Understanding

With the quick approach of Ramadan , one stops to take stock of ones faith . I find that mine is strong but I am unable to express my beliefs for fear of stepping on non Muslims toe's, in public, too often .The below post from author Ellen Appleby Keim's blog  Muslimah.Femagination  says just what I feel . I hope you will read it .

Reaching Out to the World

Belief, Featured, Society and Politics Add comments

Jul 262010

It’s one thing to witness to non-Muslims by being strong in our faith. We shouldn’t shy away from practicing the Five Pillars or being open about who we are. But how many non-Muslims will feel comfortable about approaching us if they see this impenetrable wall of  Muslimness? And how do we reach through that wall if we know nothing about non-Muslims’ hopes, dreams and beliefs?

Why did Allah make us all different?

The Bible implies that God made us all to speak different languages as a punishment for man’s attempt to reach heaven by building the Tower of Babel. Islam puts a much more positive spin on our differences. Allah means for us to learn from one another. People who have different experiences of life can add to our wisdom about how to live. I don’t think it’s incidental that Muslims are taught to seek knowledge. We should always be open to learning new things. And one of the things we will learn is that people are not so very different at the core.
It’s wrong for Muslims to think that they are better than non-Muslims. If anything, we are just more fortunate. To harbor hate or prejudice in our hearts toward those who don’t embrace Islam runs counter to everything Allah intends for us. Hate and prejudice diminish the person who holds onto them. The only way to make an impression on non-Muslims is to show charity and love toward them. Love is the most powerful force in the world.

What can we learn from the Bible?

You may think that I sound too much like a Christian when I write things like that. But why do we consider Jesus to be one of the greatest of prophets if we don’t listen to what he had to say? Muslims have a tendency to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Because we reject Jesus’ divinity, we tend to ignore his teachings. I know that Muslims think the Bible is corrupted, but that doesn’t mean that it has nothing in it that can teach us how to be better Muslims.
I was led to convert to Islam by a combination of knowledge and being loved. I didn’t come to Islam because I was afraid I would go to hell if I didn’t. In fact, I had to get over my fear of hell if I did. As a Christian, I was taught that the only way to God, and to eternal life, was through Jesus Christ. If I didn’t believe that Jesus was God and that he died as a sacrifice for my sins, I would go to hell. Even after I had stopped believing that Jesus was divine, I was afraid to stop going through him to get to God.

My conversion

But then I met Muslims who were secure and happy in their faith, who accepted and loved me even though I wasn’t a Muslim. They answered my questions about Islam, but left it totally up to me whether I would convert or not. And I know that even if I hadn’t, they would have remained friendly and caring toward me, because I’ve seen the way they are with other non-Muslims.
Non-Muslims think of Muslims as hate-filled and resentful toward Western culture. I won’t deny that there are some who are, just as there are some Christians who are hate-filled and resentful toward Islamic culture. But a Muslim—or a Christian—who is truly submitted to God isn’t like that. Submission to Allah means submission to His will, and His will is that we all come to Him. Anything we do as believers that causes non-believers to turn away from God is against His will, and therefore a sin.

Reaching through our Muslimness

Islam is simple at its core, but complicated in its practice. Sometimes I think that we make it too complicated. I know there are Muslims who believe that the simplest way is to follow all the precepts in the Qur’an and in Mohammad’s (pbuh) teachings. But what if you don’t know all there is to learn about Islam? You could become paralyzed wondering which way you should turn. Sometimes I feel afraid to do anything; it seems that the safest way is to reject anything that is not specifically labeled Islamic. But if you do that, you lose touch with the world, and I don’t believe that Allah wants us to do that.

Can We Talk ?

Can we talk ?

A couple of days ago there was another airplane incident involving an attempted terrorist attack on another airliner by a Muslim. This guys own father tried to warn authority's that something was wrong with his son . No one really listened to him .Stricter safe guards are being put into place all around the world due to this newest attack.I have to ask myself WHAT NEXT ?I am sure you are too .I certainly don't want to fly anywhere .But why let a small faction win and restrict my freedom ?

Already you have to take off your shoes . There booths in airports around the world that can see you naked to make sure nothing is on your person that may be used to harm passengers or airplanes . Ironically enough , Amsterdam's Schipol airport that the alleged " Christmas Day Bomber" flew out of to America, has one of these booths . Wonder why it wasn't used ? You may be subjected to random body searches , which can include body cavity searches , with out your permission.Long lines at the airports with missed connections .No water allowed in  long lines .On and on the list goes of things you once took for granted when you traveled are now a thing of the past .

Now there are the NEW RULES too !The Newest of the NEW RULES say you have to remain in your seat on board for one hour before landing or take off .What happens if you have diarrhea and can't hold it ? If your little child has to go to the toilet before the landing ? You will not be allowed a pillow or blanket in your lap during certain times on the flight . These rules are for ALL INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS INTO AMERICA. But I have heard some USA domestic flights were subject to these new rules as well . They are enforced at random .

Ok , here is what I have to say about this ....People , company's , countries all have to do ,what they have to do, to save lives . I think we can all agree on this .What is wrong with this picture is that most of the reasons for all these extreme measures are due to  the actions of some extreme Muslims that do NOT REPRESENT THE  MUSLIM SOCIETY AS A WHOLE . People forget that and want to lump all Muslims in a nice little neat package and label us TERRORIST . well , it won't work .WE AREN'T  ALL TERRORIST . For real , you gotta trust me on this one . We really aren't .

Just as in the 60's and 70's not all Christians were terrorist either when the Baader Meinhof gang was running a muck all over Europe . Anyone old enough to remember them ? No one went around accusing Germans of being terrorist. What about the Japanese Red Brigade ? Remember their terrorist organization ? They were communist .No one said that ALL communist were terrorist , even if they were thinking it , and communist weren't, or that all Japanese were terrorist .Ok ,what about the Irgun, the Zionist terrorist organization of  Israel ?  

Contrary to all and sundry , not all Israelis are terrorist either .So , why is the world labeling the entire  Muslim population terrorists?

Things that are done in the names of freedom , libery , justice ,revolutionary change, and or religion don't make it so just because these words are used to hide dispicable acts of certain people . It doesn't describ the whole . It isn't the whole . Please keep that in mind the next time something horrible is commited useing those words . Remember also, just because something looks like a duck , doesn't mean it is a duck  , even if it does quake.