Whose Homeland?

Submitted by Nick Wiesenfeld (United States), Jun 7, 2002 at 19:55

Discussing, dialoging or arguing the issues regarding the Middle East is indeed a challange. Nearly all of what is said stems from some people's reading of the Qur'an. The meanings of the individual words and how they are used are so varied, that it almost impossible to enter into any meaningful discourse. You are doomed to fail unless you yourself are steeped in the knowledge of the Qur'an. And then it must be in the Arabic, or else you will be told that the English interpretation is 'wrong'.

There is something else which is disconcerting. When a definition is so varied, the word loses meaning and possibly significance. You end up in an inane babble with the result that nothing is accomplished.

I marvel at your ability to keep your cool (at least externally!).

Something was said by Dr. Hathout that should be confronted. He talks of confrontation of jihad and of attempts to kick them out of their homeland and to push them away from their religion. This may come up again and I would appreciate your asking which 'homeland'. No one invaded Saudi Arabia. Was it not Mohammed that kicked the Jews out of Medina? And did he not begin killing the Jews because they refused to abandon their religion in favor of Islam?

Perhaps the most annoying thing to me, when listening to 'dialogs' with Muslims is how many persons bend over backwards not to offend them. Thank you for not being one of them). No matter how many decent Muslims there may be in our country, I do not see them rising up in anger against those who misuse their religion. Do you think we will ever see a brigade (or was it a division) of Muslims fighting on the side of the US as did the Japanese in WWII?

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