There is no doubt that our Ummah is suffering from the plague of extremism. But it is not what is most often claimed.
As we know, there are two types of religious extremism, the extremism of going beyond the limits of the Deen; and the extremism of falling short of the requirements of the Deen.
The former extremism is widely condemned, but the latter extremism, which is far more widespread, is praised as true Islam.
These two extremisms react to each other. Believers who are appalled by the increasingly relaxed interpretation of Shari’ah that seems to be prevailing in popular discourse, sometimes react by advocating an overly rigid interpretation of the Deen. And subsequently, those extremists who call themselves moderates begin to advocate an even looser interpreation; and, of course, the truth is obscured between these two extremes.