Despite our diversity, Muslims remain misunderstood

San Jose Mercury News ^ | 11/4/05 | Ben Daniel

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Can you feel the love beams? Can't you just hear the kumbaya? I fear our biggest enemies may be the liberal apologists among us. The Rev. Daniels says that there are only 30,000 hell-bent, death-loving moonbats on the loose. What a relief that is, knowing that such a small number could not possibly do us harm here at home. After all, it took many more than 19 Islamofascists to harm us on Sept. 19.

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Of course, the idea that Islam advocates terrorism any more than do other religious traditions usually comes as a shock to Muslims, who almost universally consider aggressive violence done in the name of Islam to be a distortion of their religion's basic tenets and, therefore, an abomination. The evidence suggests that Muslims have a better idea of Islam's peacefulness than does Western popular culture.

Islam is not a monolithic religion, and it is true that some Muslims are proponents of violence and terror as a means of confronting a wide range of perceived injustices, but their numbers are quite small. While the world is home to nearly 1.6 billion Muslims, worldwide membership in Islamic terrorist groups numbers something less than 30,000 -- this according to an April 2005 State Department report on terrorism -- meaning that only a fraction of a percent of Muslims are terrorists.

It is true that the chances of having a random encounter with a member of the world's Muslim community who is also terrorist are probably better than are the chances of being dealt a straight flush in five-card stud, but not by much. And while the State Department's numbers are imprecise, it is interesting also to note that according to the same report, non-Muslim terrorists outnumber Muslim terrorists nearly 4-to-1 worldwide.

The idea that Islam is a violent religion persists, but it doesn't have to. On Thursday, Ramadan came to an end, bringing to a close the rare overlapping holy seasons that brought Silicon Valley's interfaith community together in prayer and celebration last month. We who live in Silicon Valley, both Muslims and non-Muslims, who know the joy of living together in peace, can share the goodness of our lives together. We can export the peaceable virtues of understanding and good will, and as we do, we will find ourselves and our world greatly blessed.

REV. BEN DANIEL is the pastor of Foothill Presbyterian Church of San Jose. He wrote this article for the Mercury News.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

This would be so much more believable if I'd ever heard ONE (just one!) peaceful Muslim leader speak out against the terrorists within their midst.

[tet68]

Gaaa*k, hawwwk,ptooie. Bump.

[DManA]

We'll have a common God when Muslims bow down and worship Jesus.

[rockabyebaby]

Muslims misunderstood????

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

we understand only too well my friend, only too well and it's not pretty.

[jwh_Denver]

I don't trust Muslims enough to believe a word they say.

[jslade]

I want them GONE. The are a cancer in our midst.

[RightWhale]

It's a side issue. Part of the basis for unrest among islamics in Indonesia can be traced to the fact that 7% of the land property has clear title. In the ME, who knows. Cairo is 3/4 unrecorded property and extralegal businesses. If they owned their own homes and had legal businesses and could get bank loans on that collateral, just see how far the islamics would get.

[Publius6961]

understanding that diversity is our greatest strength.

Most idiotic ubiquitous contemporary blather.
However, reality trumps inanity.

[paudio]

I agree with him. We misunderstood Islam as religion of peace.

[SledgeCS]

While the world is home to nearly 1.6 billion Muslims, worldwide membership in Islamic terrorist groups numbers something less than 30,000 -- this according to an April 2005 State Department report on terrorism

I would like to see the report on what the worldwide membership terrorist totals are for say Christians / Catholics / Jews / Mormon or even the dreaded Amish.

[Texas_Jarhead]

"The idea that Islam is a violent religion persists, but it doesn't have to."

It doesn't have to but, as the truth, let's all hope it does.

[ladyL]

Unfortunately, if people knew God's name this allah crap would be a moot point.

[Jim Noble]

[Sender]

In much of the West it has remained acceptable to portray Muslims as shady, beady-eyed, gun-toting and crazed

I never thought of them as beady-eyed. Honest.

[who knows what evil?]

You can add France to that.

[TASMANIANRED]

I learned everything I needed to know about islam in 1000AD.

[lawdude]

I understand these murderous savages all too well. The world will not be safe until the last muslim is _______.

Fill in your own blank.

[anonymoussierra]

I am sorry I will write this today -- "Despite our diversity, Muslims remain misunderstood"NO! ----- Despite our diversity, Christians remain misunderstood and very well misunderstood"!!!!== thank you

[spookadelic]

Muslim leaders can get along with Christian and Jewish leaders in San Francisco, becuase is SF no one will ever ask you to denounce terrorism or to challenege your congregations to denounce it, nor ask you to turn in those who are preaching hate (unless it hate of muslims). Not only will they not ask for these thing they certainly wouldn't expect the muslim community to step up and lend their support to the war on terror.

So with that understood everyone can stand around with their fingers in each others butts and talk about how good they feal about it.