Soldier of the Mind

Comments: A Muslim Prayer for Peace?

My first time to your site. Wow, excellent post and well researched.

Posted by Rusty Shackleford at June 1, 2004 11:28 AM

There is much tension between Muslim & Christian communities. It is essential that both religions meet and look after one another.

George Bush declared the war in Afghanistan & Iraq to be fighting with God. I cannot see how George Bush can even say God is on his side while he is part of a Masonic society, Skull & Bones.

Any powerful person can be false and speak out. But it takes people like you and me to make a difference and bring peace to both sides of religion so we don't fear one another.

I may not agree with muslim beliefs but even God tells us to put ourselves first into having relationships with everyone rather than preach down their throats.

Love is the banner for christianity. Not violence or war that some may see. War is only for the rich and twisted. People see mosques and churches as places of love, faith and hope. If muslims and Christians unite out of love, than there will be no fear because there is no enemy.

Posted by joztok at June 7, 2004 10:18 PM

Thank you for your comments.

I agree that Christians and Muslims should seek peace through love, faith and hope- many Christians and Muslims are eager to do so. It is likely that such feelings led to the appearance of the "Muslim Prayer for Peace" in St. Paul's Chapel. Any effort to embrace others, no matter how sincere, will encounter severe problems if underlying conflicts are not honestly resolved. This question of honesty is what drove my interest in the Prayer.

I am familiar enough with the Koran, the Hadiths and Islamic history to dismiss any suggestion that bigotry is not sanctioned by Islam. The Koran, the Hadiths and Islamic history are filled with violence and intolerance directed against non-Muslims. The presence of historical bigotry in Islam need not prevent peacemaking, however, if Muslims will acknowledge the bigotry, apologize for it, and renounce it.

Islam is not alone amongst world religions in having much to apologize for. In 2000, Pope John Paul II formally apologized and asked for forgiveness for the many sins of Christians throughout history- including sins committed against Muslims in the Crusades. If Muslims are to engage in peacemaking, they must collectively make a similar act of contrition for historical events including the the Arab invasion of lands from Persia to Portugal, the Mughal Invasion, and the institution of dhimmitude.

Islam is alone amongst major world religions in having at its core, an intolerant and violent prophet, an account of whose life shaped the Koran, Hadiths and Sharia in like manner. There is no equivilant in Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism or Bhuddism. For Islam to move beyond its history, it must recognize and deal with the bigotry at its core.

The Islamic world steadfastly refuses to accept historical truths. Setting aside the invective that frequents Mosques throughout the Middle East, books and articles published by Muslims in the West routinely characterize Islamic history and literature as peaceful. In a Washington Post editorial on June 1, Pervez Musharraf, the President of Pakistan wrote, "The armies of Islam did not march forward to convert people by the sword, despite what the perceptions may be, but to deliver them from the darkness through the visible example of their virtues." This quote illustrates the absurdity of the Islamic argument about history. Think! The Muslim leader of Pakistan insists that Islam was brought to the subcontinent peacefully? This is not funny, it is an insult to history, truth, and the millions of Hindus who were slaughtered by Muslims during the Mughal invasion.

I have not yet discovered the origin of the Muslim Prayer for Peace, and I took pains in my essay to state that those involved in placing the Prayer in St. Paul's probably had the best of intentions. This does not alter the Koranic roots of the Prayer, which are properly construed as violent and intolerant.

Christians should approach Muslims with love, faith and hope. They should expect the same in return, but they needn't be blind to history or inconvenient truths.

Posted by Publius at June 9, 2004 11:26 PM

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