What disturbs Christian missionaries is the fact that Islam today is the fastest growing religion. According to the Seattle Times, shortly after noon on Fridays, the Rev. Ann Holmes Redding ties on a black headscarf and prepares to pray with her Muslim group. Redding, who until recently was director of faith formation at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral, has been a priest for more than 20 years. Now she's ready to tell people that, for the last 15 months, she's also been a Muslim.
To multiply the number of his constituents, Benedict, in his visit to Latin America last year, demanded from its poverty stricken natives not to use condoms. When it comes to sex, what or how, in the privacy of their bedroom, has always been an intimate affair of a married couple, not the Muslim clergy.
Religion, particularly Judaism and Christianity which were written with fire and blood, have brought more evil and less good to humanity throughout history. Interfaith dialogue should not debate theology. It should work to end death, destruction and misery. Dialogue should concentrate on building bridges of good will and coexistence. It should put less emphasis on God and more on our fellow man.
Muslims are condemned for their rejection of Western values. The question is why should they accept Western values? They have their own values that were developed over seven thousand years of civilization.
The decision to drop the two atom bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki took, according to President Truman, a snap of a finger. Non-whites’ life is worthless.
A couple of weeks ago, in Israel, actually in occupied Palestine, a young woman was savagely beaten by five of her fellow students of the Torah because she refused to move to the back of the bus.
Muslim men promptly evacuate their seats for women, anytime and anywhere. Muhammad assured his followers that Paradise is underneath the feet of mothers and entry is allowed only by their blessings and approval. Those values should remain.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union, Islam has replaced communism as an imaginary enemy and thus justified the astronomical military spending in service of big business. It does not take a nuclear or a space scientist to conclude that the 911 tragedy was a home-made conspiracy. It is naïve to believe that a man with a turban on his head and a cane in his hand hiding eleven thousand miles away in the caves of Tora Bora was responsible for such an almost impossible mission. 51% of the American people question the official version. An independent commission of scholars, scientists, engineers and experts on demolition and intelligence should be established to find the truth and bring the criminals to justice.
What about Islamic “radicalism”? Fifty years ago, in most Arab countries, one could seldom see a Muslim girl or a woman covering her hair. Today, one can rarely encounter a Muslim female without a headscarf. The veil, which covers the face, is not a religious requirement. Those who impose it, as well as the women who accept it, bring shame and disgrace to the overwhelming majority of Muslims. Muslims females wear the scarf mostly by choice. It is mainly a sign of political protest. It is a rejection to Western values, Western culture, Western domination, Western hypocrisy and Western occupation. It is a stand against theft of resources, ethnic cleansing and genocide to which Muslims are subjected.
Muhammad said, “If you see evil, your duty is to stop it by your hand. If you cannot, you must oppose it by your mouth. But if you cannot, you should undo it in your heart.”
In Muslim lands, Muslim fighters oppose U.S. and Israeli tanks and bombers with guns, and sometimes by an explosive belt.
In the Quran, God says, “Think not that those who fall while resisting aggression will ever die. They are alive, in the company of their Lord.”
Muslims believe that that is the highest form of martyrdom and the greatest honor.
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