DAR AL HARB - U.S.A. - FLORIDA: 3 THINGS CHRISTIANS & JEWS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT MOSLEMS

Rabbi Michael Birnholz: Three things Jews, Christians need to understand about Muslim peers

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1. Islam does not have a concept of a separation of church and state. Politics and religion go hand and hand. Mohammed led a political movement as much as a religious community. His goals were a just and righteous society from top to bottom. [What I would add to that, is that mohammad wanted a just & righteous society for moslems, and Christians, Jews and other infidels were to be subdued, given in a best case scenario second class citizen status. Everyone would be subject to islamic law, no exceptions. Islamic law (shari'ah) is quite harsh for moslems and just as harsh or worse for anyone else...ed. A.I.] I watch Jews and Christians struggle with that boundary not sure of how to have the ethical values of our religion present with out a dictating a particular religious philosophy or ritual behavior. I am unsure if that schema, or pattern of thought, exists in the Muslim mind.

2. Congregational structure: From what the speaker, Altaf Ali, said, Muslims do not structure their community life in the ways Jews and Christians do. Mosques are not like churches and synagogues in terms of membership and giving and participation. I am not sure I can give you details of the differences, but I gathered that the Muslim community does not regularly create congregations like a Community Church or Temple Beth Shalom. This means finding like dialogue partners becomes more difficult.

3. The last observation I offer is that the Muslim community in America feels a lot of fear. It is fear of persecution and discrimination. I am not sure I can explain the source of this fear, but I certainly heard it in Mr. Ali's voice. I would think that the Muslim community is large enough in our country to not to feel threatened yet, within days of our session at Community Church, a report of an attack against two Palestinian students by football players at a Quaker college appeared in the media. Just as it was hard for me to dialogue from a place of fear and distrust, it would be for the Muslim community as well.

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I would think point #1 is the most important, because all of the interactions all infidels have with moslems will be based on that model...


Pertinent Links:

1) Rabbi Michael Birnholz: Three things Jews, Christians need to understand about Muslim peers