What I like to see

Well-meaning (mostly) people don't want to ask tough questions about Islam because they fear that the answer might lead majorities to behave illiberally (or worse) towards Muslims among us. That's not an unreasonable fear, but it's no reason not to pose necessary tough questions. You ask me what the "next step" is after posing these questions? Well, ideally, we might see happen here what appears to be happening in Britain this week (via Alex Massie): truly moderate, pluralist Muslims speaking out, admitting that there really is a problem within the Islamic community, and that in the words of ex-Islamist Hassan Butt:

"If our country is going to take on radicals and violent extremists, Muslim scholars must go back to the books and come forward with a refashioned set of rules and a revised understanding of the rights and responsibilities of Muslims whose homes and souls are firmly planted in what I'd like to term the Land of Co-existence. And when this new theological territory is opened up, Western Muslims will be able to liberate themselves from defunct models of the world, rewrite the rules of interaction and perhaps we will discover that the concept of killing in the name of Islam is no more than an anachronism."

The kind of pressure it will take to buck up moderates to forge a way forward into "new theological territory" will only come from wider society asking tough questions, and expecting answers -- and action. As the ex-jihadi Hassan Butt writes:

By blaming the government for our actions, those who pushed the 'Blair's bombs' line did our propaganda work for us. More important, they also helped to draw away any critical examination from the real engine of our violence: Islamic theology.

You really do need to read Hassan Butt's essay. He talks plainly about the importance of studying Islamic theology, and why ignoring it has handicapped our efforts to fight Islamic radicalism:

But the main reason why radicals have managed to increase their following is because most Islamic institutions in Britain just don't want to talk about theology. They refuse to broach the difficult and often complex topic of violence within Islam and instead repeat the mantra that Islam is peace, focus on Islam as personal, and hope that all of this debate will go away.

This has left the territory of ideas open for radicals to claim as their own. I should know because, as a former extremist recruiter, every time mosque authorities banned us from their grounds, it felt like a moral and religious victory.
[snip]
However, it isn't enough for Muslims to say that because they feel at home in Britain they can simply ignore those passages of the Koran which instruct on killing unbelievers. By refusing to challenge centuries-old theological arguments, the tensions between Islamic theology and the modern world grow larger every day. It may be difficult to swallow but the reason why Abu Qatada - the Islamic scholar whom Palestinian militants recently called to be released in exchange for the kidnapped BBC journalist Alan Johnston - has a following is because he is extremely learned and his religious rulings are well argued. His opinions, though I now thoroughly disagree with them, have validity within the broad canon of Islam.

Since leaving the BJN, many Muslims have accused me of being a traitor. If I knew of any impending attack, then I would have no hesitation in going to the police, but I have not gone to the authorities, as some reports have suggested, and become an informer.

I believe that the issue of terrorism can be easily demystified if Muslims and non-Muslims start openly to discuss the ideas that fuel terrorism. (The Muslim community in Britain must slap itself awake from this state of denial and realise there is no shame in admitting the extremism within our families, communities and worldwide co-religionists.) However, demystification will not be achieved if the only bridges of engagement that are formed are between the [British jihadi network] and the security services.

Incidentally, Alex Massie believes that Gordon Brown did the right thing in telling his people not to talk about Islam in connection with terrorism.