Islam is not the enemy

As we remember 911, let us keep in mind that Islam is not the enemy. We are not at war with Islam.




Much controversy has hovered around the mosque planned to be built close to ground zero. And most recently, a Christian pastor of a non-denominational church has threatened to perform a public burning of the Muslim's Holy Book of Quran. It is one thing to burn books you do not care about, privately in your own backyard. But to make a public spectacle about it makes it a form of protest. In this case, against Islam, a religious faith the Pastor hardly knows anything about.



There is no denying that there is a growing anti-Muslim sentiment in the US.



In our grief after the horrific 911 attacks, some of us have lost sight of who our real enemy is. First, we invaded Iraq in the pretense that they harbor weapons of mass destruction. And now, we protest the building of a Mosque one block away from ground zero with the excuse that it is insensitive to the families of the victims of 911.



Yes, it's true that the men who flew those planes into the Twin Towers were Muslims. It's true that they were nationals of Muslim countries. They did what they did in the name of their religion, Islam. But we all know, that is not what Islam is about.



I do not profess that I know everything about Islam, for I am a Christian. But I know that many Muslims, including our Muslim-American brothers and sisters, do not believe that Allah condones violence, especially towards innocent victims. Islam is not synonymous with extremist terrorist.



If there is one thing that makes me proud of the US, it is the fact that we enjoy tremendous freedom here, including freedom to practice our faith. Where else can we find so much diversity as we have in the US? We have to pat ourselves in the back, that over the years we have developed tolerance for all peoples - of different ethnicities, colors, nationalities, languages, sexual orientation, cultural practices and religious beliefs. We still have more to go from tolerance to acceptance, but I believe we're in the right direction. Let us not allow our pain and anguish of 911 divert us otherwise.