I can't be apologetic for every terror activity perpetrated in the name of Islam

By Dr. Yaasir Qadhi

Anders Breivik, the Norwegian terrorist who killed 70 innocent teenagers, young men and women in the name of 'purifying' Europe from Muslims and immigrants, was clearly a Christian fanatic.

He referenced his religion many times in his manifesto. After his massacre, no one expected the Christians around the world to somehow apologize or dissociate from his actions, since everyone realized he was a mental nutcase and a psychopathic killer who had nothing to do with his religion.

The Sydney hostage taker and 'ISIS' supporter, Man Haron Monis, was also clearly someone who had mental issues. Yes, he waved an 'IS' flag with the kalima (Islamic proclamation of faith,) on it, and his Twitter account is full of rants against the 'West', but he is not all that different from Breivik (apart from the fact that Breivik actually killed 70 people and Monis, as of writing these lines, appears to have killed less).
So why should I or anyone else have to dissociate him from the religion of Islam, and condemn his actions, when the co-religionists of Breivik did not have to dissociate themselves from the religion of Breivik and condemn his actions?
The answer is simple: from a purely academic perspective, I shouldn't have to, and I shouldn't need to.
But from a realistic, pragmatic perspective, and taking into account:
1) Basic human psychology, where one understands one's own culture and makes many excuses for it, while stereotyping other cultures and making no excuses for them (just stating a fact here, and not agreeing with it!)
2) The narrative that the media and politicians continue to paint, exaggerating the real threat of 'radical Islamist jihadist groups' in the West and making it a top priority (you are far more likely to die in an accident involving your furniture than you are to die in a 'terrorist attack')
3) The continual highlighting of all such atrocities around the globe and their direct linkage to the religion of Islam (whereas no such highlighting or linking is done in the case of other religions)...
In light of these factors, and more, I do see the need and wisdom for some Muslim groups and organizations to condemn such attacks.
As usual, trying to navigate between theory and reality is a very difficult path. The academic, rational side of me hates to condemn something I have nothing to do with, while the pragmatic, da'ee (preacher) side realises it must be done.
~Yassir Qadhi is is an American Muslim scholar and writer of Pakistani descent and he is Dean of Academic Affairs at the Al-Maghrib Institute, an Islamic educational institution. He has written books and has lectured on Islam and contemporary Muslim issues. A 2011 New York Times Magazine essay described Qadhi as "one of the most influential conservative clerics in American Islam".