Aug. 23, 2005

THIS JUST IN:

Before I get to the topic today, here is one more reason why the Rev. Pat Robertson should never, ever again be taken seriously and why he's an embarrassment to his religion: He's calling for the murder of a politcal leader. Really.

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In yesterday's post, I talked a bit about reformers in Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Muslim world.

Today I want to take note of an interesting move led by Muslims of the same reforming spirit in this country.

A recent piece in the Crescent-News of Defiance, Ohio, reports that a Muslim physician in Toledo is leading a national grassroots movement to get imams, Muslim worship leaders, to condemn terrorism and suicide bombing in each weekly sermon, or "khutba."

Mahjabeen Islam (pictured here), a native of Pakistan, is a family practice physician at St. Vicent Mercy Medical Center and has lived in Toleda for 22 years. She is calling her effort "Project Friday Khutba."

"It only has to be one imam at a time, one mosque at a time," she says. "If all my fellow Muslim Americans do this, the message will be loud and clear throughout the land. It's time we stpe up to the plate."

It's heartening to see such local efforts go national and, one can hope, eventually global.

In a recent column in The Kansas City Star, I decried religious scandals of various sorts, but pointed out that, to me, the worst religious scandals happen when faith leaders adopt extremist positions and do such things as foment and condone violence in God's name. That's what has happened with radical Muslims, and it's a disaster that, in the end, only Muslims can stop.

But the rest of us can cheer on efforts by people like Dr. Islam.

See my About page to find out how to read online what I've written for The Kansas City Star.

Comments

[Ruth Stokes]

Glad that you are telling about good things the Muslims do.

A few weeks ago an insane man was in a median of a busy street. A cop (Christian) wrestled with him to get him under contol. Somehow they got in traffic. A cab driver (Muslim) stopped to help. A car ran into them and killled all 3.

A lot of TV was devoted to the mass for the hero and they also showed the long funeral procession. He also got big writeups in the paper. Yes the cop was a hero and deserves the praise. But he is paid to do a job that has potential dangers. On the other hand law enfocement is not the responsibily of civilian cab drivers. He did it to help.There was very little said about the Muslim. One person wrote a letter to the editor praising him and happily the widow of the cop expressed appreciation of the cab drivers's courage and thanked him.

I like what our Barry Goldwater said when a far right preacher maybe Farwell - griped about Reagan appointing Sandra O'Connor to the Supreme court beause she was not good enough on Christan values. "I think every devout
Christian should line up to give Farwell a well deserved kick in the ass"