September 11th, the pending war on Iraq, and our own day to day experiences of the Joint Task Force Guantanamo mission have all contributed to the picture many of us as Americans have painted about Islam and Muslims. And now, this universal religion of more than one billion followers worldwide is scrutinized by a population that has little knowledge of its basic tenets and practices. It is with a fearful eye that Islam and its worshippers are now being examined with the notion that they have become our nation's greatest enemy. However, a truly objective look makes it quite clear that Islam is really nothing to be afraid of at all. The meaning of the word Islam is "submission'' and "peace."
For a Muslim, the goal of attaining inner peace is achieved as one strives towards "submitting" oneself completely to God. Six articles of faith and the five pillars of Islam begin the process of transforming a mere physiological heart into a spiritual one. The six articles of the Islamic faith indicate what a Muslim believes. They consist of belief in: 1) One God - The Almighty, All-Powerful, All-Knowing, All-Merciful, the Sole-Creator of all that exist; 2) The Angels - created by God to carry out various functions in service to Him, e.g., The Angel Gabriel's role was to bring divine revelation down to the Prophets; 3) The Divine Books - to include the Scrolls of Abraham, the Torah, the Psalms, the Gospels and the Qur'an; 4) The Messengers of God - to include Adam, Noah, Abraham, David, Joseph, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad; 5) The Last Day - being raise before God to account for one's belief and actions; 6) The Divine Decree - meaning all things happen according to His decision and not without His permission.
The five pillars of Islam which Muslims perform are: 1) Openly declare their belief in the Oneness of God and the finality of the Prophethood of Muhammad; 2) Prayer five times a day; 3) Give charity to the poor; 4) Fast during the month of Ramadan; and 5) Make a pilgrimage to Mecca, the holy city of Islam, at least once if able to do so.
This is Islam in the mainstream, and looking a bit deeper into the core of its values, one finds a religion that affirms God's justice and insists on man's moral responsibility. However, it's a shame that every group is plagued with a small minority that falls prey to the pitfalls of following its own interpretations and agendas; and thus darkening the reputation for the majority. Yes, another terrorist attack or the possibility of hidden Iraqi weapons of mass destruction are enough to strike fear in the American people. But in reality, the majority of Muslims around the world from Indonesia to America are God-loving people. So why has it been so difficult for most in our society to distinguish these millions from the extreme fanatical minority? Why are we still afraid of Islam, the religion? Answer: lack of knowledge and unfamiliarity with Islam and Muslims. In most cases, people have limited personal experiences with Muslims and know Islam only through references made towards Muslim extremism.
The strength of the nation we defend is our diversity, but not knowing each other only creates an obstacle keeping us from really coming together as one cohesive force. A verse from the Holy Qur'an reads: "O Mankind!
(God) has created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may know and learn from one another. Verily the most honorable of you in the sight of God is the one who is most righteous." Practically speaking, this is as easy as smiling, and saying, "Hi, my name is ... " to a fellow JTF member who is Muslim. With almost certainty, your response will also be met with a smile and the words, "Hi, it's nice to meet you..."
4,000 - 10,000 Muslims in America's Armed Forces. Yeah, that's a good idea.
"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." -- Abraham Lincoln
Oh, well. Nothin' to worry 'bout here. Back to sleep for me. ZZZZZZZzzzzz...
Spy Pilot,
I hope that you fry.
I have worked at Ft Knox since 1985 and was assigned here prior to that while wearing green and have never seen an airborne school here. If he was in fact jump qualified he went to airborne training at Ft Benning, GA, not Ft Knox.
As the article says, Yee was raised as a Lutheran. I suspect that he is the product of the "liberal" form of Lutheranism, with its watered-down theology and all-too-"mainline" ways. If he had been exposed to REAL Lutheran Christianity, he would have loved Christ much too much to even THINK of converting to islam. He would also have loved Christ's people much too much to ever turn traitor against them.
This isn't just about Lutheranism--it is about all "mainline" Protestantism and much of American Catholicism, and Judaism as well. (I myself am a Lutheran.) it is the weakness, the watered-down theology, and the corruption (i.e., being "gay-friendly", refusing to stand up for Christians under persecution, etc.) of most of Western Christianity in the US that leaves the door open for many people to find a religion with more "discipline"--i..e, islam. However, what these "converts'" really needed all the time was real Christianity, for which islam is a very poor substitute indeed.
Why the FBIies? This is a military member accussed of committing a crime on a military installation and in conjunction with his military duties. It's not their jurisdiction. He should be facing a court martial, rather than a trial in a civilian court. The UCMJ looks unkindly on the actions of which he is accused.