The Muslim Factor
Liaquat Ali
5/1/2002
The "Qur'an As It Explains Itself" Project
http://www.qxpi.org

What I have realized through my "diversity" work is that when it comes to Islam, there are two main groups of non-Muslims in America. There is a huge group of people who have no clue what Islam and Muslims are, and there is a small group that hates Islam (among many other things they hate).

Since 9/11, the large group has been hearing about Islam from the hate-mongers (read CNN, Fox, NYT, WP "experts in Islam"). Since a significant number of people among the large group are intelligent people, they want to hear the Muslim point of view before they make up their minds about what to make of Islam and Muslims.

It is up to us to be honest with ourselves, work with peace loving Christians, Jews, Hindus, Agnostics, etc., and show how the Qur'an calls the humanity as "one community" and can help build a more perfect union among the peoples of the world. If we didn't do that then we will continue to get played in the hands of the "experts".

A lot of crazy things have been going on in the world since the beginning of time. It takes strong, intelligent, perseverant women and men to rise above the craziness, and to help build a better future for the human lot. Muhammad (SAW) did it, and left a "how to" in the form of the Qur'an. The Book is the Eternal Guidance for the humanity. Like any "how to" book, first we have to read it with the right frame of mind before we can implement it in anyone's life.

A lot more people do, or at least want to, believe that the Qur'an is a book of peace. We can show the evidence if we didn't get played in the hands of the "experts in Islam".