|
Opinion-Overview: Today's
reflection
1. 9/11:
When the towers came down, I said to Hattie that this would be a defining
moment for the rest of our lives. My logic was simple; whoever perpetrated
these satanic acts were on a path and the USA was in the way.
Yes, we learned who
the real satan was that day. Their attack was on all things symbolic of
America. Their attack was on freedom, democracy, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness. All these values are an anathema to them. Brainwashed to revile all
things American, our enemies now number in the millions.
Historian
Matthias
Küntzel, documents some of the earliest movements of today's
fanatics²
2. Learning
history: In the years that have followed, we all have gotten to know
something about the fanaticism and extremism within Islam. We are beginning to
know the entire history of Islam. We are learning about Mohammad. We are
beginning to read and know the Qur’an.
Individually two
brave Americans, Robert Spencer and
Daniel Pipes, have extensively researched, analyzed and
written about the Qur'an and Mohammad.³ Although their work is only
appreciated among the most gracious of Muslim people, I believe their attempts
to identify a Muslim majority is based on a logical extension of questions that
are worth paraphrasing. |
3. Moderate
Muslim people. Who is a moderate Muslim? If a moderate is one who will
never engage in terrorism, most Muslim people would stand up. If a moderate is
now defined as one who also disagrees with the ideologies of terrorism, many
will sit down.
Now, if a moderate
Muslim is defined as one who actively works against those who incite terrorism,
even more will sit down.
Of those people
left standing, who are themselves a target of the extremists, what can we do
together to forge a powerful interpretation of the Qur’an that is far more
compelling than anything the extremists espouse? Where can we find the texts
for religious tolerance versus religious elitism? Where can we find texts that
give some breath to Islamic law (or sharia law) and dhimmitude?
4.
Projections: Most any form of elitism, especially religious elitism, is
solipsistic. The elitist's insights do not evolve out of universal insight but
from what they deem as a revealed truth directly from God. However, God reveals
truth in many ways. Within all the sciences and mathematics, constants and
universals are discovered and each reveals a facet of the Creator-Sustainer.
The finest expressions of the arts which create transcendent moments of joy
reveal a facet of the Supreme Being. Yet, we are all human and our
understanding of both universals and those revealed truths is necessarily
incomplete. Elitism leads to false conclusions whether from among the Buddhist,
Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim or any other religious
persuasion.
There is still much to learn about the fundamentals of all
faiths and how the sciences have evolved out of a deep faith in these same
constants and universals.°
We all should have
humility with one another.
Thank you.
|
