Denver Muslim Clerics Declare: Violence is Wrong! Wow No Lie

This is written in response to news stories printed in the Denver Metro daily newspapers about Muslim clerics ‘preaching’ against terrorism.

Headlines “Ruling Condemns Violence”

The headline might have read, “Muslim clerics take one baby step in their condemnation of terror”. Baby step or giant step is in the eye of the beholder. One must look in context to gain a better understanding of how this declaration really changes anything.

While I applaud their stepping up and saying this, I still have questions. They are prompted by quotes from those Muslims who attended.

“It’s common sense. This is obvious,”….”Unfortunately some people take it upon themselves to do these things, and it’s easier for people (read non Muslims) to put the blame on a whole group.”

We will continue to fight the stereotype”

This is a quote from one lady commenting on the lack of messages from other Churches and Synagogues about being against terrorism in their own faiths. Their messages on the issue of terrorism she said, “are always (directed at) the Muslims”.


Comment:
We might remind our Muslim brothers and sisters, there have been no massive rallies where thousands of Muslims gather to protest the desecration of the Koran by Muslim terrorists. Yet, one story of a Koran supposedly flushed down the toilet in a prison camp kills 17 people. The killings occurred during a protest of the Koran being flushed. Where are all the offended, insulted Muslims when their Koran is desecrated by those that kill the innocent?

Or is their Koran not desecrated by such killings?

Muslims, not Christians or Jews have declared a jihad against Western Culture.
Muslims, not Christians or Jews directed suicide bombers to kill the people in the Twin Towers, to kill people on a train in Spain, to kill people daily in Iraq and to kill people in London’s subways and on London’s buses.

Gee you think..........?

“I think it is something that any Muslim is already aware of.”

Comment:
Evidently to the Muslims that committed the acts mentioned above, it was not so obvious.

Over the past 60 years I have learned that seeing variety is the key to destroying stereotyping.

If the clerics want to fight stereotyping, they will shoulder the responsibility of rooting out terrorist cells in every major city in the United States without our FBI having to do it alone.

They will ‘defrock’ clerics that preach extremism and have our INS deport them.

They will perpetuate a schism within the Islamic faith between those that preach extremist terrorist acts and those that condemn it.

Then a difference is more clearly seen by the majority that are currently stereotyping.

Then the majority will say, “Peaceful Muslims stand beside us, not in front”.

I would encourage my Muslim brothers and sisters not to waste their energy on blaming others. That energy must be focused on changing the face of Islam. They determine the face not we.

The Denver clerics made but a first step in a long journey.