Reply #4: I've heard similar things from people who should know better [View All]

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

I'm white and look WASP-y, and don't shout out my religious affiliation, so I hear all sorts of things, sometimes from so-called "educated" people. And what is nuts is that the obvious Muslims in the area are all doctors--heart specialists and the like that are needed here! And yet it's "ship 'em back to where they came from" or "kill them before they kill us". And the news media doesn't help--you have to really search to find out about the 600 imams in America who issued a fatwa denouncing terrorism, or the many, MANY ecumenical councils for peace that various Sufi groups have offered up since 911. And it amazes me how many people do not understand that Islam is not structured like Christian churches. You can be a good Muslim and never set foot in a mosque--the relationship with a Muslim is with God, not some intermediary like a mullah or an imam. The mullahs that have so many followers are political with some religious trappings, but those mullahs cannot excommunicate someone who decides they don't like what the mullah is saying. There is no one grand head of Islam who is like, say, the Pope. And anyone can issue a fatwa--it doesn't mean that they have any greater spiritual authority than anyone else.

Most Muslims I know try to blend in, be good citizens, practice charity, patience, and kindness towards others. Whenever I am with fellow Muslims I feel right at home-no judgement, only welcoming arms. This is the Islam that I call home. The terrorists are using Islam as an excuse for their vile acts-much like the IRA used religion to justify their murderous activities.