USA: Muslims act to dispel myths

Members of our Muslim Writer's Guild of America have published more than 200 opinion pieces and letters to editors in newspapers nationwide. We vehemently condemned the atrocities committed against Christian churches in Egypt and Iraq recently. Our jihad is conducted with the pen. We are letter writers, not sword fighters.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch |
Source/Credit: | The Start Press
By Faheem Yuonus | February 13, 2011

Bruce Ippel knows how to inspire.

As a secretary of education for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA, I am inspired to respond to his article (Response from Muslim community desired, Jan 29, The Star Press).

The crux of Mr. Ippel's argument revolves around the need for Muslim outreach efforts. So let me share with you the efforts of just one Muslim group.

We know that in August 2010, 52 percent of 1,029 Americans surveyed by Newsweek said they were worried about "radicals within the U.S. Muslim community."
To dispel this myth, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the oldest Muslim organization in America, undertook a nationwide campaign titled Muslims for Peace. We distributed more than 500,000 fliers in major metropolitan areas including Chicago, Zion, Milwaukee, Oshkosh, St. Louis, Detroit, Washington, New York, Baltimore, Miami, Dallas, Houston, Harrisburg, Los Angeles, Portland, Richmond and numerous small towns to condemn extremism and promote peace.

Our Muslims for Peace campaign made headlines across print and cable news outlets including The New York Times, the Houston Chronicle, CNN, Fox, NBC and numerous news affiliates around the country. When my insurance agent called to tell me he saw us on Fox, I knew we were making progress.

But we didn't stop there. We invested in an electronic billboard in New York's Times Square to promote Muslims for Peace campaign for a full month during the holiday season. Talk of being cool! While we fully understand the impact of protests outside embassies and long marches, it's against our traditions. Or let's put it this way: That's not cool to us.

Next we faced a question of Muslim loyalty. According to the Newsweek survey conducted in 2007, 32 percent people believed American Muslims were less loyal to the U.S. To debunk this myth, three days after the Tucson shootings, we launched a nationwide "Muslims for Loyalty" campaign. Our goal is to educate Muslims and non-Muslims alike that being loyal to the country of your residence is a tenet of Islam.

Members of our Muslim Writer's Guild of America have published more than 200 opinion pieces and letters to editors in newspapers nationwide. We vehemently condemned the atrocities committed against Christian churches in Egypt and Iraq recently. Our jihad is conducted with the pen. We are letter writers, not sword fighters.

But this begs a question. If so much outreach is being done, why is there a thirst for more? The answer is multifaceted. But one key factor is the constant anti-Islam vitriol by the politicians and pundits. Hate sells. Just drive through Middle America and listen to conservative talk shows as an example. We seem to be up against a tsunami of interest groups, and our white paintbrush is no match to thousands of spray guns loaded with black paint.

A rigorous and open dialogue, in person, is the answer. That is why when I teach a course about Islam at the local community college, one of the ground rules is for everyone to know that they can ask any question; without fear of hurting my feelings. We talk about Jihad, women's rights, Shariah law and everything else in between. If you like, a member of our community would love to reach out to your church and organize an open dialogue along these lines.

So how can you help? Instead of being afraid of Muslims, get to know one. Ever wonder why Muslims in Afghanistan, Iraq, or anywhere else in the world have never burned an effigy of Jesus? It's because Jesus Christ has been mentioned in the Holy Quran 28 times and our faith as a Muslim is incomplete without believing in him as a true prophet of God.

Let's get together before the next tragedy (God forbid) turns into reality. They say the longest journey starts with a single step. This would be a step in the right direction.




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