Ken Berwitz
– “This is not whatIslam teaches. This is against all the teachings of Islam.” That may be true of you and your flock, Imam Magid, but since Islam, like every other religion, has different sects viewing its teachings in different ways, you cannot make a general statement like that. The terrorists in Paris, and in Mali, and in so many other places around the world, believe they are following the teachings of Islam every bit as much as you do.
-“We\’re very upsetabout this. No one should think Muslims aren\’t upset with this.” You may be very upset about this. Your congregation may be very upset about this. But it is very clear that your feelings are not shared by all Muslims. A great many muslims are not at all upset with this, and fervently support the aims of ISIS, al qaeda and other such groups.
-“It\’s veryupsetting, you know, that we have to keep repeating that we condemn this.People have to know that there\’s no way that what happened in Paris representsme or my religion. There\’s no way.” It may not represent you or your religion, Imam Magid, but it does represent a great many other Muslims. The reason you have to keep repeating you condemn terrorist acts is that they are continually being performed in the name of your religion. If you have an issue with that, your issue is with the terrorists.
-“I don\’t wantjust to have the Muslim community to always be painted as a community that hasto respond to terrorism”. I certainly understand your frustration. But this is no different than the Catholic community being painted as a community that has to respond to an individual who bombs an abortion clinic, or the Jewish community being painted as a community that has to respond to accusations that Israel disproportionately responds to Palestinian Arab actions in Gaza and Judea/Samaria (the west bank). It goes with the territory.
-“We have a lot tooffer America and a lot to offer the world, and unfortunately those peoplehijacked the narrative of Islam.” On this we agree 100%.
