USA-NY: MOSLEMS & OTHER FAITHS SHOULD WORK TOGETHER

Professor urges Muslims to create intrafaith peace movement
By DAVID MCKAY WILSON

YONKERS - Fed up with the demonization of Islam in the post-Sept. 11 world, a Rutgers University professor last night called on Westchester Muslims to help build an anti-racism peace movement with people of all faiths that can bring understanding.

Such a movement, said assistant professor Deepa Kumar, would stand in opposition to President Bush's call for an ideological struggle to prevent the "spread of a radical Islamic empire" from Spain to Indonesia.

"We need to build a society where everyone is treated as equals, with dignity and respect," Kumar said. "Nothing less will do."

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Kumar's challenge came with her look back at history to dispel what she said were several myths - that Islam was unique in the oppression of women, that Islam was inherently violent, and that Islam and democracy were antithetical.

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Journal News religion writer Gary Stern was also honored for his articles on issues within the Muslim community. Dr. Mahjabeen Hassan, chairwoman of the American Muslim Women's Association, said she was skeptical of Stern back in 2001 when she learned that a Jewish reporter was coming to interview her.

"Then we read his articles, and we saw that each of them was written with honesty, and was unbiased," she said. "For the Muslim community, it has become very important to have him writing about us."

Stern, who acknowledged he was usually the guy in the back of room scribbling notes, thanked Hassan and her organization for the honor and urged more people in the Muslim community to speak out on issues of the day. He also suggested Muslim leaders find new ways to define their community, before the wider culture does it for them.

"Someone needs to come up with a new term to replace 'moderate Muslim,' " Stern said.

"Today, it's either you are a fundamentalist or a moderate. But what about the suburban Muslim who lives life like everyone else here? We don't have the vocabulary to describe that person."

Mr. Gary Stern should pick up a qur'an and read it, he would then realize what the other term for moslem is, it is APOSTATE...Ignoramous...

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1) Professor urges Muslims to create intrafaith peace movement