People need to be educated about Islamic beliefs, goals

Editor,

Two recent letters discussing Islam reflect contrasting opinions about Muslim religious belief and culture.

The other letter published Tuesday says, "Islam is a religion that makes itself very distinct from culture."

Our opinions, judgments and beliefs are based on education and personal experience - education including examination, analysis and scrutiny. Since religion informs culture, it's helpful to look at some of the statements and objectives for a better understanding of Islam.

As to religion being distinct from culture, the Islamic-World.net Web site has an article titled "The Final Jihad" addressed to "Muslim brothers and sisters, in the name of Allah you are called to jihad."

The four-page article details Islamic religious objectives and gives the cultural reasons for those objectives. Since the statement marks the beginning of worldwide jihad, there are dire circumstances which need to be explained.

A litany of reasons follow targeting the influence of Western secular materialism for keeping Muslims from prayers, taking their Islamic culture, economic system and values, and robbing Islamic children of their future.

Western culture is accused of actively imposing its Satanic culture on the rest of the world.

Islam's obligation is to perfect all society, according to the will of Allah. They are failing to do that.

This obligation is upon every Muslim brother and sister in the world and every Muslim above the age of puberty. While we realize that every Muslim does not and will not follow these beliefs, the document makes very clear Islam religion and culture are not separate.

As to "multiculturalism equivocating the nature of Islam," refer to "The Charter of Allah."

The Islamic Resistance Movement clarifies the position and purpose of Islam's violent beliefs from the Quran: "The Islamic Resistant Movement erupted in order to play its role in the path of the Lord. In so doing, it joined its hand with those of all jihad fighters for the purpose of liberating Palestine. For our struggle against the Jews is extremely wide-ranging and grave, so much so that it will need all the loyal efforts we can wield, to be followed by further steps and reinforced by successive battalions from the multifarious Arab and Islamic world until the enemies are defeated and Allah's victory prevails."

Given Islam's beliefs concerning both Western and Jewish culture, we need to be educated about Islamic beliefs and goals and somehow find a way to live in relative peace in the world.

How do we address people such as Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar who say, "Hamas would definitely not be prepared for coexistence with Israel should the Israel Defense Forces retreat to its 1967 borders. It can be a temporary solution, for a maximum of two to 10 years. But in the end, Palestine must return to become Muslim, and in the long term Israel will disappear from the face of the earth"?

Mae Eye

Daily Lobo reader