“We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.”

- Jonathan Swift

Over the past couple of years, I have received several e-mails, usually forwarded to me by well-intentioned friends, which purport to depict the “true” and “evil” nature of Islam. This week, I received one from a family member with whom I am very close and it prompted me to respond in an attempt to dispel, at least in this loved one’s mind, some of the Islamophobia that is sweeping America. Here is the text of the e-mail that was forwarded to me:

WHAT IS AN INFIDEL?

This is a true story and the author, Rick Mathes, is a well-known leader in prison ministry.

The man who walks with God always gets to his destination. If you have a pulse you have a purpose. The Muslim religion is the fastest growing religion per capita in the United States, especially in the minority races!!

Last month I attended my annual training session that’s required for maintaining my state prison security clearance. During the training session there was a presentation by three speakers representing the Roman Catholic, Protestant and Muslim faiths, who each explained their beliefs.

I was particularly interested in what the Islamic had to say. The Muslim gave a great presentation of the basics of Islam, complete with a video.

After the presentations, time was provided for questions and answers.

When it was my turn, I directed my question to the Muslim and asked: ‘Please, correct me if I’m wrong, but I understand that most Imams and clerics of Islam have declared a holy jihad [Holy war] against the infidels of the world and, that by killing an infidel, (which is a command to all Muslims) they are assured of a place in heaven. If that’s the case, can you give me the definition of an infidel?’

There was no disagreement with my statements and, without hesitation, he replied, ‘Non-believers!’

I responded, ‘So, let me make sure I have this straight. All followers of Allah have been commanded to kill everyone who is not of your faith so they can have a place in heaven. Is that correct?’

The expression on his face changed from one of authority and command to that of a little boy who had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.’

He sheepishly replied, ‘Yes.’ I then stated, ‘Well, sir, I have a real problem trying to imagine The Pope commanding all Catholics to kill those of your faith or Dr. Stanley ordering all Protestants to do the same in order to guarantee them a place in heaven!’

The Muslim was speechless!

I continued, ‘I also have a problem with being your friend when you and your brother clerics are telling your followers to kill me! Let me ask you a question: Would you rather have your Allah, who tells you to kill me in order for you to go to heaven, or my Jesus who tells me to love you because I am going to heaven and He wants you to be there with me?’

You could have heard a pin drop as the Imam hung his head in shame.

Needless to say, the organizers and/or promoters of the ‘Diversification’ training seminar were not happy with my way of dealing with the Islamic Imam, and exposing the truth about the Muslims’ beliefs.

In twenty years there will be enough Muslim voters in the U.S. to elect the President!

I think everyone in the U.S. should be required to read this, but with the ACLU, there is no way this will be widely publicized, unless each of us sends it on! This is your chance to make a difference…

FOR CHRIST’S SAKE….SEND THIS ON

As it turns out, this story has been circulating on the Internet since 2003. It is, indeed, an editorial that was written by Rick Mathes who was, at the time, Executive Director of the Mission Gate Prison Ministry in Chesterfield, Missouri. In subsequent statements on the ministry’s website, Mathes affirmed that the incident took place exactly as he described it in the article.

A reporter for the Lee News Service, Greg Kearney, traced the story to a correctional facility in Fulton, Missouri, and was provided with a substantially different version of events by Missouri state officials. According to Tim Kniest, then Public Information Officer for the Missouri Department of Corrections, the event described was a training program for which ministers from several faiths were invited to give presentations in order to acquaint prison volunteers with the varied religious beliefs of the inmate population. The man who gave the presentation about Islam was not a Muslim minister; he was an inmate who had been pressed into service to present a short film on Islam and answer some questions because the prison’s volunteer coordinator was “unable to find an Imam (Islamic minister) to speak.”

According to Mr. Kniest, the volunteer coordinator said “The inmate did a good job,” but that “He was asked a few questions that were beyond his ability to answer.” Mr. Kniest also stated the inmate “was not asked anything like that question [in the editorial].” Even if such a question had been asked and answered as presented in the editorial, the inmate was not an Imam and could not have been expected to speak with any level of authority on the beliefs of well over one billion Muslims. Regardless of whatever may have transpired at the prison training session referred to above, the larger point the writer is attempting to make in this piece is a grossly inaccurate one and by casually forwarding such information without determining its veracity, we contribute to the spread of Islamophobia in America.

Since 9/11, many in this country have been led by right-wing bigots into the Valley of Fear. The bigots scream at eardrum-piercing levels that

• Islam is a Violent Religion
• An Islamic “Fifth Column,” or “Stealth Jihad,” is Subverting the U.S. from Within
• “Mainstream” Muslim Americans Have Terrorist Ties
• Muslim Americans Wage “Lawfare”: Violent Jihad by Other Means
• Muslims Seek to Replace the U.S. Constitution with Islamic, Sharia, Law

Inevitably, these attitudes lead to actions of which we should all be ashamed –

1. Mosques have been firebombed.
2. A Muslim cabdriver in New York City was savagely slashed by a man screaming anti-Islam epithets.
3. A Sikh man was punched in a store for wearing a turban, even though he was as not Muslim.
4. The controversy over the Cordoba House project (the plan to build a mosque near Ground Zero) inspired a rash of threats against the Imam in charge, the Muslims involved and the building itself. Idiots on the outer fringe of the far right stated openly that if the place gets built, they will shoot it up and/or burn it down.
5. And on
6. And on
7. And on

Space and time limitations preclude my providing an in-depth attempt to dispel all of the misinformation about Islam being promulgated by the Über-Right, but there are a few points I would like to make—

1. Islam is no more violent than Christianity.

We don’t need to focus on the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition or what the German Christians did to the Jews in WWII to answer this. Just consider that, since 9/11, more innocent Muslims have been killed by, largely Christian, U.S. warriors in Iraq and Afghanistan than the number of Christians that were killed on 9/11.

2.  Most condemnations of Islam rely on citations to the Qur’an that have been taken out of context.

When you hear Islam disparaged by a remark that begins with, “The Qur’an says…” remember these verses from the Christian Bible:

Exodus 35:2—“For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a day of Sabbath rest to the LORD. Whoever does any work on it is to be put to death.”

Or

Deuteronomy 13:6-11— ”If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son, or your daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, entices you secretly, saying, `Let us go and serve other gods,’ which neither you nor your fathers have known, some of the gods of the peoples that are round about you, whether near you or far off from you, from the one end of the earth to the other, you shall not yield to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him, nor shall you conceal him; but you shall kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. You shall stone him to death with stones, because he sought to draw you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and never again do any such wickedness as this among you.”

3.  The word Jihad has been misappropriated by both Islamic and Christian extremists.

The word Jihad stems from the Arabic root word meaning “to strive.” Other words derived from this root also include “effort,” “labor,” and “fatigue.” The Qur’an’s primary Jihad directive is to fight the evil in one’s own heart. It is true the Qur’an also applies the term Jihad to military efforts as an option, but this is only as a last resort. The Qur’an forbids true Muslims “to spread Islam by the sword” as the stereotype would have one believe.

Islam never tolerates unprovoked aggression from its own side; Muslims are commanded in the Qur’an not to begin hostilities, embark on any act of aggression, violate the rights of others or harm the innocent. Even hurting or destroying animals or trees is forbidden. War is waged only to defend the religious community against oppression and persecution, because the Qur’an says that “persecution is worse than slaughter” and “let there be no hostility except to those who practice oppression” (Qur’an 2:190-193). Therefore, if non-Muslims are peaceful or indifferent to Islam, there is no justified reason to declare war on them.

4.  Fear that Sharia Law will replace the Constitution is just that, fear. Our current government can’t even get a budget passed; can you imagine the herculean task it would take to throw out the Constitution? (Although, I have to admit that Bush, Cheney, et al did a fine job of trampling it.)

Right now, our biggest problem with respect to Islam is Hatred and Stupidity on our side. When they ride in the same applecart, things can get truly dangerous.