Islam teaches peace, love, forgiveness and piety….Let's make sure this email finds its
way into the hands of those who are targeting Muslims, Sikhs, or any others simply because of their faith or their appearance. Please pass it along....
To my friends,
I recently received this letter from a friend who is a Muslim. She, her Muslim friends, and family have expressed outrage, sadness and fear due to last week's tragedy. I pass this along in hopes that you will also pass it on to others you know. God bless you and those you love.
Cynthia S
Islam is an extension of Judaism and Christianity. Allah is just the Arabic word for God. That's all it is. It's not a new god or an angry god. The Koran is, we believe, one of the books in a series that has the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Koran contains stories of Moses, Jesus, the Immaculate Conception and the resurrection of Jesus. The religions all teach the same things about love and respect for God and for one another. The
differences are in the details about Mohammad, Jesus and Moses.
We are all one people - the Koran calls Christians, Jews and Muslims - the People of the Book - referring
to the Books that were delivered to the different peoples that form the different religions. The Koran also teaches that the three religions all came from Abraham and his two sons. The present Arab-Israeli conflict involves land - just as it involves land between the Protestant British and the Irish Catholics in Ireland.
Islam teaches peace, love, forgiveness and piety, just
as Christianity and Judaism. Islam does not condone killing or suicide missions. None of the world's religions do. It is unrealistic to think that Islam does (there are one Billion Muslims in the World.) The people who were involved in the events of Tuesday do not represent the Muslim community. Muslims, like Christians, come in all shades, shapes and sizes. There are black Muslims, Indonesian Muslims, European Muslims, Indian Muslims.
Even within Islam, there are
factions who have different interpretations of the Koran, some people take things to a different level. They are called fanatics for a reason. 99% of the Muslim community across the world condemns these acts and does not at all agree with the philosophies advanced by these few men. Just because the men who did this happen to be Muslim does not mean that all Muslims agree with this. Every group of people has a few members who take things to the extreme. That is them. Not everyone else.
We are a country priding itself on its tolerance and its ability to accept all peoples. Why should we be any different now? We are all hurt by what happened. There were a great many Muslims in the WTC - people I know who were affected just as much as everyone else was. They are no less vulnerable because they are Muslims. It's also important to understand that there are many Arabs who are Christians. Therefore, there are no easy targets.
From a personal standpoint, I am
really very afraid. I am terrified actually, of the anti-Muslim sentiment that is spreading throughout this country. Cab drivers are being beaten up, mosques being shot at and vandalized. Muslim women who cover their hair are perfect targets because they are easy to point out. Men who wear turbans, Sikhs, are being attacked and they are not even Muslim! I've heard stories of people saying bad things about Muslims to Muslims not knowing it. I've heard of Muslims being shoved and harassed and
it's only been two days. And no one knows for sure who it is yet. The same things happened after the Oklahoma bombings and they detained a great many Arabs at airports all over the world. We all know what happened there.
I just feel helpless because I love New York, the United States and my American way of life. I can't imagine life any differently. I want to help but right now, my family, my Muslim friends and I are all very afraid. Friday is our Sabbath day and our day of prayer,
but most of us are afraid to go to our Mosques. This is how the Holocaust started. It started with Jews being targets because of Germany's financial troubles. It happened here with the Japanese after WWII. And when people are angry and looking for a scapegoat - anything can happen. I am really very afraid of that. I fear for my family and friends, people who have made positive contributions to America and the world alike.
I just pray that people stay strong and separate the men who
did this from the religion and the one billion people who practice Islam. I know the media has done a wonderful job of repeatedly broadcasting the (one) scene of some people celebrating (I cannot explain the celebrations as they are a mystery to me as well) but they have not discussed at all the predominant sentiment of Muslims who disagree and condemn this 100%. It is not because people don't condemn it, it just doesn't have the sensationalism associated with it so the media don't really
consider it to be newsworthy. I've been feeling so helpless and thought that I would send something out to show a different side to Islam - the real side. But please, I beg you all to encourage others to differentiate between the religion and the terror of Tuesday. They are not one and the same. A few people are guilty of this not those of us who live and work with you. Not those of us who are your friends.
I urge you to email this to as many people as you know to spread the word. |
