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What are you trying to accomplish?

Reader comment on item: My Disrupted Talk at UCLA

Submitted by ~JehanZeb~ (United States), Jun 3, 2007 at 15:19

Salaam alaykoum Daniel Pipes, peace be unto you

I've heard much about you and I've visited your website a few times in the past, but I never took the time to comment. As you may have guessed already, I am a devout Muslim who lives in the United States and I can't help but wonder what people like you are trying to accomplish with your arguably anti-Islamic speeches. How can you demand for UCLA to take legal action against the protestors of your speech when you yourself are preaching that Islam is a threat to the west and that we must defeat "Islamists" in the "classrooms of UCLA"? Do you expect no one to say anything or protest?

There are millions of Muslims in the United States and we're living here peacefully, obeying the laws, going to school, making a living, raising a family, how can you expect people to be silent when you make statements that promote hate and separation? By the way, what exactly did you mean when you said we must defeat "Islamists" in the "classrooms of UCLA"? Are you suggesting that every Muslim (or Muslim-looking) student be pulled aside and questioned? Are you suggesting to non-Muslims that they should be extremely cautious and suspicious of their Muslim friends?

You may be insensitive to the rising number of hate crimes that are committed against Muslims in America (or you may dismiss them as being false), but regardless what you think of them, racisim and prejudice still exists in this country and in the world. If you aspire to make the world a better place, then why are you intensifying the stereotypes and misconceptions about Islam and preaching it to a non-Muslim majority who don't know anything about Islam except for what they see in the media?

I saw one of the comments posted here with the statement "Infidels are cool" - I mean, I doubt many of your readers have any real or personal contact with Muslim people. Have you ever visited a Mosque? Have you ever had Muslim friends? I'm an aspiring filmmaker and I made a film last semester about the challenges Muslims face in post 9/11 America. Most of the people I've shown the film to were non-Muslims and they were very appreciative of our efforts to dispell the stereotypes about Islam. To me, THAT is progressive, to show non-Muslims that Muslims are NOT that different, because ultimately, we are all human beings and we all share the same values.

To be progressive is to help create understanding, establishing peace with one person at a time, and not resorting to racial slurs or insulting statements towards another person's faith. I have Christian, Jewish, Hindu, and Buddhist friends and we share the belief that every religion carries the message of PEACE. Religion is to ultimately help us become better human beings, and being brought up as a devout Muslim has helped me be a tolerant and peaceful person towards all religions.

So why be regressive and promote separation when the world is already being divided? Do you have children, Mr. Pipes? If so, do you want to teach them intolerance towards Muslim and Middle-Eastern people? I'm sure that even you cannot deny the fact that the community facing the most adversity right now is the Muslim community, so why go off in these anti-Islamic speeches when you can be helping the community? There are many Muslims out there who are working very hard to improve their image, in every Mosque, you see this, in every Muslim Student Association or inter-Faith event, you hear about this. You cannot turn a blind eye and not give them credit for their efforts. If you go out and ask any Muslim about how they feel about Islam, they'll tell you how much it means to them. If you want to learn about Islam, then talk to someone who really FOLLOWS it. The Holy Qur'an speaks of tolerance and peace towards all of God's creations and Muhammad, peace be upon him, was a compassionate and divinely inspired man. I suggest you read "No god by God" by Reza Aslan if you want to learn more about Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and the religion of Islam.

Sadly, due to the negative image being depicted of Islam, many people are not informed about the Islamic contributions to the world. Have you heard of Jalaluddin Rumi, Mr. Pipes? He was a 13th century Persian and Muslim poet who shared some of the greatest verses of Love and Beauty the world has ever seen. According to his translator, Coleman Barks, Rumi is America's most read poet and I'm sure that if many of your readers would read his work, they would be surprised it was written by a Muslim. But Rumi is not alone in the Beauty of Islam - there is also Rabia al-Adawiyyah, Hamid al-Ghazzali, Avicenna, Averroes, ibn al-Arabi, Allama Iqbal, Mirza Ghaalib, and of course hadhrat Ali - the Prophet's cousin, and many more. What would you readers think if they were to read of these brilliant figures in Islam?

Islam is here to stay (and no, that is not a threat, lol. I said that to someone before and they thought I was threatening them!) and we will see more American Muslims in the future. And this is nothing to fear because like Christianity and Judaism, Islam stems from the Middle-East and it is making its way in the West. As you know, Islam is not exclusive, it is for all people, not just the Arabs. So as Islam grows in the west, my question to you remains: What are you trying to accomplish?

Thank you for reading,

Salaam (it means Peace)

~JehanZeb~

My blog: http://mastqalander.spaces.live.com

Submitting....

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Daniel Pipes replies:

<How can you demand for UCLA to take legal action against the protestors of your speech when you yourself are preaching that Islam is a threat to the west and that we must defeat "Islamists" in the "classrooms of UCLA"?>

The writer, clearly, has yet to hear of the First Ammendment.

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Title Commenter Date Thread
Ex-admirer who woke up first hand [140 words]kjanApr 20, 2016 12:50229076
3what is wrong with our universities? [1378 words]gary fouseJul 15, 2007 22:15103738
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Abraham CorriganJun 6, 2007 12:0296256
2What are you trying to accomplish? [958 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
~JehanZeb~Jun 3, 2007 15:1995898
3Isn't Greta Berlin A Bit Old For College? [107 words]Steve HancockMay 30, 2007 05:4995313
1UCLA insults Daniel Pipes [154 words]Al OrtizMay 30, 2007 00:1695197
1Do the Words, "Goose" and "Gander" Come to Mind? [130 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Julian TepperMay 29, 2007 09:1695109
Revealing statement [157 words]Stuart FaginMay 29, 2007 09:0095108
The cost of letting it slide [40 words]David W. LincolnMay 28, 2007 15:5895040
"handled appropriately" huh? [79 words]Mark PrestonMay 23, 2007 11:2794075
Mark Preston and the Constitution [27 words]Emily ScopesAug 16, 2007 16:3594075
The Constitution is the Constitution [22 words]Mark PrestonAug 16, 2007 21:2694075
Foolish pretention [43 words]Emily ScopesAug 17, 2007 23:2594075
2For some real "Hate Speech," please turn to the Koran [55 words]Acharya SMay 17, 2007 03:0293307
2The anti-Israel Hate Fest at The University of California Irvine [258 words]Richard B Kates, MDMay 9, 2007 23:1892318
1CNI Foundation ad in Sunday NYT, 4/22/07 [168 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Muriel EfronApr 23, 2007 18:0790405
1To Muriel Efron. [754 words]Ynnatchkah Dievetchkah Kharoshaya.May 10, 2007 22:2690405
gratitude [56 words]bea ferreiraApr 21, 2007 13:0790071
2"LIAR" [37 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Greta BerlinApr 19, 2007 23:1989881
1Oh, please [28 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
Greta BerlinApr 21, 2007 22:0989881
1To Greta Berlin - the artist. [372 words]Ynna(Tchkah)May 9, 2007 03:0089881
2Motto Perpetuum- Islamo Fascists Heinous Lies- Adopted by Greta Berlin. [387 words]Ynna (tchkah)May 9, 2007 04:0589881
15Greta Berlin acted like a child at UCLA [195 words]Allyson Rowen TaylorMay 17, 2007 01:0689881
To Allyson about Greta and Her "Teen" Buddies [539 words]Ynna (tchkah)May 18, 2007 18:1889881
Dear YNNA: [209 words]Anne BalfourMay 21, 2007 01:3189881
point of order... [181 words]donvanMay 21, 2007 16:0389881
1Dear ANN BALFOUR - Response [983 words]Ynna(TCHKAH)May 22, 2007 19:4589881
Donvan- Loved what you wrote. [2 words]Ynna (Tchkah)May 23, 2007 03:1489881
Puhleese Greta!... [47 words]FrummerMay 27, 2007 18:5889881
1Greta needs a dose of the truth... [302 words]David BlainMay 27, 2007 19:1889881
quite right Frummer [75 words]James ForsythJun 9, 2007 01:0089881
What makes an occupation legal anyways? [219 words]ShintoJul 14, 2007 00:0189881
2Putting the record straight [75 words]Greta Berlin ArtistNov 9, 2007 04:2889881
19A Role Model for Peace? [254 words]Ava E. BerlinNov 9, 2007 20:3989881
3Re: Greta Berlin and her anger [122 words]Allyson Rowen TaylorNov 23, 2007 20:0989881
I have true compassion for Ava Berlin, Greta is a very unpleasant person [144 words]Ryan MervinAug 12, 2012 03:0689881
greta jewish? no. immature? extremely [74 words]alanMay 3, 2018 09:0889881
accompaniment [25 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
DarrenApr 18, 2007 10:1489649
Thanks for the link to my site Dr. Pipes [2 words]Student of ObjectivismApr 17, 2007 01:3789441
fanatical hard-lined leftists [45 words]charles steeleApr 15, 2007 11:5089316
Thanks for participating [181 words]Roger ParianApr 14, 2007 22:3589283
Thank you Daniel [36 words]JohnApr 14, 2007 18:4989264
Islamo-fascism exposed [102 words]dhimmi no moreApr 14, 2007 18:1589262
Part 2 of my coverage of your discussion (pictures) [47 words]Todd (Hecubus)Apr 14, 2007 14:1989236
Good new. [46 words]jamalApr 14, 2007 14:1989235
I led the shout of "out" [270 words]Mark PrestonApr 14, 2007 12:0889222
fair comment [79 words]charles steeleApr 15, 2007 11:3889222
Response for request [20 words]Mark PrestonApr 15, 2007 22:1289222

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