First They Came
For The Muslims…

Thanks to Rev. Sara Lamar-Sterling, Pastor First & Summerfield United Methodist Church, the Interfaith Cooperative Ministries, and Rabbi Herb Brockman of Congregation Mishkan Israel for organizing and participating in
Saturday's prayer vigil. For those of us who did not know about the event organized by Interfaith Cooperative Ministries, it is beneficial to be able to read about it. Thanks to the New Haven Independent Online Journal.

It is critically important for us as a society to appreciate the historical parallel to when the Jewish synagogue was first established in New Haven. While we should all be vigilant about threats to our lives and well-being, we should also be super vigilant to the quiet but monsterous threats caused by ignorance, and by the effects of tyrants with dictatorial powers mascarading as concerned community leaders.

Some of the greatest damage being done in our communities are being done by those who possess an enormous need for control. Whether we are Christians, Jews, Muslims, non-believers or atheists, as citizens we have a right to expect to be treated fairly and respectfully. Providing we do not break the law and infringe on the rights of others, we also have a right to expect legal protections. When we break the law we also have a right to a legal defense. In a democracy we should also be able to challenge the fairness of certain laws. It is important that laws not be implemented in a climate of paranoia and fear.

Those of us who are now persecuting Muslims (as well as all those others whom we oppose for one reason or another) need to stop and think about our responsibilities as citizens, and what we would want for ourselves were we in the position of those we are opposing or persecuting. An important part of being a Christian, or being a decent human being is that we do good to others; treat them as fairly as we would like to be treated.

IGNORANCE, GREED, arrogance, selfishness, a thirst for power and control seem to be dominant themes in our society today. It might behove us all to see ourselves as a community and ask: how can each of us enhance our community rather than tear it apart? When we ostracize and persecute those we perceive as being different, we are tearing communities apart.

Let us strive to learn more about what we perceive as differences. When we are better informed what was the unknown becomes a part of our knowledge base; we will all be the richer and wiser for it. Ignorance breeds fear and that often leads to persecution. Remember the lessons of Germany; it started with the mentally and physically handicapped. Those we fear due of our own ignorance become the targets of our fears. The evil acts we perpetuate against them is coming from us; it is not coming from their wrongdoing. Peace

World Muslim countries, like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan, Aghfanistan, Turkey and Iraq, exclude Christians and Jews, from practicing their religions there. Yet, many Muslims in this country are expecting a complete reversal, of the Muslim doctrine and practice, of religious exclusion, and intolerance, of other religions, as in Muslim countries throughout the world, by seeking inter-faith dialogue. Is there a separate, American Muslim Mosque Quiram, that differs from the worldwide Muslim teachings, and pratices?

It appears that the only reason that American Muslim's seek interfaith dialogue here, is only because they are a minority religion. If Muslims' are successful in being the leading religion here, they will have the vote to exclude other religious actvity in this country, as they have done, everywhere else, in the world. There is no religious dialogue allowed in Muslim led countries, and the same Muslims, have already kicked the Jews, out of France, and forced them, to return to Israel, in their movement to control European countries, at present.

Rabbi Herb Brockman would have no opportunity of a religious dialogue, in a Muslim led nation. He should recognize THE FACT, that the Muslims forced the Jews to leave France, and go to Israel. NO RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE WAS ALLOWED BETWEEN THE JEWS AND MUSLIM'S IN FRANCE. THE JEWISH POPULATION, WAS FORCED TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY.

Hawkeye, I don't know what kind of propaganda you've been reading, but nobody is "kicking out" the Jews from France or "forcing" them to go to Israel.

There have been hate crimes against Jews by some Muslim hoodlums in France. The Jewish community in France is shrinking, partly through emigration to Israel and partly because of a low birthrate and assimilation.

Even one hate crime is one too many. But that's not the same thing AT ALL as "the Muslims" forcing "the Jews" to leave France. Neither Muslims nor Jews in France are organized or monolithic groups with that kind of power or that kind of vulnerability.

This sort of hysterical exaggeration only misleads ignorant people and inflames ethnic hatred even more.

Gretchen Pritchard:

There is no peaceful co-existance allowed, for other religions, in Muslim led countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Aghfanistan, Pakistan, Turkey, and other Muslim countries. The Muslims in these countries, do not allow, other religions to assemble, and worship together.

The only countries that Muslims seek peaceful coexisting, in in non-Muslim led countries, like the United States. However, once they achieve to the status of the largest religion in a country, Muslims become the one and only power broker of religious activity, and systematically dissalow, and even persecute, any other religious activities, that surface.

Even in Iraq, with U. S. military presence, a Christian Church was forced to go underground, in fear of being destroyed by the Muslims.

"This is not a sort of hysterical exaggeration that misleads ignorant people, and inflames hatred more," as you claimed, Gretchen Pritchard.

"It is the proven truth of world Muslim intolerance, of other religions!"