One hopeful sign was the issuance last week of a 600-page fatwa against terrorism by a leading Muslim scholar. The Jerusalem Post described the fatwa as the “most comprehensive theological refutation of Islamist terrorism.” The author of the fatwa, Tahir ul-Qadri, said: “Terrorism is terrorism, violence is violence and it has no place in Islamic teaching and no justification can be provided for it, or any kind of excuses of ifs and buts. The world needs an absolute, unconditional, unqualified and total condemnation of terrorism.”

He also said that suicide bombers are unbelievers headed for hell. A hopeful sign indeed.