we must examine that history and that religion (very simple concept not sure why you don’t get it).
Then you tell us that Muslims should strive to teach the youth about "Islam’s Glories". You need to know that all of "Islam’s Glories" lie in looting, marauding, converting, occupying, capturing and forcibly converting people to Islam.

Any person that commits a act of TREASON and is found guilty must have a appeal where as if the court guilty ruleing stands, the person must be put to death for the act of TREASON.

Ah, them ole "dashed dreams"--they'll getcha every time. And, of course, he is Somalian, as has been broadcast, reported, plastered on neon signs, and printed in braille throughout the known world and beyond.

Bottom line: We all have dashed hopes. When you try to dash to pieces thousands of people, Americans grow concerned.

Witness their expression of dismay as they set the fellows mosq afire.

This is not the time to defend this demented would-be murderer.

And then there is Wiki Leaks, and its "diplomats." Word to Asaad: Leave Syria and the known world. Israel is not going to take out Ahmedinejad no matter the pressure from the US via Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Syria, UAE, Bahrain, Qatar.

Leave, Asaad. He would have gotten rid of you anyway, but later rather than sooner. Alas and alack, things have changed.

The Portland "Christmas Tree" bomber looks Somalian in his photo here. If he is and his parents are first generation Americans escaping the civil war in Somalia, then it is a tragedy of dashed dreams and hopes of a better life for their children in the States with its own ongoing incivil "culture war" against liberals, religious and ethnic minorities, conservatives with its own psychological and physical collateral damages.

Over here, we have such too, with the majoritarian faith and racial group accused of suppressing the rights of minority faith and racial groups by law, practices and attitudes. But no one here make any pretence that the country and its people is the beacon of equal rights, human rights and bigotry free in trying to redress it.

Mr. Eboo Patel,

The Portland "Christmas Tree Bomber" named
Mohamed Osman Mohamud? Growing up in post 9/11 America?

Osman, Othman, Obama, Osama, Osman..
Mohamed, Muhammad, Mahmud, Mohamud..

Not names you'd want to have when applying for study, work or visit visas to the States, much less have them and living in the States.

Don't tell Muslim kids about Islam's past glories in various fields, which is underwritten or subsumed and marginalised anyway, even by Muslims. Tell them to strive and create their own glories in various academic, scientific and business fields here and now and in future.

**What motivated ..... bomber(s)**

Answer is very simple.Islam,yes,Submission.

No need to search other Cause and Apology(poorness,lack of integration,bridges,nihilism etc.)

It's the result of Bedouin Order.
It's the fruit of Violence Cult.
It's the product of illness Mentality(mine is only Right,others are corrupted)
It's the sample of Conquest and Holy War Teaching.
It's ordinary event of Kill Infidel Ethic.
It's outcome of Delusion of *no flaw in islam,it's Perfect*(Look at Perfect Countries)

Terror will continue....

Mr. Patel, you have other matters to address as you know. Wiki Leaks have revealed that Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, and UAE have been pressuring the US to take out Ahmedinejad either directly or to pressure Israel to do it.

I've blogged extensively on SA, UAE, and Bahrain's attempts to remove Ahmedinejad, have provided links, cuts, pastes, etc. It was all quite obvious.

I suspected Qatar, but wasn't certain. I knew Asaad wanted Ahmedinejad out, for obvious reasons, but never thought even he would be so stupid as to allow himself to be caught.

You are defending the indefensible. You have exposed your own bigotry in the past.
Still, I believe there may be some decency in you. Hence, I call your attention to the foregoing.

In the view of many in Portland, the terrorist is a would-be mass murderer, and it not alone.

I would add, however, speaking as one in three million ME Jews in exile, having seen in the last few weeks Yemen made Judenrein, having witnessed Muslim slaughter, knowing of Muslim mass murder, murder of Jewish, Christian, and B'ahi, the blowing up of churches of Christians, that the folks of Portland are probably correct.

As a Jew, I believe they were wrong to set the fellow's mosq on fire. That is not Christian either. IT IS NOT CHRISTIAN.

Christians, do not become them.

I do truly sympathise with people like Eboo who try to defend the indefensible. Their valiant efforts are met by 1400 years of history as well as texts that are too damning. Making up modern history to rebuff the authentic one merely exposes the desperateness of those who attempt to make Islam seem compatible in any sense with the values of modern civilized man.

Eboo,

Muslims cannot feel good about themselves in a world where it is impossible to hide the truth about Islam. All the questioners of Islam cannot be killed and silenced as they have been done in the past.

The biggest lie that Muslims have been telling their young is that Muhammad was a very nice, very kind, very forgiving, very loving, very generous, etc. etc. He was not. The early muslim biographers told about Muhammad as they saw the world, and it was a barbaric world. The lies about Muhammad cannot be hidden any longer. His life, his actions, and his evil character are there for all to read. How can a young muslim explain the awful and violent deeds of Muhammad with the lies told to him by his elders? He is easily shown to be all wrong. You can see the reactions of the muslims that post here. They withdraw and they sulk because they cannot answer. They have no answer. How do you justify a 53 year old warlord marrying a 6 year old girl? How do you justify his beheading a 1000 jews and lying about why he was doing it? How do you justify his getting an old man assassinated just because he was criticising Muhammad?

Badshah Khan as a good Muslim as you can get, but even he could not bridge the interfaith hand of friendship. Gandhi used to start his public gatherings by a "hymn" that stated "Ishwar Allah are the names of the same God", but no muslim could ever accept that. No muslim can accept that even today.
Islam's glories? Over 200 million killed in the name of Islam across the globe and you want to be proud of that? Killing and burning Kafirs even in the present across the muslim countries and you want to be proud of that? Oppressing non-muslims and women in every single muslim country and you want the muslims to feel proud of that? I asked in a previous column of yours about the treatment of non-Muslims in Malaysia, and all the muslim posters go silent and disappear. Why don't you answer those questions? Here is the link to that again:
http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/eboo_patel/2010/11/converting_america.html

Look at the comments.

What is there for an educated and truthful muslim to feel good about Islam or its horrible prophet Muhammad?

There is a distinctly nihilistic streak in modern Islam. If Moslem youth are so "impressinable" that they can be so easily swayed, not just to violence, but to such extreme cold-hearted and brultal violence, then I think Islam is not doing young people much good.

I think that "loud and proud" is not a very good strategy, given the circumstances.

I think meek and humble would be better.