Source/Credit: Houston Chronicle
By Bill King
When the Sept. 11 attacks occurred, I knew exactly two Muslims. Both worked for me, and both were two of the most dedicated, kind and considerate people I knew. One was highly observant and the other not so much. What I knew of them stood in stark contrast to the images I saw of the Arab Street rejoicing at the deaths of nearly 3,000 innocent people.
That contradiction convinced me that there was something going on in Islam that I did not understand. My puzzlement over the issue ultimately led me to become active in the interfaith movement. There are many organizations involved in interfaith initiatives, but their principal goal is to promote dialogue between the various faith traditions in the hope that this contact will engender mutual respect, understanding and tolerance.
In the process, I have come to know thousands of Muslims. While I certainly do not claim to be an expert or even a serious student of Islam, I have learned that many of the impressions Americans have about Islam are wrong.
Categories: ISLAM