Muslims Are Good Folks

King Features Syndicate ^ | 05/10/02 | Charley Reese

[GalvestonBeachcomber]

I wish more Americans had an opportunity to get to know Muslims. Then they would not be susceptible to the silly anti-Muslim propaganda that is floated by some right-wing Christians.

Muslims are good folks. One fellow e-mailed me quite convinced that Muslims lop off the heads of every infidel they meet. I've been a guest in the homes of many Muslim friends, and the only thing they lopped off were extra servings of lamb.

People believe such nonsense because they are ignorant of the facts. The oldest Christian communities in the world are in Muslim countries. Some of the oldest Jewish communities in the world are in Muslim countries. The deputy foreign minister of Iraq is a Christian. Saddam Hussein donated $1 million to help build a Christian church in the United States. There are Christians in practically all Muslim countries, and there have been for centuries. I've said all this before, but when lies blow strong, truth bears repeating.

Islam, like other religions, has different groups. Some are strict in their observances, and they might be likened to the Christian Pilgrims who settled Massachusetts. But even the most strict - commonly called fundamentalists these days - know that a Muslim is commanded to treat Jews and Christians "as I would treat myself," in the words of a Hamas leader.

In my travels in Muslim countries, sometimes among the poorest of the poor, I was never panhandled or attacked. As far as crime goes, you'll find cities like Beirut or Damascus or Amman or Ramallah much safer than most American cities.

Islam is not a religion with a hierarchy such as the Roman Catholic Church. In that respect, Muslims are much like Southern Baptists, only more so. Any group of Muslims can build a mosque and hire themselves an imam, or teacher. They are independent. There is no Muslim pope or College of Cardinals. There are no bishops. When an imam somewhere issues a fatwa, which is a sort of formal opinion on a subject, it is not binding. Like Protestant Christians, Muslims interpret their holy writings themselves and consider themselves answerable directly to God - or, to use the Arabic word, Allah.

Most of the disputes in the Middle East are secular and political. Hamas' quarrel with Israelis is not about the fact that they are Jews but about the fact that they occupy Palestine. The objections some Muslims have to Western culture are the same as those some Christians have. They don't like the violence, the immorality, the pornography and the greed. The conflict one sees between the religious and the secular in some Muslim countries is similar to the conflict in this country between religious and secular folks.

There are 6 million or 7 million American citizens who are Muslims. Muslims have been in this country since the late 19th century. If you don't already, you should make an effort to get to know Muslims. You'll find that they don't fit the stereotypes created by mean-spirited propaganda or superficial news coverage.

Racism is a monstrous injustice because it imposes a stereotype on millions of innocent individuals. The only real solution is education and broad experience. It seems to me that God creates individuals one at a time, and it is the human mind that insists on grouping and classifying them. We should resist that temptation

[GalvestonBeachcomber]

There were good Germans and Japanese in WWII, but they paid a price for those not so good.

[onedoug]

Islam in itself is not the problem. Islamism however, definitely IS.

[DoughtyOne]

I have always held people of just about every walk of life in high esteem until they proved I shouldn't. The problem I have with the Moslem community in the US, is that they didn't publicly condemn the 09/11 perps. As you state, I don't know what Moslems are like. Unfortunately the only ones I see on television are very very luke warm in their condemnation of 09/11, and immediately revert to taking Israel and the US to task after every slight condemnation of 09/11. I make no judgements, but have to admit that this does influence me. I don't think that's my fault.

[Don Myers]

bump for later read.

[Captainpaintball]

This Charley Reese guy writes as poorly as a college journalist. This was one of the worst artices I have ever read.

[this_ol_patriot]

This should be the other way around, muslims should learn to be more tolerant of other people then most of their problems would go away.

Americans are the most tolerant people in the world even without all the PC crap, it's a simple creed, do unto others, unless you piss us off, then it's an eye-for-an-eye.

[BlackVeil]

"In my travels in Muslim countries, sometimes among the poorest of the poor, I was never panhandled or attacked." That was also my experience, although people tell me that personal crime is now on the rise in Iran. It was almost unknown before.

[infowarrior]

FYI Charley Reese is usually on the right side of issues, but here I think he's on shaky ground, and it shows in his writing, which is normally much better than this particular piece...

the infowarrior

[TLBSHOW]

Islam is a false religion and hides behind the word religion to spread their terrorist way. A false religion that wants to kill Americans all Americans.

Islam is a threat

[patriot5186]

know that a Muslim is commanded to treat Jews and Christians "as I would treat myself," in the words of a Hamas leader.
Well, at least they're truthful there...considering they're blowing themselves up too.

[BlackVeil]

I am in sympathy with the argument of this writer, but I can't help laughing at one quote: 'a Muslim is commanded to treat Jews and Christians "as I would treat myself," in the words of a Hamas leader.' Does he mean he'll blow us up?

[The Great Satan]

Anyone who has reached adulthood without understanding that whole countries and cultures can be turn cancerous under the influence of ideology, without their individual members sprouting horns or long, twirly mustaches, should have the good grace to refrain from publicly indulging in political analysis.

[TLBSHOW]

Islam is simply "a religion of war." You may protest that your Islamic neighbor down the street could not possibly be a threat. Free Congress says you should bear in mind that "there are lax Islamics.” Or to put it another way, the peaceful individual Muslims are out of step with their religion. They are outsiders looking in.

The two principle sources of Islamic belief "ooze war and blood.”

Wes Vernon

[LarryLied]

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia said this week at an Islamic conference that Muslims are to blame for all their woes. At the OIC meeting last month he said Palestinian suicide bombers are terrorists. Not politically correct things to say in the Islamic world. Many Muslims are putting their necks on the line allying themselves with the USA.

[TLBSHOW]

Racism is a monstrous injustice because it imposes a stereotype on millions of innocent individuals.

from muslims are good folks.

Look the rat terrorist lovers are bringing up their idiot race card BS.

[PsyOp]

"One cannot but ponder the question: what if the Arabs had been Christians? To me it seems certain that the fatalistic teachings of Mohammed and the utter degradation of women is the outstanding cause for the arrested development of the Arab. He is exactly what he was around the year 700, while we have kept on developing. Here, I think, is a text for some eloquent sermon on the virtues of Christianity." - General George S. Patton, diary, June 9, 1943.

"In the fields the plowing is done with the most peculiar combination of animals. The peasants either use a horse and camel, a burro and a camel, a bull and a camel, or a bull and a horse. I am informed that they cannot use two camels because they fight each other. Any animal hooked up with a camel becomes disgusted and loses interest in life." - General George S. Patton, Jr., Diary. November 22, 1942.

[DB]

Racism is a monstrous injustice because it imposes a stereotype on millions of innocent individuals.

Reese is in the Twilight Zone...

Muslim is NOT a race. Being against a deadly religion is not racism. Any one can become Muslim, its a choice. Get a clue Charlie.

[TLBSHOW]

LOL

Now I need to stop bumping this spew of poop from the demon-rat!

[DoughtyOne]

Okay Larry, I'm glad some are. I certainly have no ax to grind against Moslems. But I think it is reasonable to ask that such actions be demonstrated. The US was gravely offended, and the least Moslems can do is express their support for America and remorse at it's losses. I would not condone a wreckless attack on them. If my countrymen perpetrated an unsolicited attack, I'd be on them like a Junebug in mid-summer.