Signs of Hope in Iraq and America

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR [cair-net.org], has sent a delegation to Iraq to encourage the captors of American freelance journalist Jill Carroll to free her unharmed. "[CAIR] are the only people who have come from outside of Iraq to call for Jill's release and we are very hopeful [the kidnappers] will hear our message on behalf of American Muslims. Harming her will do them no good at all. The only way is to release her."

CAIR has been stepping up to the plate for some time now, taking an increasingly vocal stand against the extremist views of the small minority of Moslems represented by Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda, and others like them. CAIR has offered to send anyone in America a copy of the Qu'ran (Koran) in side-by-side translation, to dispel the many misconceptions most Americans have about Islam. I saw portions of CAIR's national conference on C–SPAN last month, and I was impressed by all the speakers.

The battle for the soul of America is not between Christianity and Islam. For one thing, the United States is not now, nor has it ever been, a Christian nation, although the majority of Americans are Christians. We are and always have been a secular nation, dedicated to the principle of religious freedom. Likewise, Islam is not about holy wars to purge the infidels from the face of the earth, or even from the greater caliphate. Islam is about dedication to a religious faith that values tolerance, respect, and peace. Specifically, kidnapping an innocent person is a grievous sin under Islam.

The true enemy is narrow-minded extremism, no matter the direction of the extreme. Osama bin Laden twists a few selected passages of the Qu'ran into a message of violence and hatred. Pat Robertson twists a few selected passages of the Old Testament into a message of division and retribution. George W. Bush twists a few selected passages of the U.S. Constitution into a message of fear and absolute authority. All three forms of extremism pose a grave threat to the United States and to the world.

I stand shoulder to shoulder with CAIR against the extremist forces from, towards, and within the United States. I stand shoulder to shoulder with CAIR against the extremist forces from, towards, and within Islam. I stand shoulder to shoulder with CAIR, facing two extremes and seeking a Third Path.