Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!bu.edu!m2c!wpi.WPI.EDU!coal.wpi.edu!shari
From: mucit@slate.cs.rochester.edu (Bulent Murtezaoglu)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam
Subject: Re: Time of trouble...
Message-ID: <1991Jan25.134119.28871@wpi.WPI.EDU>
Date: 25 Jan 91 13:41:19 GMT
References: <1991Jan19.063112.14345@wpi.WPI.EDU>
Sender: news@wpi.WPI.EDU (News)
Reply-To: mucit@slate.cs.rochester.edu (Bulent Murtezaoglu)
Organization: University of Rochester
Lines: 59
Approved: shari@wpi.wpi.edu
Originator: shari@coal.wpi.edu
Nntp-Posting-Host: coal.wpi.edu



In article <1991Jan19.063112.14345@wpi.WPI.EDU>, nyoung@desire (Nils R. Bull Young) writes:
[stuff deleted]
>  Outside of whether it is right for American troops to be there,
>outside of the debate over who should be there at all, and outside
>of any question of whether any actions of a political nature are
>right or wrong, this much should be remembered: those who do not
>understand Islam and those who do not want to understand Islam will
>always act out of their ignorance.

Same goes for supposedly Muslim people of course.

>  It oncerns me when these things happen, because I am a non-
>Muslim. I do not want anyone to feel that all gringos are as
>insenstive to another person's religion. And, above all, I do not
>waothers to be harrassed or victimized for their beliefs.

I symphatize with what you are feeling.  I must add that I have never felt
any harrassment whatsoever during my 3 years here. (I'm from Turkey). And
it wasn't because people I was dealing with (including some serious 
church-going folk) were trying hard to avoid that either.  So it isn't as bad 
as you seem to think it is.

>  To this end, it may be necessary for Muslims in the U.S. to
>try and matheir non-Muslim neighbors understand their religion.
>And, if at all possible, to avoid the politics. (Knowing full well
>how hard that is to do in these times.)

I don't think this is very feasible in any sort of times.  Most people aren't
interested in finding out about Islam, and some others have deep rooted
taboos about trinity to get past what IMHO isn't a terribly major point
life style wise.  I think tolerance is what's called for, but sometimes 
especially in some Muslims I have met over here, certain -- possibly 
justifiable -- resentments towards the west manifest themselves as militant 
convictions.


>  (If many Americans took the time to read the Koran, this post
>would be unnecessary. If President Bush had taken the time to 
>read the Koran, this war would not be necessary -- at least on
>the religious perspective. My own opinions, crack-brain as they 
>may be, of course.)

Your opinions are fine :).  I don't think the war being fought is a religious
one.  I don't see how Bush's reading of the Koran would have changed
Saddam's attitude or American interests.  Besides Arab and Iranian despots
of the middle east are hardly the representatives of all muslims.


>As-salaam aleikum.

Wa aleikum salaam.  I don't think this exchange needs to be in Arabic though :).

>Nils Young

cheers

-B.M.