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.
Yeah Lunatic....those Catholics are strapping bombs on their waists and bombing all over the place...ignore the facts..and you become one....I just went to a HUGE rally...chanting death to Saudia Arabia....and I was out dancing in the streets when we bombed a bunch of Arabs.....
yeah you saw those pictures...
b4its2late...I got it in an e-mail....from my lawyer..who was the actual author....
The big differences is that the Christian faith never made violence acceptable while in the Muslim faith, jihad is mentioned 164 times.
Yeah, yeah. Can we just drop all religions from the earth please?
Oh really? Ever study medieval European history? Do the Crusades ring a bell? The Inquisition? How about early American settlers hanging people for witchcraft?
"I can't believe that question - I'm shocked," Amonette, open-mouthed, said. "You don't ask that kind of question of other people."
Of course. We don't need to ask that question of other people, do we? Other people don't fly airplanes into buildings or slit peoples throats.
There is no way that you can equate Christians with Muslims. Funny, I don't recall the Catholics dancing in the streets handing out candy when the IRA bombed people. I don't recall Christians yelling a rally cry when abortion clinics were bombed in the name of Christianity. Sorry pal, but muslims have NO regard for humanity, it's their way or the highway. You cannot equate the two. Ya know whats funny, we have the mental capacity to interpret, we don't take the bible literally. The church I go to is uplifting, it preaches goodness to mankind, to be the best person I can be, to help people, I am forgiven for my sins, not stoned to death and my reward will be heaven, everlasting life and peace, free of sin and pain, I will see my loved ones. In Islam the men get 72 virgins, what does on do with 72 virgins? Pretty decadent if you ask me. And what is the final reward for the women? Slaves for eternity? Since 9/11 I've become very aware of muslims and they ain't showing me much, until I see otherwise you can count me in the bigot catagory.
Get a load of this! Bring your hip boots, nose plugs, and a great big shovel!
No, those "other people" they just cook 6 million jews, or they kill 400,000 in their little "Inquisition" or they murder a million in a "Crusade" to retake the Holy Land.
I read once that an estimated 1 Billion people have died from all the religious conflicts of the past 1000 years. Historically, Christianity is just as guilty of crimes against humanity as Islam.
They are not open to discussion.
In Islam, any battle between Muslims and non-Muslims requires the Muslims to fight against the non-Mulsims.
Simple.
Like the minds of Americans who are responsible for the stupidity of permitting these fiends to operate here.
This reveals your complete ignorance. The "72 virgins" propaganda is a myth, and has no basis in Islam. You have probably never picked up the Quran, have you?
The Christian faith has done much more GOOD then bad in its history, read your history. Besides preaching the Gospel, it has done more for people in need. It has promoted the end of slavery, promoted the right of women to vote, and civil rights. Plus there is a thing called the just war theory that a great saint, Augustine had founded. Wrongs that have been commited have been condemmed as being against the Christian faith. Take this response as a gentle correction.
In this context it's being used as a designation, so not just a color.
My point was more the ignorance of the speaker & writer of the article.
It should have been "blacks, whites and browns" or "African Americans, Caucasians and Latinos"
Simple. Like the minds of Americans who are responsible for the stupidity of permitting these fiends to operate here. 52 posted on 08/02/2006 10:23:40 AM CDT by ZULU
Therefore after much study and deliberation.....perhaps we should be very suspicious of ALL MUSLIMS in this country. 6 posted on 08/02/2006 7:47:25 AM CDT by Youngman442002
When we're attacked their mosque will be history. 24 posted on 08/02/2006 8:13:03 AM CDT by Misterioso
Ms. Torkelson has a quite interesting repertoire of articles.
I suggest she do a comparative study of all other religions from Ahura-Mazadism to Wiccan and Zoroastrianism and she if she find a single one which advocates converting other people by violence and force and killing people who don't their follow religious tenets.
My suspicion is the only one she will find is Islam. Although some individual Muslims will deny it, present widespread practise, the example of their founder Mohammad, and their own religious texts prove otherwise.
Spot on.
Comprende.
I agree. The only "discussion" was between us and them. They already have their definition of "innocents" and "just and fair" as put forth by Islam...they don't think we understand their Koran-ic double-speak, however.
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