Posted on 08/02/2006 5:41:12 AM PDT by SJackson
A local landscaper, a Denver-born consultant, and a kid from Kansas - if you hung around Denver's largest mosque at 2071 S. Parker Road, it's likely you'd bump into them all. They reflect Islam's changing profile from foreign-born faith to American presence. On Sunday, I found myself in the company of the three - Mohammad Noorzai, Malik Taylor and Ammar Amonette - because I had heard big changes were coming to the mosque, whose formal name is the Colorado Muslim Society. It's a major, influential Islamic center where thousands of Colorado's estimated 15,000 Muslims worship, and where the demographics are changing.
Non-Arabs represent slightly more than half the mosque's members. The fastest growing segments are African Americans, whites and Latinos.
"We're a community that's more diverse than any (American) parish," says Amonette.
Three major firsts reflect the mosque's efforts to adapt.
• Amonette, 45, has been named the society's first American-born imam, or spiritual leader. He's believed to be the only American-born imam to run a major Islamic center in the U.S. His predecessor was the Egyptian-born Ahmed Nabhan, who left in December by "mutual decision."
• Later this week, the society will name its first executive director to guide the growing mosque and be a liaison of sorts to the wider, non-Muslim community.
• On Aug. 13, the mosque will hold an open house - the first of its kind - at 2 p.m. for non-Muslims to learn more about Islam. It's organized by Taylor, 39, a legal services consultant and among Islam's single largest convert group, African Americans.
Over a wide-ranging hour, we discussed Islam and how to adapt its universality to a secular society; trends among Muslim youth; Islamic values; and the vexing topic of politics.
From a previous interview, I knew Amonette, 45, was born in Kansas into a military family and grew up as (say the phrase at your peril) an Army brat.
"I hate that term," Amonette groused good-naturedly. "It's my fault for ever bringing it up. Now it's all over the Internet."
"That's OK - it's only part of your past," teased Noorzai, 48, who hails from a well-to-do Afghanistan family. Owner of a landscape business, he came to the U.S. at age 20 and expresses deep affection for America. Like Amonette, he married an American convert to Islam. He heads the Colorado Muslim Council, a coalition of 15 Muslim groups.
Their goal is to be good citizens and work toward the common good while recognizing that Islam's values transcend time and place.
Today, with the Mideast aflame, there was one question that I thought many Americans, rightly or wrongly, might want to ask: If America were attacked by terrorists who professed to do it in the name of Islam, whom would you support?
"I can't believe that question - I'm shocked," Amonette, open-mouthed, said. "You don't ask that kind of question of other people."
But Noorzai, the mediator, recognized the question as an opportunity to help Americans understand how Muslims express the values of their faith: "She just wants to shed light on it," he said. "Muslim loyalty - where is it?"
The first loyalty is to Islam's principle of not harming innocent people, ever. "We're going to be on the side that's just and fair," he said.
Why do I get that feeling that the phrases, "innocent people" and "just and fair" are open to discussion?
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But Noorzai, the mediator
A "mediator" to do an interview, what's that about. Celebrity handlers I understand, landscapers don't usually employ them. To my knowledge, neither do most Churches or Synagogues.
Mentioned on war blog
The first loyalty is to Islam's principle of not harming innocent people, ever. "We're going to be on the side that's just and fair," he said.
Wrong answer.
5.56mm
The truth about islam is there are no innocents. One is either a mooselimb or you are an infidel. An infidel is a non-innocent. The more one knows about islam the easier it is to understand the liars within the cult sent forward to lie to the public (infidels). Oh and the lies to the infidels, are perfectly acceptable in the cult of islam.
Can a good Muslim be a good American?
I forwarded that question to a friend that worked in Saudi Arabia for
20
years.
The following is his forwarded reply:
Theologically - no. Because his allegiance is to Allah, the moon god
of
Arabia.
Religiously - no. Because no other religion is accepted by his Allah
except
Islam (Quran, 2:256)
Scripturally - no. Because his allegiance is to the five pillars of
Islam and the Quran (Koran).
Geographically - no. Because his allegiance is to Mecca, to which he
turns in prayer five times a day.
Socially - no. Because his allegiance to Islam forbids him to make
friends with Christians or Jews.
Politically - no. Because he must submit to the mullah (spiritual
leaders),
who teach annihilation of Israel and Destruction of America, the great
Satan
Domestically - no. Because he is instructed to marry four women and
beat
and scourge his wife when she disobeys him (Quran 4:34).
Intellectually - no. Because he cannot accept the American
Constitution
since it is based on Biblical principles and he believes the Bible to
be
corrupt.
Philosophically - no. Because Islam, Muhammad, and the Quran do not
allow freedom of religion and expression Democracy and Islam cannot
coexist. Every
Muslim government is either dictatorial or autocratic.
Spiritually - no. Because when we declare "one nation under God," the
Christian's God is loving and kind, while Allah is NEVER referred to as
heavenly father, nor is he ever called love in The Quran's 99 excellent
names.
Therefore after much study and deliberation.....perhaps we should be
very
suspicious of ALL MUSLIMS in this country. They obviously cannot be
both
good" Muslims and good Americans. Call it what you wish....it's still
the
truth.
If you find yourself intellectually in agreement with the above
statements, perhaps you will share this with your friends. The more
who
understand this
the better it will be for our country and our future.
Pass it on Fellow Americans. The religious war is bigger than we know
or
understand
A non-answer. What you do when you know a truthful answer will not go over well with the readers.
Because other people aren't Mohammedans.
They're still not answering the question, I see. And they wonder why we ask it.
What's our problem? These are just the all American citizens next door full of love, peace and tolerance. How could we have thought their religon was guilty of beheadings, murder, genocide and other atrocities?
Thanks the the Rocky Mountain News for setting us all straight.
(Vomiting)
What's obvious to you isn't obvious to people with their fingers in their ears.
Actually we did ask that exact question to the Japanese in WWII. Remember intern camps. He clearly answers the question, "The first loyalty is to Islam"
"We're a community that's more diverse than any (American) parish," says Amonette. wrong again. There are many church communities/parishes that are every bit as diverse all over this country. Muslims do not lead the diversity parade.
How is it that he speaks for "we" if fairness and justice are the principles? Obviously, it depends on what the Koran says and "we" have no say in the matter. "We" is a watchword for tyranny. Let them declare their support for America's founding precepts: the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But those are not recognized by Islam and everyone knows it. Shame on the RMN for this "report."
They aren't open to discussion if you know what I mean.
Wow! I bet this sentence took a lot of research. What's left?
It's not a religious war--it is ideological. Religious wars are the curse of mankind.
Mr. Tagline sez, "I got your "adapting" right here!"
And he doesn't give a JDAM how the rags feel about it...
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