Posted on 11/29/2001 10:30:57 AM PST by EclipseVI
Myself included, there are over one billion humans on earth who call God by his Arabic name, Allah. Out of that billion, over seven million of us call America our home. Many of us are born as Americans, study in American institutions and go on to work and pay American dollars to our tax system. Like everyone else, we eventually find our better half, have chubby babies, go to zoos, get season tickets to the Chicago Bulls, go on our childrens' field trips and fix the leak in our roofs. With all the growing pains in the life that we lead as normal Americans, everyday we turn our face to Mecca to pray to what our Christian brothers call God, our Jewish sisters call Yahweh and whom we call Allah.
Islam, Christianity and Judaism have exactly the same origin. We each believe in the monotheistic deity of Abraham, who was the father of all three of these noble religions. Islam's moral and ethical standards are equivalent, if not more stringent, than those of modern day Christianity and Judaism. We, as Muslims, believe in every prophet of both Judaism and Christianity. We believe the world began with Adam and Eve and great prophets, namely Moses, Aaron, Jacob, Joseph and Jesus (peace be upon all of them) were all divinely inspired by God.
We revere Jesus as a great prophet and the messiah of God. He is mentioned by name in the Quran 33 times. We equally revere the Virgin Mary as the mother of the Messiah. She is the only woman mentioned by name in the Quran and she is mentioned 34 times. Anyone who says Muslims don't respect women, read the entire chapter dedicated to Mary (peace be upon her). How many times was our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) mentioned by name in the Quran? Five.
In Islam, a woman receives a monetary dowry from her husband, of which he has no legal claim. A woman is not obligated to change her maiden name. CNN happily broadcasts women being oppressed by the Taliban regime. Islam abhors the oppression of women. The Taliban says women are not allowed to work, yet the Prophet Muhammad's wife, Khadijah, was one of the most successful merchants in all of Arabia. Should we base our belief on a bunch of tribal warlords or the teachings of our Prophet?
In Islam, both men and women have to dress modestly. One aspect of this modest dress for women is the hijab (head covering). This is a religious mandate, but whether a woman decides to wear it or not, is an issue between her and Allah, because as the Quran categorically states, "there is no compulsion in religion." The hijab symbolizes empowerment, not oppression of women. It allows women to be judged on the content of their character, rather than the physical features that we men today objectify onto them. When we see a nun covered from head to toe in her habit, we commend her on her devotion to God. But when we see a Muslim woman wearing hijab, she is oppressed. In how many likenesses of the Virgin Mary, sculptures or paintings, is her hair not covered? Not one. Was she oppressed? Hardly.
Muslim American is not a paradox. As Muslim Americans we currently live in a diaspora having to deal with an attack on our, yes, our, country. We also have a dual anxiety because our way of life, which is not far different from our Christian and Jewish counterparts, is under attack.
I am a law student. I study international human rights. I have been to U2, Sarah Maclachlan, Dido and Outkast concerts. I have been a ball boy for the Chicago Bulls. I have owned a Ford Mustang. I pray for peace and have read Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech ninety-six times. I may be a dreamer, but I promise you, I am not the only one.
I am a Muslim and I am an American. I am proud of both and will compromise neither.
Seeing as Jesus extensively quoted the old testament which was written in Hebrew I'd guess that He spoke Hebrew also. Kind of puts the lie to the 'He didn't speak other languages' noise.
Christians are often told that no one can go to heaven except by Jesus. This tells us that the only way anyone can go to heaven is to be Christ-like. Muhammad was such a man.
You need to read the scriptures again. We are to be Christ-like but the Word of God states that we are incapable of doing so (For all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God). Only by accepting Jesus death on thecross as teh sacrifice for your sins can you go to heaven. And since the mohammedans deny the atoning death of Jesus I guess we know where they'll end up.
As to mohammad being Christ-like. Did Christ ever murder? No. Di mohammed? yes. Well I guess we can stop before we get into pedophila and rape and the rest of mohammeds sins.
name for Muhammad was in his mother tongue, Palestinian Aramaic
There wasn't then, nor is there now, (nor will there ever be,) a country called palestine. Therefore there is no palestinian Aramaic. There's just aramaic.
God Save America (Please)
Seeing as America was founded on Christian principles, and seeing as those principles are contrary to mohammedism, you've already compromised one or the other.
GSA(P)
But the expulsion of Jews from Spain by Isabella the Catholic, as well as expulsions from England and France, were religion-motivated. We now talk about "expulsion" as if the refugees boarded Amtrak and left. A lot of them drowned in the Mediterranean, many have been raped and brutally murdered by pirates. No country would accept them: with the fall of Moorish Granada, Europe finally became Christian and was not going to let these "infidels" back in. It was, incidentally, the Turkish Sultan who not only allowed them in but invited them to come.
I could also point to more recent events: in the predominantly Christian Germany, millions of Jews and Roma people (Gypsies) have been murdered in concentration camps. You will hasten to tell me that Nazis acted NOT as Christians but as godless socialists. And that is my point exactly: Turkish violence against the Armenians was not an act of Muslims against Christians. This is not a religious act, just like a Mafioso who attends Church on Sunday and kills someone in cold blood on Monday does not act as a Christian.
Say what you want about Catholic Spain or France....but the United States has never slaughtered other religions
Absolutely true. The English-speaking people have always been more tolerant and democratic. It is they who perfected the idea of representation in government and codified it in the Magna Carta (1215) and the first English Parliament (1265).
You may find it interesting that the idea of representation was invented and practiced by the pagan Germanic tribes. Whenever they invaded other lands --- as in the case of Spain invaded by Visigoths, for instance --- they were almost immediately Christianized and thus Romanized to an extent. With that, the democratic notion of representation was forgotten.
In contrast, when the pagan English and Saxons invaded the British Isles, Christianity was wiped out and the realm remained pagan for another 150 years. The idea of representation took hold, grew strong, and survived later, after the Isles where re-Christianized by St. Augustine and his followers.
As you can see, it is tempting but erroneous to attribute some intrinsic tolerance, as it pertains to national, not personal, behavior. One could develop this further by pointing out the grossly authoritarian and otherwise intolerant behavior was not limited to countries with Catholic rulers. Martin Luther revolted against the Papacy, but he also urged his followers to round up Jews and burn them in their synagogues.
But your observation is correct: in comparison, the English speaking peoples were always more tolerant by comparison. And this is so not just with respect to other religions. The autodafe, burning at the stake was introduced to the Isles much later than in Iberia or Gall. The number of victims is also smaller --- by a factor of a hundred or a thousand. Some historians point to the representative government as the brake against religious zealots.
The fact of the matter is this: the overriding reason why the United States has freedom of religion and speech today is because it was founded by persons with a uniquely Christian outlook. I am sorry, but this is factually incorrect. As I mentioned earlier, these freedoms go back to the pagan idea of representation. We owe it to the British that they perfected it after they became Christian.
Had it been Muslims who founded the colonies I daresay we would NOT be having one--tenth the freedoms we enjoy today. Also factually incorrect. Historians often bring Moorish Spain as an example of tolerance: under Islamic rulers, Christians, Jews and pagans lived in peace for centuries. Turkey is the only European country that has never had any repression against its small Jewish population: no restrictive legislature, no slaughter by neighbors. It's been 500 years --- not a brief moment.
One only need look at ANY Muslim nation today to see this. Absolutely! Today, what I call the "Islamic church" is vicious, intolerant, violent, non-accepting of any progress and diversity of opinion. We are at war with them. Although we have not started this war, we must fight it with all our might.
I am as angry as another person is. Maybe more, because for the last 15 years or so I anticipated that terror would come to our shores. Evil does not make exceptions: they started killing women and children in Israel, but I knew they would not limit themselves to that. Just like Hitler has not limited himself to the Jews and expanded his hate to Gypsies, Slavs, the world...
But even in the midst of our anger, we should focus our anger properly --- at the Islamic Church, which is today as brutal as Catholic Church was in the Middle Ages. The church is not religion, and just like Catholic Church has evolved, so "Islamic church" may progress to be peaceful.
We have to fight resolutely but focus our anger properly. This is the English idea, after all. Isn't it?
Spoken in ancient times in Palestine, Hebrew was supplanted by the western dialect of Aramaic beginning about the 3rd century BC..
Sorry John. Jesus spoke Aramaic.
Are you willing to state that the acts of 9/11 were in fact war by those who hate the liberty and freedom of this land and were in NO WAY justified and that America is in NO WAY at fault for the attacks?
Are you willing to condemn and fight any person, group or governmnet that participated in, or in any way supported the attacks?
Those are the questions I have for Muslim Americans, and any other American for that matter.
I respect your faith and beliefs, and I pray that you and other Muslims in no way believe that force, and particularly not the kind evidenced on 9/11, is the way to impart the morality that we both believe is critical to true liberty and happiness. It MUST be a matter of free will in so far as it does not infringe on others. The people killed on 9/11 were infringing on non one.
Again, please EclipseVI (or whoever wrote this), directly and without equivocation condemn the 9/11 attacks.
Regards.
Lets start with just one to keep this simple. the koran commands that people be converted by the sword and that if they change to a faith other than mohammadism that they be killed. The American principle of freedom of religion is totally violated when someone is forced into a religion. the American principle of all men being granted inalienable rights, such as life, is violated when someone is killed for their religious beliefs.
In order for mohammadism to line up with American principles it would have to rewrite the koran.
GSA(P)
I never said He didn't. I said that He also spoke Hebrew since he quoted the scriptures which are in Hebrew. It's highly likely that he also spoke Greek and perhaps a little latin. After all he did speak to people other than just the Jews, (centurians and other roman officials, etc)
GSA(P)
You probably need to do a little research. You are completely wrong.
There was a "Palestine" according to the Greek scholar Herodotus who wrote Book 3 Thalia in 500 BC.
I am getting tired of those people claiming they are muslim and they love America. What we want to hear is if they hate what muslims are doing and if they are able to show repent in their own ideology as judeo christianity has shown time and again - criticising their bad behavior during the trek in the desert of Sinai for Jews and during the Crusades for the Christians.
Can muslim condemn their religion? No, they can't. Not a single prominent muslim has shown repent for the hatred the muslim world has for the west. Nough said.
So you believe that it's possible for a human being to live a completely sinless life at all times? That a human can never lie (even the slightest exaggeration is a lie), never be angry without just cause, never lust after anything, never be rebellious, never think incorrect thoughts etc? If so then you know nothing about human nature.
Mankind is fatally flawed. We are born into a sin nature as can be seen by the smallest of children instinctively lying. Surely God didn't create us this way as all that He does is good. Therefore we fell somewhere and let sin into our nature. For all have sinned.
Seems like the mohammedans have a poor logical grasp of reality if they missed something this basic.
GSA(P)
If men hit you with sticks when you venture outside without a headcovering, you are oppressed.
Many Palestinians, both Muslim and Christian, still speak Aramaic.
You might enjoy reading the Koran even though it is slightly different from our beliefs, it would be wrong to call it evil.
I'll give you the region name palestine but the country around Jerusalem was (and will be until Jesus comes back) Israel.
Jesus definitely spoke Hebrew when he quoted the scriptures. All (or at the very least the very vast majority) of copies of the OT are written in Hebrew.
I'd guess that He also spoke Greek and Latin. and maybe a spattering of other languages also. Seems to me that Jerusalem, as well as the rest of Israel was a pretty cosmpolitan area, at least during feasts with Jew coming from all over the world to celebrate.
GSA(P)
I've read it and yes it is evil.
GSA(P)
What language did Pilot speak? I'd bet it was Latin. What language are the scriptures written in? Hebrew.
Since Jesus read the scriptures and quoted from them we know that He spoke Hebrew.
I'm not saying He didn't speak something else in His day to day activities. I am just saying that He also spoke Hebrew (as all good Jews did) and possibly some Latin and Greek. (Got to speak to those foreigners somehow.)
GSA(P)
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