Last Saturday, a knife-wielding assailant attacked three commuters at the Leytonstone underground station in London. The suspect, named by Scotland Yard as Muhaydin Mire, yelled "this is for Syria" while carrying out the assault which was frantically brought to an end by the zap of a police officer's tazer.
As the unfolding drama was captured on video, one onlooker's cry was heard loud and clear. 'You ain't no Muslim bruv!' he shouted at the attacker. 'You ain't no Muslim.'
This quintessentially London jibe caught the popular imagination worldwide and was soon trending all over social media. It was for many both a rallying cry against Islamophobia and a bitter proclamation that Jihadist groups like ISIS do not represent Islam.
'Loving this hashtag. See what Islam is really about: love and respect. #YouAintNoMuslimBruv' said one twitter user, while broadcaster and author Tony Parsons tweeted 'Proud of my city today. #YouAintNoMuslimBruv.'
Even British Prime Minister David Cameron praised the remark. "Some of us have dedicated speeches and media appearances and soundbites and everything to this subject," he said during a speech in Derby. "But 'you ain't no Muslim bruv' said it all, much better than I ever could."
Aside from striking a chord through the rawness of its sentiments, the statement was hailed for the way in which it gave regular Muslims the opportunity to distance themselves from such violence and condemn Islamic terrorism -- a slogan by which to break free of the reticence and inactivity that Muslims are often accused of assuming in all matters pertaining to rising extremism within their midst. Indeed the day after the London attack US President Barack Obama made a primetime speech urging Muslims to do more in the fight against radicalization.
However, this aspect of the campaign rankled with some.
"This #YouAintNoMuslimBruv hashtag is one of the most depressing things I've ever seen on social media, propagated by ignorant Muslims," posted twitter user Ismail Ibrahim. "Participating in western condemnation culture actually perpetuates the notion that Muslims bear responsibility for these acts," he added.
It is hardly surprising that Muslims have grown tired of the refrain that they should do more to counter Islamic extremism particularly in western countries where young Muslims are providing ready and willing foot soldiers for the likes of ISIS.
While there is certainly a case -- and one which I have previously taken up myself -- that hardening of attitudes in the Muslim world provide fertile ground for radicalization, it is only part of the story without telling it completely.
First off, groups like ISIS represent the lunatic fringe of the greater Muslim body. Most Muslims find no common ground with their cause and despise everything they stand for. If they didn't, then the world would have a serious problem on its hands given that Muslims make up one fifth of the earth's inhabitants. A recent Pew survey of 11 countries with significant Muslim populations found that the majority of people held ISIS in overwhelming disdain. Even in Palestine where one might expect a greater degree of sympathy with those waging an international Jihad, 84 percent of the people surveyed had negative views of ISIS. The only country to go against the grain was Pakistan, but that is a discussion for another time.
Then there is the small matter that Muslims are the chief victims of the violence ISIS perpetrates. A report released by the UN last year gave the most extensive account yet of how ISIS has gone about slaughtering Muslims in Iraq and Syria. It found that in the first eight months of 2014 at least 9,347 civilians had been killed and 17,386 inured most of who were Muslims. Specific examples included the execution of three Muslim women in Mosul for refusing to provide medical care to ISIS fighters, the execution of 19 Muslim men in Saadiya for refusing to pledge allegiance to ISIS and the murder of an Imam in East Baquba for the crime of denouncing the group. It is anybody's guess how much these figures have increased in the year since. Perhaps the most clear cut example of ISIS's willingness to unleash their terror against fellow Muslims were last month's Beirut suicide bombings which killed 43 people.
The difference is that as compared to Paris or San Bernadino these atrocities get very little coverage.
And this is just the killings -- no statistics are available for the countless rapes (which are not restricted to non-Muslim women), subjugation, displacement and numerous other horrors visited on those who have the misfortune of living in ISIS-controlled territories. Even those Muslims away from the frontline have to contend with the constant stress that comes with being associated with violence, the pain of seeing their religion perverted beyond recognition and the fear of backlash.
Moreover, as western leaders determine themselves to enter the folly of launching airstrikes in Syria to try and kill off the ISIS evil, Muslims are warring with the group where it actually matters: in the battleground for hearts and minds. Unlike war planes many of these efforts fly under the radar.
One can see this in the #NotInMyName hashtag campaign that was started by Muslim youth in the UK as a way to reject extremism. Elsewhere, the U.S. and Canadian chapters of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association founded the Stop The CrISIS initiative to raise awareness of radicalization through the lecture circuit, videos and social media. In September this year 1000 Indian Muslim leaders and scholars issued a fatwa against ISIS and the group have been routinely denounced by heads of Muslim states.
As touched on before, there are of course genuine problems afflicting Muslim communities which need to be confronted. But what is also true is that these many of these communities are doing a lot of good. Perhaps this work needs to be appreciated more often rather than just when a catchy hashtag forces everyone to pay attention.