Courtesy or Source: Washington Post
By Qasim Rashid
Ramadan is upon us – a time of fasting, charity, prayer…and fighting off Libyan children study Koran inside the mosque during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in the rebel-held town of Benghazi, Libya, Saturday, Aug. 6, 2011. (Sergey Ponomarev – AP) Islamophobia. Norweigian terrorist Anders Behring Breivik killed 76 innocent people in a demented campaign to destroy Islam. Comedian Bill Maher recently called the Koran a “hate-filled holy book.” Evangelical atheist Sam Harris insists, “on almost every page the Koran instructs observant Muslims to despise non-believers .” And Peter King continues his anti-Muslim campaign to become the 21st century Senator McCarthy.
And in case I missed these public events, my readers remind me with private emails.
“The Koran contains much anti-Jewish language,” explained Leonard. “The true lovers of the Koran show their kindness by butchering non-Muslims,” added Angel. A tenured preacher in Richmond, Virginia (who asked to remain anonymous) wrote to me admitting, “I don’t know much about the Muslim doctrine, but your holy book certainly does not teach peace or pluralism.” For someone who admittedly ‘didn’t know much’ about Islam, he banked pretty confidently in his conclusion.
So here’s the $1 million question: Do critics actually read the Koran?
Categories: Islamophobia, United States
If the critics decide to read let me line up a reading list here for them. They may want to start with a volume of the Muslim Sunrise titled: An invitation to the ‘real’ Secrets of the Holy Qur’an:
http://knol.google.com/k/zia-shah/an-invitation-to-the-real-secrets-of/1qhnnhcumbuyp/348?collectionId=1qhnnhcumbuyp.283
Here is a collection of my articles about the Holy Prophet Muhammad and the Holy Quran:
http://knol.google.com/k/zia-shah/the-holy-prophet-muhammad-and-the-holy/1qhnnhcumbuyp/283
A good place to start knowing the Holy Prophet is a movie about him linked on the top of our right column.
Ask us questions here if you really and genuinely want to know about the Quran or Koran, whatever spelling suits you.