I received this email today from a neighbor. I hit 'Reply All'. My response is after the original email. I'm just tired of putting up with this crap without fighting back.
THE EMAIL THAT I RECEIVED:
Subject: CAN A MUSLIMS BE GOOD AMERICANS?
> After what happened at Ft. Hood this question seemed very appropriate. The shooter, a ‘Muslim’ soldier,
> had been talking to another ‘Muslim’ that worked at a convenience store and told him that he didn’t want to be
> deployed because he couldn’t shoot his fellow ‘Muslims’. It evidently didn’t matter what they had done to us.
>
>
> CAN MUSLIMS BE GOOD AMERICANS?
>
> This is very interesting! We all need to read it from start to finish.....and send it on to anyone who will read it.
>
> Maybe this is why our American Muslims are so quiet and not speaking out about any atrocities.
>
> Can a good Muslim be a good American?
>
> This question was forwarded to a friend who worked in Saudi Arabia for 20 years.
>
> The following is his reply:
>
> Theologically - no. . . . Because his allegiance is to Allah, The moon God of Arabia.
>
> Religiously - no. . . . Because no other religion is accepted by His Allah except Islam (Quran, 2:256) (Koran).
>
> Scripturally - no. . . . Because his allegiance is to the five Pillars of Islam and the Quran.
>
> Geographically - no. . .Because his allegiance is to Mecca , to which he turns in prayer five times a day.
>
> Socially - no. . . . Because his allegiance to Islam forbids him to make friends with Christians or Jews..
>
> Politically - no. . . . Because he must submit to the mullahs (spiritual leaders), who teach annihilation
> of Israel and destruction of America, the great Satan.
>
> Domestically - no. . . . Because he is instructed to marry four women and beat and scourge his wife
> when she disobeys him (Quran 4:34).
>
> Intellectually - no. . . . Because he cannot accept the American Constitution since it is based on Biblical
> principles, and he believes the Bible to be corrupt.
>
> Philosophically - no. . . . Because Islam, Muhammad, and the Quran do not allow freedom of religion and
> expression. Democracy and Islam cannot co-exist. Every Muslim government is either dictatorial or autocratic.
>
> Spiritually - no. . . . Because when we declare "one nation under God," the Christian's God is loving and kind,
> while Allah is NEVER referred to as Heavenly father, nor is he ever called love in The Quran's 99 excellent names.
>
> Therefore after much study and deliberation, perhaps we should be very suspicious of ALL MUSLIMS in this country.
>
> They obviously cannot be both "good" Muslims and good Americans.
>
> * * * Call it what you wish; it's still the truth.
>
> * * * You had better believe it.
>
> * * * The more who understand this, the better it will be for our country and our future. The religious war is bigger
> than we know or understand.
>
>
>
> You HAVE to be kidding?! Wake up America!
You have elected a Muslim president and he is destroying the country and laughing in your face.
MY RESPONSE:
This is truly disgusting, hateful bullshit!
And to say that we have a Muslim president shows true ignorance and disregard for the facts in order to spread a hateful agenda antithetical to the Christian religion.
Please allow me to refute point by point the statements in the original email.
First, many American Muslims have spoken out, and continue to speak out against atrocities, as have millions of Muslims around the world..
Allah, the 'moon God of Arabia' is the same God that Christians and Jews pray to. To refer to Allah as a 'moon God' is a blasphemy against the God of Christians and Jews. Muslims trace their lineage from Abraham just as Christians and Jews do. They recognize Jesus Christ as a prophet in their religion.
Many Christian denominations also accept no other religion and believe that the only path to salvation is to be saved by giving your life over to Jesus Christ. This is not unique to Muslims.
Being a good American does not require a belief in any particular scripture, or belief in a scripture at all. One of the pillars of our great Constitution that has sheperded this country for more than two hundred years is the absolute freedom of religion.
A Muslim's allegiance to Mecca is no more powerful, nor is it any different than a Roman Catholic's allegiance to Rome, or other Christians' allegiance to sacred places in the Holy Land. Mecca is simply sacred to Muslims because that's where the prophet Mohammed was located.
I have had Muslim friends who had no qualms about being friends with Christians or Jews. That is an absurdly preposterous statement.
While it is true that some radical Muslim mullahs preach hatred, the vast majority do not. That is no different than other religions. Most religions have extremist elements, including the Christian, Jewish, and Hindu religions. That doesn't mean that all Christians, Jews and Hindus are extremists any more than it means that all Muslims are extremists.
Some religions, including Mormons and Muslims, have historically allowed plural marriages. In some traditional Muslim countries this is still allowed. In others, it is not. Times have changed since the Quran was written, just as they've changed since the Bible was written. There are references in the Bible to stoning women who commit adultery. That doesn't mean that all Christians stone women who commit adultery.
The American Constitution is not based on Biblical principles. It guarantees freedom of religion, Christian or otherwise, or no religion at all. One of our great founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, was not known as a religious man at all.
Democracy and Islam coexist in a number of countries. Turkey's population is almost completely Muslim, and it has been a democracy for many decades. Pakistan and Malaysia are two other Muslim countries that are democratic. There have been many Christian nations over the centuries that have not been democratic. That doesn't mean that Christianity and democracy can't coexist.
I find it ironic that the author of the email refers to the Christian God as 'loving and kind' when (s)he is spreading hatred and lies, and therefore if a Christian, (s)he is certainly not following the Christian precepts of a loving and kind God.
It is certainly part of the right-wing agenda in this country to spread suspicion about anybody who is not just like they are. Why? Because fear is an easy thing to spread and an easy hypocritical way of getting votes for right-wing politicians. If that weren't true, people who preach hate such as Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck wouldn't have an audience. It's just unfortunate that so many Americans fall for this hateful drivel. Amercans should be proud that we have a country that welcomes all kinds of people - black, white, brown, yellow, Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, atheist, straight, gay - and that we have developed into a pluralistic society like none ever seen before in the world. We should celebrate that we have a great nation and embrace our differences and the many different people we come in contact with. Isn't that what a 'loving and kind' God would want us to do?
ADDENDUM
OK! It's the obligatory WTF? I'm on the rec list comment. First time. Thanks, all! It's 5:00 AM and I'm off to bed. Will catch up in the morning (or afternoon, whichever the case might be).