Wednesday, January 30, 2002
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Wednesday, January 30, 2002 |
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Critic of Islam wrong to portray Muslims as violent In response to the remarks made by Mr. Chuck E. Bryant: I, as a curious reader, have a couple of questions about Mr. Bryant's comments on Islam. He states he read a large portion of the Qu'ran, which apparently led him to the conclusion that Islam is a religion of violence. Now, in this large portion of the Qu'ran he read, he must have stumbled upon "And make not God's name an excuse in your oaths against doing good, or acting rightly, or making peace between persons; for God is One Who heareth and knoweth all things" (002.224). I guess not. Mr. Bryant says Islam is not a religion of peace? Well, read on. Mr. Bryant fallaciously said that Mohammed preached "convert or die." Once again, his ignorance has amazed me. If Mr. Bryant had decided to actually take a look into Islamic history, he might have found that Mohammed accepted all faiths during the early spread of Islam and advocated that anyone had the right to pray to any God of their belief. In addition, I believe he might have skimmed (or skipped) this in his large reading of the Qu'ran: "Those who believe in the Qu'ran, and those who follow the Jewish scriptures, and the Christians and the Sabians any who believe in God and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve" (002.062). So why exactly would Mohammed persecute others if the Qu'ran so implicitly states otherwise? Right, because all Muslims were born mean, horrible people, right, Mr. Bryant? Please excuse me, I almost forgot my stereotype. As a member of the Muslim community, I belong to a faith that places a strong emphasis on peace, brotherhood, and unity. Events in history, the teachings of Mohammed, and the words of the Qu'ran all clearly state Islam has and always will be a religion of peace. Mr. Bryant states he lived in the "heart of Islam." In my opinion, I believe Mr. Bryant did not live next to one Muslim. Mr. Bryant lived in a world of extremists, so-called Muslims who radically interpret the Qu'ran for their own ulterior motives. I, like the millions like me, interpret the Qu'ran through my ethical standards and live life everyday centered on those beliefs. Those Muslims, mainly the government agencies that take control over a group of people without proper consent, believe in ideas that many Muslims across the globe detest. These extremists are not Muslims, but hypocrites, since they act against principles of peace and tolerance, values Islam passionately supports. As for Mr. Bryant, I am not upset at his remarks on Islam. As an American Muslim, I value any man's opinion and right for freedom of speech. However, I am critical of his ignorance while commenting erroneously in his editorial. Someone once said, "A man only becomes wise when he begins to calculate the approximate depth of his ignorance." For all those Mr. Bryants in the world, realize that everyday we act as brothers and sisters. We are constantly meshed together in this small world God has placed us in. The only way to create something positive is cooperatively working together to achieve better goals. Please do not draw a line that separates us, Mr. Bryant. We are all on the same side, all under God. Arif S. Noorani Fayetteville Sandy Creek High School
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