Editor,
I feel compelled to respond to Ahmad Musleh's letter in Thursday's Daily Lobo, since I fear many who only listen to the politically correct media fail to grasp the true perniciousness of Muslim terrorism.
Sunni Muslims are savagely killing Shiite Muslims. Some Muslim religious leaders called for the assassination of Salman Rushdie because he advocated a non-literal interpretation of the Quran.
Muslims believe the Quran is the word of Allah dictated by the angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad over 22 years. Early Suras - or books - call for peaceful conversion to Islam. Later Suras call for conversion by the sword. The peaceful calls outnumber the violent, and apologists certainly like to quote the peaceful passages. However, often in Muslim theology the later verses supersede earlier verses. Terrorists may feel they are following their holy text. It is important to note that in reading the Quran, the Suras are not in chronological order, so those that call for peace may follow those that call for violence.
In my interpretation, the Quran requires Muslims to offer infidels three options when Muslims conquer a nation: convert to Islam, become a second-class citizen who is forced to pay taxes, or die.
The majority of Muslims are peace-loving people - maybe 5 percent support violence. However, with one billion Muslims in the world, this would mean at least 50 million Muslims wish you harm.
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Muslims need to speak in a unified and loud voice for condemnation of violence and coercion. Until the world can feel safe from such atrocities, the mantra that Islam is a religion of peace rings hollow.
Tom Woodard
UNM staff
