Sunday 13 Mar 2016 - 11:16 Makkah mean time-4-6-1437
Image from Hamilton Journal News, Pastor Michelle Terry (Middle) of the Bethlehem Lutheran in Middletown along with Pastor Sara Cutter (Left) of the Zion Lutheran also in Middletown pose with Dr. B. Salem Foad (Right) from the Islamic Center of Greater Ci
Butler County, Ohio (IINA) - Two Middletown churches and the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati in West Chester Township, Butler County, Ohio have come together to dispel myths and combat the bigotry that they say has been directed at the religion of Islam, Hamilton Journal Newspaper reported.
Presidential candidate and Billionaire Businessman Donald Trump recently stated in an interview with CNN that he thinks, “Islam hates us,” adding that it’s “very hard to separate radical from the mainstream practice of the religion.”
“It’s very hard to define,” Trump said in the interview that has now gone viral. “Because you don’t know who’s who.”
That’s why Bethlehem Lutheran Church and Zion Lutheran Church in Middletown are working with the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati to shed light on the faith and breakdown any negative preconceived notions. The two churches recently hosted Dr. B. Salem Foad of the Islamic Center to discuss the basics of the faith.
“He taught us about the five pillars of Islam,” said Pastor Michelle Terry, of Bethlehem Lutheran. “He gave a brief overview of the history of the Islamic faith.
“He clarified what is inherent to the faith (basically all Muslims believe and practice), and what is unique to different groups within the Muslim community,” she said. He was gracious and engaging, and everyone learned something.”
Islam is the world’s fastest-growing faith and is projected to reach 2.76 billion followers by 2050, according to an April 2015 Pew Research Center study. At that time, Muslims will make up nearly one-third of the world’s projected population of about 9 billion people.
Still, various polls after the San Bernardino shooting late last year showed that more than half of American have an unfavorable view of Islam. A Brookings Institute poll conducted in November showed that 43 percent of Republican voters surveyed said they would vote for Trump based on his views of the Muslim people.
Terry said she’s not sure if Trump’s rhetoric is increasing bigotry against Islam, so much as bringing already-existing bigotry out into the open.
“Once it’s out in the open and met with agreement instead of condemnation, it multiplies and becomes more openly hostile,” she said. “So we have an obligation to ask ourselves, ‘Have I listened to what Muslims are saying all Muslims, not just extremists? Have I learned about their faith? Have I heard their story?’ If the answer is no, we have not done our part in changing the world.”
Foad said he has been working to build bridges and to reach out to others in interfaith for the past 35 years.
“I am saddened when those who claim to represent Islam are highjacking my faith and behaving in a way that is un-Islamic and against the teachings of this noble religion,” he said. “To destroy is easy but to build is difficult and slow.”
Foad said the battle against bigotry only gets tougher when people like Donald Trump are able to fan the flames.
“Unfortunately, Trump and his likes are exploiting this fear, anger and frustration and appealing to our worst human nature,” Foad said. “This rhetoric only inflames emotions and makes things worse, and is not based on truth or logic. Of course it increases bigotry and prejudice.”
Elizabeth B. Frierson, an associate professor of History in the Middle East and North Africa at the University of Cincinnati, echoed Foad’s sentiment.
“We’ve seen people become violent against their fellow Americans in response to Trump’s rhetoric, and we don’t need more of that,” Frierson said. “We have had enough of that.”
She said that many Muslim-Americans are law-abiding citizens who want to develop strong ties with their communities and other faith-based organizations.
“We are a country that needs to be united and cherish all of our talents to be able to survive in this rapidly changing world,” Frierson said.
SM/IINA
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