Lessons in Tolerance From Muslims

A report and comment on religious trends and events being covered by the media.  This week’s item is from the Associated Press, July 8, 2002 with a headline: “Muslim Scholars, Jurists Visiting from U. S. to Promote Better Understanding.”“A group of Muslim scholars and jurists is visiting from the United States to promote better understanding and cooperation with government official and non-government organizations,” its leader said Monday.Abdullah Bin Abdul Mushin Al-Turki, Secretary General of the Muslim World League said the 9/11 attacks have aroused fear and mistrust between Muslim peoples and the West.Al-Turki said his 16 member group wants to convey that we are keen on cooperation between the two sides in order to achieve world safety and peaceful co-existence and that religion has taken a back seat and has been accused of inciting violence and destruction.“We need to promote a culture of dialogue, not confrontation, and mistrust.”Speaking at the National Press Club, Al-Turki said that as in other faiths, there are extremists in Islam, but it is unfair to take them as representative of all Muslims.He is a former minister of Islamic Affairs in Saudi Arabia and for 16 years was a university rector.Other members of his group include Sheikh Ahmed Lemo of Nigeria, a former judge, J. F. R. Sheikh Edress of Sudan, an academic who serves as a consultant to many Islamic organizations, and Muzammil H. Siddiqi, former president of the Islamic Society of North America.They are visiting Washington for talks with members of Congress, interfaith groups, non-government organizations, and media editorial boards after stops in Chicago and New York, their next destination is Los Angeles.The Muslim World League based in Saudi Arabia is a non-governmental organization that propagates Islam and tries to refute false allegations against the religion.

Tom:

Dave, we’ve gone after this a number of times on this program and I can see your veins are already popping out of your neck right now.But let’s take another approach to this.Let’s just say that these guys are ecumenists, that what they are really interested in is changing Islam to be the moderate, kind of get along with everybody, friendly, that seems to be what they are promoting here and on that basis they are encouraging people, there is no deceit involved here.What they are really trying to do is encourage people and their own—

Dave:

Tom, you are getting me angry now!No deceit?These guys are liars.First of all, this guy comes from Saudi Arabia.They want to promote understanding.Let’s begin in Saudi Arabia.No Jew is allowed to set foot in Saudi Arabia.You must be a Muslim to be a citizen of Saudi Arabia, no non-Muslim place of worship can be built in Saudi Arabia.You can’t even carry a Bible on the street in Saudi Arabia.He wants to promote understanding with the West?Let him start in his own country!Let’s have a little freedom over there and a little fairness.Don’t come over here and try to pull the wool over our eyes and say oh, we are peaceful and don’t talk about fanatics.If these people, extremists, and fanatics, if that’s what the terrorists were, then Muhammad was an extremist and fanatic.He was a terrorist; he killed people!He killed every Jew on the Arabian Peninsula, he led attacks against caravans and it was off with your head if you don’t submit to Allah; it still is today.One of these gentlemen is from Nigeria.Fifteen of the northern states of Nigeria have adopted Shari ‘a, that’s Islamic law.They are killing Christians by the thousands, burning down hundreds of Christian churches.Tom, let them start in Nigeria.Another one is from Sudan.They’ve killed about 2 million non-Muslims in South Sudan, that is the Muslim government from the North at Khartoum.You guys want to promote some understanding?Please, let’s have a little freedom over there!Tom, I’m sorry I get angry with these guys.They are liars; they are out to deceive the world and by the way, in Islam, lying is good so long as it promotes the end that you want to go towards and that is the whole world must submit to Islam.I mean look, Muhammad said Allah has commanded me to fight against all people until all people confess there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet.This is what they must do and these guys if they are religious leaders—look Tom, you’ve heard me say it before, if they want to make up their own religion go ahead make up your own religion but don’t call it Islam.Don’t come over here and misrepresent Islam and try to tell us that Islam is peaceful when in fact, it isn’t.Make up your own religion alright.

Tom:

Dave this is a recent article that Gary just read and these gentlemen are on their way to Los Angeles and within a week of us taping this there was an attack at the El Al air counter and people died there.The assailant was a Muslim, but the headlines of our local newspaper said no terrorist connection yet.So this man—

Dave:

Tom, why don’t you explain what this guy had posted on his front door and—

Tom:

Well first of all, he shows up at the El Al’s counter with weapons and he shoots the ticket agent and some other people died in this attack.Now, the claim was he’s not a terrorist, yet—

Dave:

He’s just a Muslim.

Tom:

He’s just a Muslim.Now prior to 9/11 according to some articles, he had posted on his door in his home, “read the Qur’an.”After 9/11 he took it down.Prior to just leaving for this event at the airport he put the sign back up.So here was, not a terrorist according to the newspaper definitions, but what did he do?He commits a terrorist act.

Dave:

Okay Tom, let’s put it into perspective.The terrorists are Muslims.This is Islam.Take a good look.Okay forget them being terrorists.You’ve got to call Muhammad a terrorist; you going to call all the terrorists who spread Islam by the sword around the world.Terrorist?No, let’s forget terrorism.This is Islam.Look, why does he go against the El Al counter?Because Muhammad said the last day will not come until the Muslims confront the Jews and Muslims destroy them; even the rocks and trees will cry out, “Muslim there is a Jew hiding me, come and kill him.So there are some Jews at this counter and he went to kill them in obedience to Muhammad, in obedience to the Qur’an.This is Islam; you guys please want to come over here and spread peace, love, and brotherhood?Then start in your own country and let’s have a little freedom over there.