Catherine McKay wrote:
>
> ... If it was deliberate, and done
> by someone as a backlash against this terrorist act,
> then it would be typical of this kind of goon not to
> even know the difference between a Hindu and a Muslim,
> which would kind of prove my point - any excuse to be
> a racist goon. If it was deliberate, I hope they nail
> whoever did it big time.
Me too!
In recent years, there has been a public effort by Jewish and Christian
leaders to heal the divide between the two groups. One example is the
book of conversations between Eli Wiesel and Cardinal O'Connor.
Americans know so little about the Islamic faith and see only the
fundamentalists or Israel's enemies and think they're representative of
all Muslims. That can't be, anymore than Jerry Falwell represents all Christians.
Even though there will always be simple-minded thugs looking for any
excuse to harm someone, it's easy now for lots of people to see all
Muslims as the enemy when there's so little information available about
their beliefs. I hope efforts are made soon to educate us all.
I keep these examples in mind: Richard Thompson is a devout Muslim;
another devout Muslim is Rumi, a Sufi mystic from the 1200s. This is how
he expresses his faith:
Be certain
in the religion of Love
there are no
believers or unbelievers.
Love embraces all.
Debra Shea
P.S. While I chatted with my friend Azeem tonight, the tv was on and it
was good to see and hear in the background the New York Mets once again
doing their job, and tonight playing the Pittsburgh Pirates. Yeah,
sounded good. The Mets won. Tonight that doesn't matter much. I was just
glad to see them again.
Here's something else Rumi wrote:
It's good to leave each day behind,
like flowing water, free of sadness.
Yesterday is gone and its tale told.
Today new seeds are growing.
