Sounds kinda ominous to me.
One was of putting it. A post 9/11 interview.
Imam: Koran doesn't justify attacks
By JEAN TORKELSON
Scripps Howard News Service
24-SEP-01
DENVER -- As a 5-year-old boy in Egypt, Ahmad Nabhan learned the Koran, Islam's holy book, by heart.
"I can tell you passages in the Quran faster than a computer," says Nabhan, 39, and the spiritual leader, or imam, of the Colorado Muslim Society mosque.
Nabhan insists there's nothing in Islam's holy book that justifies last week's terrorist attacks, "and there's no relationship between Islam and those people."
Still, he's frank about other ferocious feelings, which he once shared.
"I grew up hating America," he said. "The feeling is America controls all the world, and that there is no justice between the Palestinians and Israel _ America helps Israel in everything."
Until that political reality changes, he says, hatred for Americans will remain entrenched in Islamic countries.
So why, in 1993, did he emigrate to a country he hated _ and become an American citizen?
"That is an appropriate question," he said. "I wanted to understand this country. I have come to see there are differences between the American people and the American government."
Nabhan says he returns every other year to Egypt, where he gives pro-American speeches before crowds of thousands, telling them, "The American people are very, very, very nice, and in many ways, they have better manners than Muslims in their help, caring about others and honesty."
Even the American government is earning some kudos from Nabhan. After President Bush visited a mosque last week, "I respect him more and more."
What of infidels, or non-believers? The Koran teaches that while Islam is the true religion, followers must treat Christians and Jews with respect because they, too, are "People of the Book" and believe in the same, supreme God. The great leaders of Judaism and Christianity _ Abraham, Moses and Jesus _ are considered good Muslims as well as prophets, he said.
In any and every case, "Even if you're fighting an enemy, you cannot kill women and children."
Muslims have different standards toward those who are neither Christian nor Jew: "(Muslims have) no relationship with them," he said.
Would America's diversity and secularism be a reason for radical Muslims to consider all Americans infidels and feel justified to slaughter with impunity?
Nabhan believes not; he considers the United States a Christian country _ and besides, he does not accept that radical Muslims either respect or follow the Koran.
While individual Jews are to be respected and welcomed as People of the Book, "The first enemy is Israel. When they take your home, take your money, your schools _ for that you can fight."