I call out all moderate Muslims - Help us understand - Speak up, please

Submitted by Michel C. Zala (United States), Jan 8, 2007 at 21:54

In this Blog extreme opinions seem to dominate. Especially fear of ISLAM - not just fear of Islamic extremists. When the intelligentsia starts to hate and promotes the most radical measures against an entire culture, we truly must start to worry.

Just by submitting a more inclusive point of view, I got nailed by my own people, which is frightening, as these are intelligent, eloquent writers quoting a ton of facts, figures and statistics.

I herewith promote to let our American Muslims or any Muslim living peacefully in any western country to rise up and stand publicly ground against any force of medieval evil stemming from some members of your own religious movement who insist on applying the teachings of the Quran to the letter of the book, hence with violence.

I call on the US Muslim readers of this blog to rise to the challenge and state their patriotism for a country which provides them with all these precious freedoms you do not see in Sudan, Somalia, Yemen or even Egypt.

Please help me out here and explain to the Susans and the likes, why you appreciate our mutual home, why you would never support terrorism, what the difference between Al Khaeda and your families and friends are. Please educate us, speak up, as I have dared to speak up mentioning just a few of our own weaknesses and got verbally abused for it.

Please, Muslim leaders, explain to me and the other "infidels" the paradox between the Quran's teachings and the fact that you do not go ahead and suicide bomb yourselves in Los Angeles.Why have the millions of Muslims in the USA not risen up and terrorized the rest of us?

Maybe - just maybe there are a few out there willing to go on a limb and educate us, as to what a western Muslim actually thinks about terrorism, Djihaad, suicide bombings and what makes you different from people who are willing to kill themselves and many others in the name of Allah. Is there a person with backbone out there who is willing to look inwards with a critical non-emotional viewpoint?

Please tell all my angry responders, what the difference between you and fanatic Islamic fundamentalists is. Prove me right, when I said how much harmony and peace I have encountered when I visited many average Muslim families.

As you can see, so many are afraid of you, for we do not know you. Your fanatics have blemished an entire culture and thrown a large part of the western populus into an outright paranoia. Tell us, who you are and why you are not one of these lunatics. Show us that even the Quran can be interpreted wisely. Tell us what sets you apart from the women beheading, stoning maniacs who still live in the middle ages. Tell us, what makes your ISLAM different from the one Bin Laden is practicing.

Maybe, if a few Muslim Leaders take a stand, even if that means to alienate some of their own fanatics, without pointing fingers at the West - that must be done by a Westerner ( I did that for you), we can meet somewhere in the grey zone, and some of this mutual hatred manifested here on this website may fade a bit.

I , the white Christian, materialistic infidel, challenge you my Muslim Compatriots to stand with me and all integrating moderate forces. Please honor my willingness to alienate my own people by being " a multi-culti-mumbo jumbo" with your own willingness to look at ISLAM from a 21st century point of view. Not with hatred, facts, statistics and figures. You'll find them in support of any extreme point of view in abundance and for any statement out of the Quran they'll throw 10 diammetrally opposing statements back at you. As with the Bible, one can find supporting material for pretty much any point of view. it results in endless discussions and quote after quote.

No – tell us about the challenges of your own lives, the challenges of interpreting the Quran in the 21st century, the challenges to set yourselves apart during your daily lives from those zealots willling to inflict so much pain on so many ( including Muslims)

Allow us paranoids who out of sheer fear are willing to call for the next crusade, to see your wisdom, heart, the warmth I was blessed to experience in so many of your normal houses.

I call on you all, representatives of various religions to condemn fanatism, terrorism, radicalism and hatred.

I have heard from any extreme wing here – it is time that the silent majority of peaceful mainstream speaks up.

Education leads to>>>>Understanding>>>to>>Acceptance>>to>>Tolerance>>>to>Societies with inner strength>>>to>Vision>>to>>>Hope>>>to>> a Future for mankind.

Am I just an idealistic stupid fool for not judging you across the board and calling for a stop of immigration, segregation or any other reactive means of oppressing a populus?

How can you be a believer and not hate all of us to the extent of wishing to eradicate all Infidels, as most of this sites bloggers feel? Is there a Muslim Theologist out there who can help us all understand, that we do not need fearing the majority of Muslims? And why?

Please help us understand ISLAM as practiced by most of you. I have come to learn to know people living this ISLAM as wonderful, productive and peaceful citizens. I know it is not the ISLAM of Bin Laden, but I lack the knowledge to explain it to my fellow Christians.

If there is a moderate Muslim out there who has the courage to critically examine his own culture and religion, as I have dared to look inwards, this would be a great moment to speak up for the silent majority of Christian, Buddhist and Muslim moderate mumbo jumbos like me.

Your assistance is greatly appreciated.

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