Letters to the editor: Terrorists hijacked Islam to suit own misguided purposes

Terrorists hijacked Islam to suit own misguided purposes
Contrary to a letter to the editor in the Sept. 7 Opelika-Auburn News I thought that it was fantastic of President Obama to call Islam “a great religion.”

Any religion that demands that its 1.4 billion followers pray five times daily and fast for thirty days straight must have an awful lot going for it. One must differentiate between Islam the religion and Islamism, a political ideology quite distinct from religion. Though draped in religious imagery and suffused with apocalyptic language, Islamism is similar in nature to secular ideologies of terror.

The perpetrators of 9/11 hijacked Islam the religion to suit their own misguided purposes. In doing their dastardly deeds they went totally against everything the Qur’an says.

What’s desperately needed is a dialogue between Muslims and Christians, particularly since half the folks on the planet subscribe to one of these two world religions. For this dialogue to succeed we must forget the past, ignore polemics, and focus on the areas of agreement between these two religions.

We’re called today to take our cues from Rumi, the famous Turkish mystic, who was a compass with one foot in the center (representing his own faith commitment as a Muslim) and the other foot turning in a broad arc to complete a circle (representing the dialogue that embraces all people of faith).

Richard Penaskovic
Auburn

Meeting at Monarch Estates unnecessary to begin with

The Opelika-Auburn News reported that the so-called “town meeting” at Monarch Estates in Auburn ended up in something of a melee.

The meeting was organized by the representative from this district, Mike Rogers.

Most of us were disappointed and embarrassed at this outcome. So much for intelligent discussion.

First of all, the meeting was unnecessary. Ostensibly, such a gathering was held so that the representative could garner the feeling of the group, thus influencing his vote in the House on the main issue of the night, health care reform.

As the teenagers say, “Get real!” It was a foregone conclusion that Rogers will vote the party line, and that he will oppose any and all legislation for meaningful health care reform. His holding the meeting was nothing more to him than a reelection ploy. He wants a new term, probably many more, and being in position to take the place of one of the state’s senators when one of them resigns.

More importantly, it was stupid. To have a public meeting there, when disruptive and violent altercations have happened elsewhere, in a retirement home just doesn’t make sense. Granted, the meeting was open to the public, but it had to have been expected that many of the residents would attend, and take part.

The vast majority of them are in their 70s and 80s! There are at least a half-dozen places in the Auburn-Opelika area that would have hosted the gathering.

At least one of the residents spent the night in the hospital after being ruffed up, and then being bonked on the head with a mug or something. Ridiculous.

Having the meeting was dumb.

Having it at Monarch was even dumber.

O.C. Brown
Auburn