Who's Right? ::Gail Reid ::May/June 2002 Two views of Muslims vie for our attention since September 11 Is anyone else confused about what Muslims really believe? Since September 11 I have read, listened to, and discussed a myriad of perspectives on what Islam is all about and how it motivates and shapes Muslims around the world. I'm left with opposing versions. I live six doors down from a mosque and only a few blocks from the apartment where the first suspected Muslim terrorists in Canada were arrested. In a sense, I've been living with the two realities. In the last 12 years, I watched the neighbourhood mosque blossom from a dilapidated old church, left empty for decades, into a place of beauty. I saw the broken windows mended, and the dirt yard transformed into garden and interlocking pathways. Every Friday I viewed Muslims gathering, with heads covered, laughing with one another. Often I smiled back, commenting on the weather. Once when a Muslim worshiper in a hurry blocked our driveway, the infraction drew a crowd. The driver was brought straight from his knees in the mosque to move his vehicle while the crowd watched. My Muslim defenders were vocal: "This is not right." "Allah does not approve." Over the years my impression has been positive. If I felt any anxiety it was only because of the tremendous burden in their believing that they must earn God's love in order to gain an eternity in paradise. Many times I silently prayed that God would show them His love for them-just as they are. The only complaints about the mosque have been from neighbours who grumble over the lack of parking spots or the sound of exuberant children playing outside late at night during Muslim festivities. Then the image of the crumbling twin towers and the arrest of suspected terrorists just around the corner changed my opinion overnight. The next day, to my horror, I began to view my Muslim neighbours with suspicion. Now their modest attire and quiet manner appeared deceptive. The daily newspapers and TV images painted pictures of hidden violence fueled by Islamic scriptures. Then one morning I found a red long-stemmed rose on our doorstep. On the tiny scroll attached I found a gracious plea from the mosque for continued goodwill and thanksgiving for our kind treatment of them in the past. Every household on our street received one. I recalled my recent fears. "God, forgive me," I thought. I realized that this gesture was far more in character with my experience of our peace-loving Muslim neighbours. It was far more in character with the Muslim community that has joined with Christians and Jews across our country in defending marriage and moral values. I can't deny the reality of Muslim terrorists or Muslim countries that persecute those who share my faith in Jesus Christ. But these are not the Muslims that I know. The ones for whom I continue to pray.
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