Who Speaks for Islam?

Who Speaks for Islam?

Where are the loving, peaceful Muslims?
There are 1.57 billion Muslims comprising 23% of the world's population.
The majority of Muslims live in Asia and Africa. Approximately 62% of the world's Muslims live in Asia, with over 683 million adherents in Indonesia, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. In the Middle East, non-Arab countries such as Turkey and Iran are the largest Muslim-majority countries; in Africa, Egypt and Nigeria have the most populous Muslim communities. However there are large Muslim communities in most countries all over the world.
We are constantly reminded by the media that the Muslim terrorists are a small fanatical group that does not represent the Islamic religion. This is true and is certainly politically correct if one does not wish to offend the Muslim community at large. However where are the peaceful Muslim leaders who should be condemning the terrorists? They are strangely silent. This gives the impression that they are giving tacit approval to the terrorist acts. If the Muslim communities rose in unison in opposition to the Muslim terrorists the problem would disappear in short order.
There are spontaneous demonstrations world-wide at the slightest affront to the Islamic religion. A cartoon, a single burning of the Qur’an, a speech against further Muslim immigration, an unfavorable reference in a magazine have all brought outrage and flamed hostilities. Yet major acts of Muslim terrorism cause not a wisp of criticism from Islamic leaders.
If Islam is a peaceful, loving religion its leaders must speak out against acts of terrorism. If they do not they are implicitly involved in encouraging it and guilty of the worst kind of hypocrisy.