Understanding Each Other Is A Mutual Process
(This letter was broadcast to the larger Muslim community in the wake of the
tragedy of September 11)
Dear Fellow Muslims:
Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullah.
In order to help promote understanding and dispel misgivings and intolerance, we
have published in our website various press releases and condemnations about the
terrorist acts that happened 3 days ago. If you receive any hate message, abuse, or
just come across anyone who cherishes misgivings about Muslims after this tragic
incident, please remain calm and polite and point out to him or her that Muslims
do not condone terrorism but are peaceful people. Further, please ask him or her
to visit our website (shown below) and read the various condemnations and find
out how we are trying to help the victims.
Now let's examine our own understanding about others.
Although Muslims have been subjected to hate messages, discrimination, and even
violence, it is important to keep in mind that the few who do such acts do not
represent the entire population, just like few terrorists bearing Muslim names
do not represent the general Muslims. The vast majority of our Christian, Jewish,
and other co-religionists are very tolerant and understanding people who cherish a
very high amount of respect for people of other religion and culture. Indeed, the
Americans are one of the worlds most tolerant peoples (historic reason: it is a
land of immigration). Therefore, although intolerance needs attention and
correction, we should not let incidents of abuse overwhelm our faculty of sound
judgment to the extent that we start cherishing negative thoughts about everyone.
So that there is no mistake about it, we have published some letters in our
website that we have received from our fellow Americans - some we know and others
we don't. This is only a small sample of letters, and I am sure Muslims in all over
the country have received thousands of such letters from their American neighbors.
Please take a look at these letters when you have a chance, for this might promote
better understanding.
If there is any good in this tragic incident, then perhaps it will teach us to be
more tolerant of each other. And perhaps it will bring the believers of all faith
to one step closer to work together for the common goal of goodness, empathy, and
mutual respect.
- Mushfiqur Rahman, 14 September 2001
The letters received from fellow Americans mentioned above were published in
www.adamscenter.org at that time.
Letters, questions, or views should be sent to editor@welcome-back.org or
to mushfiqurrahman@hotmail.com.
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column with any answer if appropriate and after any editing for clarity,
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