by Susanne M. Reyto
There is such an increase of interfaith dialogue in our community lately, that it raises some concerns. While it is important to keep the doors open for dialogue, it is imperative to know who you are dialoguing with. Freedom of religion in the United States allows Islamists to encourage interfaith dialogue but in their countries there is no such freedom. Many Muslim leaders project peace and love, but beneath that is an agenda of ingratiating themselves to the American community to obtain acceptance and support for their mission.
The enormous positive response to and subsequent discussions after my recent article, “Interfaith Dialogue – Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism,” made me realize how tragically uninformed or misinformed our community leaders are.The mere fact of equating Islamophobia with Anti-Semitism is dangerous and comparing Islam with Judeo-Christian beliefs is ignorant. There are many fundamental differences. The most important one is that Judaism and Christianity do not want to kill those who believe differently than they do. Sadly, facts and consequences seem to elude our religious and political leaders.
I have always held rabbis, priests, pastors, etc. in high esteem and to a higher standard. I have come to realize that we cannot just blindly listen to them – we must hold them accountable and responsible, particularly because they are teaching our impressionable children. We need to become more knowledgeable, be prepared to debate matters and not follow blindly like a herd of sheep.
I have been a great supporter and active participant in community dialogues bringing together various religions and cultures. However, these gatherings must be conducted with ground rules, parameters and honesty from both sides, assuring that community outreach does not become community demise.
Christianity and Judaism command us to reach out to our neighbors but this spiritual outreach can only work with those who share our same basic beliefs. The Jewish community reaches out to help where aid is needed – locally or in distant lands like Darfur--seeking better understanding and working together for the common good.
The Muslim community’s purpose for outreach is to help itself, to diffuse the West, gain acceptance, tolerance and support for their goals and mission. The leaders try to convince their followers that they are victims of civil rights violations in the United States, and urge them to fight back. So far, we have given in to demands for religious observance at the work place, footbaths in public places, segregated swimming pools and gyms, halal food for cafeterias at schools and universities. There are honor killings in the United States and those communities want Sharia to supersede our laws. Sharia – Islamic law amongst other things oppresses women, calls for Jihad against infidels and is not compatible with our Constitution.
Suing companies seems to be prevalent, whereby they demand financial awards and workplace accommodations. The Swift plant in Colorado was sued recently because the company didn’t grant the demands of the Somali Muslim employees for time off to observe their holiday at the expense of other employees. Another company in Minnesota, Gold’n Plump Inc, had similar problems with Somali workers who ended up winning a court settlement to the tunes of $360,000. Qur’an:9:123 “Fight those of the disbelievers who are near to you, and let them find harshness in you.”
According to Dr. Daniel Pipes of the Middle East Forum, Omar Ahmad, the long-serving chairman of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, CAIR, reportedly told a crowd of California Muslims in July 1998, “Islam isn’t in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant. The Koran ... should be the highest authority in America, and Islam the only accepted religion on earth.”
Lest we forget, Islam is not only a religion and a political ideology, but a complete system of life, dangerous to our Western existence.
Another expert, Professor Moshe Sharon, professor of Islamic studies at Hebrew University, Jerusalem, wrote in a major article, “Islam was born with the idea that it should rule the world.” Koran 9:33: "Allah sent Mohammed with the true religion so that it should rule over all the religions." Qur’an:8:39 “So fight them until there is no more Fitnah (disbelief [non-Muslims]) and all submit to the religion of Allah alone (in the whole world).”
In spite of the Muslim leaders’ and imams’ rhetoric of preaching love and tolerance in our country, they go to great lengths to infiltrate and proselytize, to ‘take over the world.’ Islam teaches, to be kind to your own, all others are infidels and they should not be your friends. Koran 4:139: “Threat to those who take unbelievers (Jews and Christians) as friends. Allah does not accept other faiths.” According to the Koran, infidels are given three choices: convert, submit or die. Koran:9:29 “Fight those who do not believe until they all surrender,…”
This is part of Islamic jihad. Koran 9:38-39 says, “Duty to participate and engage in Jihad is stressed.” Therefore, we must confront jihad, whether it is the violent form, or stealth jihad which is not so obvious but is creeping into our society.
One example, Sharia banking and financing are systematically changing our accepted financial structure but we are completely unaware of its consequences. Islamic banking is problematic because instead of U.S. laws and regulators, Muslim clerics make the laws. It is important to note that the origins of Islamic banking trace back to the 1920s, the Muslim Brotherhood and its founder, Hassan al-Banna.Another troubling area is where AIG, the insurance giant, is promoting Shariah-compliant insurance products. Sharia compliant institutions pose a major concern because typically they donate 2.5%of profits to charity which ultimately may end up in the coffers of radical terrorist organizations like Hamas.
We all must wake up to the sad realization that Islam simply is not compatible with Judeo-Christian beliefs. We, Americans are a tolerant people. It is the radicals’ deeds, threats, publicly declared wars, beheadings, fatwas, mistreatment of women and their violent reactions to criticism are the reasons for our hostility and fears. Despite this we should and we do extend ourselves spiritually, but practically, we do need to protect ourselves. Knowing their goals, we must be on guard. By the time we find our neighbor to be our enemy, it may be too late.
Years ago, immigrants enriched our melting pot society but today Muslim immigrants want to control it by imposing their customs. We went from enrichment to encroachment and soon, we will be controlled by such demands.
Colleges offer an ever growing number of courses in Islamic studies and Muslim professors seize the opportunity to counsel their impressionable students about the virtues of Islam. Slowly but systematically many end up converting and becoming our enemy, like Adam Gadahn from Orange County, Califorinia, who became a terrorist and al Qaeda’s spokesman.
It is a well known fact that by practicing “taqiyya” (Islamic doctrine permitting to lie or cheat to non-Muslims as long as it advances the cause) many Muslims say one thing to the West and another story to their own people. After the Mumbai massacre, while Iranian president Ahmadinejad sent a message of condolence to the Indian president and prime minister, Hamas and Al-Jazeera Internet Sites posted congratulatory, encouraging and inciting messages for further terrorism, specifically directing such acts of violence at Israel and the United States:
“Allah, sow terror and destruction in all the infidel countries. Best wishes to the heroic jihad fighters everywhere.”
“The killing of a Jewish rabbi and his wife in the Jewish center in Mumbai is heartwarming news .”
Adding to this insanity, Qatar 's Al-Jazeera TV , the most popular channel in the Arab-Muslim world referred to the attackers not as terrorists, but as “armed men.” Until we call them terrorists and name the enemy, we cannot find a solution to the problem.
How is it possible that none of the Muslim leaders in the U.S. or elsewhere condemned these actions or comments? If the Muslim community protests the publishing of the Danish cartoons, why don’t they protest the atrocities in Mumbai or the past tragedies in London and Madrid? How can we dialogue with these people unless they renounce violence and jihad?
It is not the Muslims we need to be afraid of. It is Islam in its most violent form – unforgiving, militant, aggressive, intolerant and aiming to rule the world. Words and declarations don’t mean much. The West promotes tolerance and respect for all religions, whereas Islam teaches tolerance and respect only for Islam. Qu’ran 48:29 says: “Those who follow Mohammed are ruthless to the unbelievers but compassionate to one another.”
Rabbi Marc Schneier of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, co-creator of the “Twinning Program,” the Jewish Muslim Interfaith Dialogue, urged Jews to reclaim some of the passion they invested in the civil rights struggles of the 1950s and 1960s. A similar outreach to Muslims “can serve as a paradigm for Europe,” and perhaps even for the Middle East. Doesn’t he see the problems occurring in Europe? One of the responders to my article wrote that we must educate the American public about the danger of political correctness and the difference between racism and fighting an enemy. Many people in France and Holland are leaving their homes, families, businesses because of the increased hatred of Muslims towards Jews despite the many dialogue projects.
Moderate Muslims here in the U.S. have the freedom and duty to speak out but we hear from only a handful. If moderate voices don’t cry out and fight radicals, how can the West fight this ideology? Mark Steyn, the author/columnist says, “Silence equals Acceptance.”
Rabbis, political leaders, recognize this problem with Islam and do not be misled by empty words. What will it take for you to wake up?
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