I write in the hope that it might relieve some of the anxiety in our community about Islam and Muslims. Like most Americans, I first noticed Islam on 9/11, when we were attacked by terrorists who were said to be Muslims.
As a Columbus native, I was shocked by the brutality of the attack. I struggled to understand what kind of religion could lead people to kill themselves and so many innocents. Over these past few years, I have applied myself to a study of Islam. And I have come to believe that Islam has nothing to do with terrorism and that terrorists are not truly Muslim.
The Quran asserts that human beings are utterly and completely dependent upon God. The Quran describes God as perfectly powerful and thoroughly compassionate. It tells us that every aspect of reality is an expression of God's sovereignty and mercy. Clearly, if people are convinced that the Quran's representation of God is true, they will abandon all self-concern and surrender their lives to God's direction. They will be at peace with their neighbor, their neighborhood, their nation and the world. And they most assuredly will not be terrorists.
What Islam requires of its followers is difficult but not complicated: Muslims must be honest and humble. They must extend charity, uphold justice and defend the helpless. These virtues must be practiced first in the family, then in the community and finally in the company of strangers. Muslims must affirm their belief in the oneness of God and the truth of Muhammad's message. They must perform the five ritual prayers daily, fast at Ramadan and, if able, make the pilgrimage to Mecca. These are the behaviors of the followers of Islam.
We see the very opposite of these behaviors in the terrorists. They abandon their families, disrupt communities and imperil strangers. They declare the greatness of God but seek to rule the world themselves.
One hundred thirteen of the Quran's 114 chapters begin with a declaration that God is perfectly merciful and completely beneficent. The terrorists ignore mercy and are astonishingly cruel.
Anyone can say they have confidence in God. Anyone can perform the five daily prayers. Anyone can fast. And anyone who claims to be a Muslim can visit Mecca. But the peace that is Islam can be known only by those who live in submission to God. It can be known only by those who profoundly trust God's control over all reality and whose hearts overflow with love for all of God's creatures. The terrorists' arrogance, hatred and political ambition are the exact opposite of the peace that is Islam.
I have come to know many Muslims. They all have had as their first concern to be totally and unreservedly submitted to God. They all have been sweet, gentle and good people. And they all have denounced terrorism without equivocation. Their example has been an inspiration to me.
It has led me to join them in the conviction that God is one and that Muhammad is God's messenger. Islam is a beautiful religion. It deserves the respect of every sincere and thoughtful person. And Islam, in turn, respects all who turn toward God. The Quran says: No matter which way you turn, there is the face of God.
Get to know some Muslims. You'll find a sweetness in every true Muslim you meet. It will be the same sweetness that is found in every good person you know. It is the sweetness that comes from loving God, who is the one source of all sweetness..
FRANK PARMIR
Columbus
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