Where Are the Muslim Moderates?
Here’s another question we get asked over and over again. And we can list many peace organizations, many petitions and demonstrations for peace that occur all over the world. Unfortunately, like the Unity Walk Ranya and Priscilla participated in this past September, they don’t get any press. Bad news makes the headlines.
Well, at long last, the “moderate Muslims” (otherwise known as the majority) have made it to page A23 of The New York Times. (Of course this is well behind stories of terror plots in Germany, Shiite/Sunni violence in Iraq and car bombs.) The headline is “Muslims Seek Cooperation As a Step Toward Peace”. (See article.) The article tells of an open letter issued yesterday to Christian leaders urging Islam and Christianity to work more closely together to bring meaningful peace to the world. The 29-page letter is signed by 138 signatories including senior theologians from around the world. It was put together with the support of the Royal Aaal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought in Jordan. (See letter.)
November 21st, 2007 at 1:41 pm
Hi all,
Suzanne states a lot of what I have been saying for quite a while - that the media is a culprit in the advancement of the extremist ideology. This is a link of my letter to the NY Times last year:
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E06EEDF1430F931A35753C1A9609C8B63
I also attended the Unity Walk and had the pleasure of meeting Ranya and Priscilla. Yes, the event was unreported (probably upstaged by the 9/11 Memorial at Arlington Cemetery). But the press would rather report about people chanting “Death to America” than those promoting moderation. We need to put pressure on the media to change their ways.
One of the main speakers at the Unity Walk, Dr. Akbar Ahmed, has written a play called “Noor” that dramatizes the different views within Islam about what is “honorable”. I attended a reading of the play last Monday night and I feel that this is an important piece of work that can help all of us understand the different mindsets that exist today. There was a panel discussion following the reading, and 2 members of the panel were media journalists - Matt Frei of the BBC, and Tony Blankley of the Washington Times. I wanted to ask them about media responsibility but I didn’t get called on.
Let’s all write letters to the media demanding that they present the moderate views more prominently. The goal is to defeat extremism through debate rather than war.
December 18th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
I have read the article, “Muslims Seek Cooperation as a Step Towards Peace” and it clearly draws convincing parallels between the two most dominant commandments of the Qur’an and the Bible - a common ground for peaceful respect and coexistence. This is an article that all people should read.
With the creation of 7×24 cable news, there was hope for more and better understanding of the truths, but clearly that continues to be compromised for never-ending blurbs that sell media. It hasn’t gotten better. There’s just more of the same.
At Common Tables, we have developed a grassroots effort between everyday people that learn these truths by experiencing the passion and life practices of people of all faiths. Learning these truths has been - and continues to be - a life changing experience and understanding that we have far more in common than we do in difference.
January 6th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
Moderate? An interesting choice of words. There are verses in the Quran that state the following:
3:147 and all that they said was this: “O our Sustainer! Forgive us our sins and the lack of moderation in our doings! And make firm our steps, and succour us against people who deny the truth!” -
To me, Islam was intended to be a faith of moderation. Moderation in eating was encouraged by some of the sayings of Muhammad, or the Sunnah, such as encouraging the contents of the stomach to be “one third water, one third air, and one third food.
I was born into a multireligious family, but am treated with disdain by even some of my fellow muslims as an outsider because I “look american”. I wear the hijab, or headscarf only when I feel the need to do so, I feel God cares more for the contents of my heart and my behaviour towards my fellow man than what I wear. Some of the changes towards Islam must start within, those who have emigrated here must decide to become a part of here, and not alienate the natives! As the prophet foretold, the sun is rising in the west. We must follow the example of Islamic Spain and learn to coexist with one another!
January 7th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
MariyahR, I really appreciate your note. I really and truly believe that people who take my faith (Christian) in a way that Jesus and the apostles never did are dangerous. Consider the ridiculous and down-right evil practices on our planet done in the name of God from those that claim to be Christian, Muslim, or Jew. It’s one thing to disagree on one’s world view, but it an entirely different thing to blow up an abortion clinic, for example, because one believes that the doctors are committing murder. On another note, I think you and others should be free to wear a hijab whenever you like. At the same time, I fully understand a faith system that requires certain clothing without offering the “freedom” to choose. To some degree, my Christian faith requires that men and women consider how they dress, as it is written by one writer inspired by God’s Spirit, ” I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing. I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.” (1 Tim 2:8-10). The principle here should be applied to both men and women: (1) don’t fight each other and (2) have your “beauty” come from your insides, from your heart.
Anyway, I am amazed by this book and this web site. I pray that people of different faiths can have honest and spirited conversations, peacefully debating differences, and agreeing to live in harmony, learning to agree to disagree on major doctrinal beliefs but still live and work with each other in ways that leads to peach and understanding.