Lizz Wenska “Debate over Ground Zero mosque lacks legitimacy,” (CT, Aug. 30) and Ben Woody (‘Pundits should not involve themselves in NYC Mosque debate’, CT 8/25) sensibly argue in favor of the Park 51 Mosque. The sentiments of some of the Sept. 11 victims against the mosque are understandable. However, Muslims also died on Sept. 11 and the perpetrators made no distinction between non-Muslims and Muslims.
The mosque would be objectionable if its proponents held the same beliefs as the terrorists. Fourteen centuries ago, Prophet Muhammad categorically forbade Muslims from harming innocents of any faith. He famously encouraged Christian priests to worship in his mosque.
In his letter to the St. Catherine Monastery, he guaranteed complete religious freedom to Christians in Arabia.
To foster brotherhood among all people, Muslims must champion efforts such as the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community’s “Muslims For Peace” campaign here in America. If not, the views of people like Wenska and Woody will fall on deaf ears.
Syed Ahmad
ECE graduate student
A version of this article appeared in the Sep 2 issue of the Collegiate Times.
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Yeah Islam is an extremely tolerant peaceful religion.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100807/ap_on_re_as/as_afghanistan
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Apparently the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the Taliban and every other place where Islam reigns supreme missed the Prophet Muhammad's memo addressing peace and tolerance.
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Taliban and Saudi Arabia represent Islam just as much as Crusaders and the Spanish Inquisition represent Jesus.
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The difference is Christianity has advanced sense the Middle Ages. Islam is still acting like it's the 1400s. There's a big difference between the two.
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maybe the fatwas and the taliban get all the news attention, but there are 1.3 billion muslims! lots of them are girls going to school, or writing for newspapers, or studying abroad, or taking vacations, and having dinner with friends just like people everywhere do. there are domestic violence groups, human rights centers, and support for environmental awareness all taking place in muslim countries.
lundfiction.blogspot.com/
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To this day women are beheaded in the Middle East for the crime of being raped. Islam is barbaric and backwards and Sharia law which is still practiced widely is an important part of it.
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The difference being that the Crusades and the Spanish Inquisition took place centuries ago, but the House of Saud rules today. King 'Abdallah's full title includes his role as the protector of the Two Holy Places. You know - the two places the tolerant Saudis won't allow non-Muslims to visit. I've been all over the Middle East and the only place that seemed genuinely tolerant of the fact that I was not a Muslim was Oman. Parts of Jordan, too, but even places like Egypt that actually has churches persecute Christians to one degree or another.
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You're right, atrocities committed by the Catholic Church (not Christianity) are not representative of Christ. But that is because Catholicism and Christianity are not one and the same.
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It is not Christianity that has advanced. Rather it is by abandoning the Church doctrine has the Western mind been able to make progress.
1400 years ago, Prophet Muhammad permitted Christian priests to pray in mosque. Can you expect something similar from the Churches today?
If Muslims do not follow the Prophet then it is not the fault of Islam
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Yes in fact I can give you a local example. A christian group built a church just off campus and made it non denominational so any religious group could use it. With Islam you have a medical team that was recently murdered in Afghanistan for allegedly preaching Christianity. To try and make the claim that Christians are as archaic and intolerant as Muslims is laughable. Also when you have Imams and clerics declaring fatwas and justifying jihads against the West it stops being just a few bad apples ruining the bunch.
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It is good that Christian world has emerged from the Dark ages.
Lets hope the same for the Muslim world. I agree that Muslim imams have been issuing outrageous fatwas but that is not Islam. Period. Why? Because their edicts clearly clash with the life and practises of Prophet Muhammad. In fact this is what is deplorable that Muslims have lost touch with the teachings of their Prophet.
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Mr. Ahmed, It is also because Catholicism and Christianity are not one and the same.
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Fully agreed Syed!
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