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.
You are a lunatic.
Hitler and the Nazis were not Christians. Learn some history.
I'll refrain from commenting what else I think.
Aha!! And the a$$holes who flew into the WTC were NOT TRUE MUSLIMS, but you and many others condemn an entire religion for the actions of a few fanatics. It doesn't matter if they are "true believers" or not... people for centuries have been motivated to kill in order to appease a make-believe deity.
BTW, I imagine many Nazis were self-described Christians even though Hitler himself rejected Christianity. And many Nazis justified the elimination of the Jews as a type of Crusade.
>>Aha!! And the a$$holes who flew into the WTC were NOT TRUE MUSLIMS,
Because a lunatic says so?
And how often has a nutty Christian done something in God's name only to have a bunch of Christians go, "Well, he wasn't a 'real' Chrisitan." Abortion clinic bombers...?
Muslim leaders all over the world have condemned the WTC attackers, and have stated again and again that they do not represent Islam. But it's much easier for ignorant people like you to dismiss such claims and condemn an entire race of people as liars and fanatics and murderers.
You obviously haven't asked your Imam lately, have you?
"Well I have not heard of ANY condemmnations from ANY Muslim leaders. This silence is deafening."
Another ignorant statement... You're on a roll.
http://www.muhajabah.com/otherscondemn.php
http://www.unc.edu/%7Ekurzman/terror.htm
I remember the day that we were attacked. If my memory is correct there was partying that went on in some parts of the Middle East cheering on those who attacked the USA on 9/11.
The "not true muslims" argument doesn't wash with me, either.
The only good muslim, is a bad muslim.
Why? Why "don't [you] ask that kind of question of other people"? It seems to be a perfectly reasonable question to ask, especially in a time of war, especially when that war is with those who claim to believe the same as you do.
Spot on, you got that right!
This thread looks very active.
"Yeah, yeah. Can we just drop all religions from the earth please?"
Make us do it by force of your wisdom.
Ouch. You're right. I forgot about the other 5%.
And we all know what side he thinks that is don't we?
""The fastest growing segments are African Americans, whites and Latinos.
"Whites and Latinos (many of which are white)" are added so as not to scare anyone. Lying for Allah is required.
Bingo!
Exactly what I was thinking when I read the sentence.
The only thing I object to is the use of the term "latinos," instead of Hispanics. They're not Latins.
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