I cannot speak intelligently about the Koran, as I’ve not read most of it and I am not sure that my reading of it would provide me any wisdom. Yet, I am saddened to read the many above comments that are some readers’ chosen reaction to this letter. They sound as though the commentators had just watched a Jihadi speak his anti-American mind on Youtube.
All our religions have portions in our core texts that are interpreted as extortions to violence. The same man who said, “Judge not least ye be judged yourself” also said in Mathew 10:34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law”. There are, of course, various rationalizations for the sort of sentiments this quote demonstrates and one must try to cultivate the most gentle understanding of such incendiary text if one wants to be a peace loving Christian.
I do not agree that one who murders cannot see the beauty in Creation as the professor suggests. I certainly think the significance of human life has different meaning to a Jihadi as it does to myself or for Salim Mansur. If you learn of Islam’s history you will see that when the Arabs conquered Persia they tried to convert those they found in their new territories but did not coerce them with violence until later dynasties. In fact, the Jews of Persia found their prestige and self-government to be expanded by the victorious Muslims. If we analyze the Byzantine Christians who ruled in times contemporary with the Arab conquests of Persia, these later day Romans treated the Jews living in that part of the world with contempt for their property, their way of life and their lives. One cannot claim these Christians were simply reacting to Muslim conquest of their lands as the Arabs had yet to ride against the Christians and had, in fact, defeated the principle foes of the Byzantine Empire. An intellectually honest person would have to regard the saintliness of those very pious Christians to be worthy of a less then exemplary glory.
I wonder also, how successful any of us have been in getting the American government to adopt the various attitudes and policies that we each know to be the direction our nation should be headed. There are eight commentators above who should have made that difference it would takes to alter the course of the various political movements they disagree with. Perhaps Mr. Mansur does not have competence in the sort of political activities it would take to get the Jihadis to become moderate. I certainly don’t have the rhetorical skill to convince various Americans that voting Democrat is usually worse for our country then voting Republican. How then could I assume that the Professor who wrote this paper has the ability to convince his fellow moderate Muslims to band together and take their stance in a more assertive and effectual manner? I could not.
We all know that the Jihadi form of Islam is a disease. Perhaps Islam is a religious body more susceptible to this sort of cancer then other faiths. The Christian body has had plenty of need for chemotherapy in its murderous history so lets not be casting stones. I suggest we band together in union with a man like Mr. Mansur. I suggest we see the brotherhood we share as freedom loving, G-d fearing, and limited beings. I suggest we support people like Mr. Mansur and give his friends, those with lesser gifts in writing, the courage to speak their mind. Perhaps we will have the courage to understand them better so our unity in G-d and nation will reflect the highest ideals each of our faiths drive us towards.
Islam will survive our war with Jihadis. One hopes these battles that are fought today are the last wars between people who share faith in the One True God. Let us pray that G-d blesses us with peace in this world and a share of His glory in the world to come. We will sooner find peace by allying with those holding sentiments as discussed in the letter above then with those bigoted comments that followed.
