Should Americans Fear Islam?

Heated debate over place of Islam in the U.S.

ABC News: On a special "This Week" town hall, Christiane Amanpour moderated a fiery debate over the place of Islam in America. The first question the "This Week" anchor put to her panelists on all sides of the issue was: should Americans fear Islam? Peter Gadiel, who lost his son in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, said that he would like nothing more than to not be afraid of Islam, but to ignore the "history of Muslim terror attacks," he said, would be unwise. Gadiel, who is a board member of the 9/11 Families for a Secure America Foundation, said "to ignore that threat is to ignore the history of Islam." Donna Marsh O'Connor, who lost her daughter in the 9/11 attacks, said that Americans should not live in fear of a whole group of people. "I think Americans should fear criminal behavior. I think we should do the best we can to control criminal behavior. But I can't raise my two remaining sons to fear the people who live next door to them. That is not what my grandparents came to America to escape," she said.

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04-Oct-2010
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Rea

This is why I believe solely in

by Rea on Mon Oct 04, 2010 04:29 AM PDT

the Holy Trinity of Olive Tree, Lavender and Rosemary. ;o)


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Veiled Prophet of Khorasan

Reza Aslan

by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on Mon Oct 04, 2010 04:18 AM PDT

 

gets it wrong again. He says:

1) Muslims do not want to implement Sharia. There is a large number of Muslims who do want it. Reza is just lying and knows it. 

2)  That we should not compare USA with Saudi. We are not comparing them we are using Saudi as what can happen. Iran and Saudi are the result of letting Islamic law take over. No one said we should behave like Saudi. Rather use them as a warning of what may happen right here if allowed to.

This Aslan is a real embarassment to Iranians. By his dishonest attempts to cover up for Islamic Shari he is making a real monkey out of all of us. He ia also doing untol damage to NIAC by tainting it with his presence. I used to be sympathetic to NIAC until they started parading this guy around. Now I am a lot less supportive of them.


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Darius Kadivar

And for the Ignorant Evangelist Reverend Graham

by Darius Kadivar on Mon Oct 04, 2010 04:21 AM PDT

If Unlike Prior to the Revolution in Iran:

Shah welcomes Pope

Where the King was also guardian of the Faith and saw himself protector of all Religious minorities:

Jewish community

Armenian community

HAPPY EASTER TO OUR IRANIAN CHRISTIANS !

ROYAL CHRISTMAS: Shahbanou Visits Church in Rezaiyeh (1970's)

It is True that Christians were subject to violence at the Very Advent of the Islamic Revolution's Victory:

HISTORY OF VIOLENCE: Vendetta Against Anglican Bishop in Iran (1980)

The Practice of Christian Faith was not subject to equivalent intimidation as let's say the Baha'i muslims ...

As late as September 14th 2010 ( Mehr News Agency) :

Photos: Ordination ceremony for bishop held in Tehran (payvand)

And Here:

Armenian Priest conducts Ceremony in Iran in presence of women

So to claim that in the Muslim world no one can build a Church ... that is Utter Rubbish ...

But do feel free to look in the Mirror ...

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=oppHeMlaLVM

You may find yourself ... 

LOL


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Darius Kadivar

Food for Thought and ... Contradiction ...

by Darius Kadivar on Mon Oct 04, 2010 04:10 AM PDT


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Darius Kadivar

Wrong Question

by Darius Kadivar on Mon Oct 04, 2010 04:35 AM PDT

Firstly let me say that Personally I am an agnostic in that I do not know for certain that God Exists contrary to True Believers But I am wary of Atheists and their explanations as to the Inexistance of God given that they have No proof of what they are claiming either.

Now let's get to the core of this debate if any ...

Firstly Let's put aside the fact that all religions claim the same thing and that is the existence of One God and the obvious fact that Personal Faith respectable in it's own right has nothing to do with Institutionlized Religion per se ( even if most believers belong to or are loyal to a given religious institution, church, mosque, etc irrelevant of which religion they adher to ...)

Let us also set aside the Racial and political Recuperation of Religious intolerance of the 9 /11 Attacks by one group or another be them White Racist Supremacist Christians, Radical Islamists or other radical minded people or organizations who are simply nothing more, nothing less intolerent than the criminals who perpetrated the atrocity of 9/11 ...

Let us also remind everyone that amongst the victimes of 9/11 many were muslims ...

Finally Let Us also remind that Christian Inquisition in Spain and throughout Europe during the Middle Ages as well as the Crusades and lastly the Borgias who included one Pope Alexander VI who was not only a Fornicator, but probably one of the most corrupt and murderous Popes in the History of the Vatican who lived a lifestyle at Odds with what his Church was supposed to Preach.

I am also certain one can find other examples in all other Institutionalized Religions including Judaism ( which also practiced Stoning in ancient times).

The Fact Remains that amongst the Three Monotheist Relgions Judaism, Christianity and Islam ( and I am leaving Zoroastrianism aside given that it has never truly able to impose itself as universally due to the fact that they were massacred by thousands by the Muslim Arab Hords who Conquered Persia and many fled to India to form the marginal Parsi Community) no one seems to focus their attention on the Biographies of the Very Prophets who Founded these Three Great Religions.

My Question to the likes of Reza Aslan and other Muslim "Reformists" (if that is how he sees himself that is ? And If not then he should consider it given that his religion is in deep need of it ) is which of the Three Prophets TRULY Paid the Heaviest Price for his Belief ? ...

Was it ...

A) Moses ?

a Former Egyptian Prince who after being convicted for Murdering a fellow Egyptian fled only to Return as a Prophet and died at the old age of 120 according to some holy texts ( although my pious muslim grandma used to claim that Moses died at the age of 300) :

The Ten Commandments (1956):

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXyEcMG5bDs

"Thou Shall Not Kill" First Commandment ...

Big Deal did that Bring Vincent Price back to Life once Moses Commited the Crime ? If Not Why Not ? After all Moses did Part the Red Sea so I guess he had other Super natural Powers to redeem his irreversible crime ...

B) Jesus ?

a Carpenter who died TORTURED TO DEATH on the Cross :

Mel Gibson Passion of Christ:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=irk46vG9cWY

Franco Zeffirellis Jesus of Nazareth:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztuat86t3-w&feature=related

The Robe (1953) Marcellus before Caligula:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjrkQ2rMqTg

Ben Hur Meets Jesus ( Christian Compassion):

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6LHWyaeEHY&feature=related

Which did not Stop him from Fornicating with Marie Magdallena a Local Prostitute or so it seems:

Martin Scorsese's Last Temptation of Christ:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihrMTU0lozs

Sandra - Maria Magdalena :

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8gDPX8zdjs&feature=fvst

Or ...

C) Muhamed ?

the Merchant Jihadist who died in his bed ( with or without his 4 Wives at his side ? ) after conquering the unfaithful therefore Crusading for Islam ? :

The Message : The Story of Islam by Mustaf:

( Go to 3 Min 35 to see the scene with Persian King Yazdegerd III refusing Muhamed's Message of Conversion to Islam)

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJWbLnVrvUw&feature=fvst

NOTE: Mustafa Akkad Considered as the Cecile B. DeMille of Arab Cinema, Mustaffa Akkad’s tragic death along with his daughtert due to suicide attempts by Al-Qaeda in Jordan was a sad irony.

Moustapha Akkad and daughter killed in Jordan Blasts (bbc)


**************************
**********************
*********

As Such without comparing the three Holy Texts respectable I am sure in their own right, But I Truly Cannot See how one can put All Three Prophets on the same Level in Terms of their Legitimate Moral Legacy ...

If Anyone with some authority on the subject including Mr. Reza Aslan can answer me to this question, I will be very interested to listen to his enlightening explanations ...

Best,

DK an Agnostic who tends to believe in the existence of God nevertheless

PS: Forgive my ignorance my Knowledge of the Holy Writings are limited to Film Depictions ... Not so sure that they are less revealing than the Texts themselves ;0)

Recommended Watching:

THE STORY OF GOD: Robert Winston explains Zoroastrianism

 


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choghok

Amazed by ignorance by both side

by choghok on Mon Oct 04, 2010 02:58 AM PDT

One guy on one side say stuff he knows nothing about like linking sharia to honor killing, on the other side the mullah talking about in islamic countries it is allowed to build churches which is also a lie, say one islamic country where christians are not decreasing.

But the Iranian woman (Nafisi I think was her last name) was really the brain there and came with good arguments.


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