Dear Editor,
The people who organized the Islam conference did an excellent job explaining the fundamental components of Islam, and the conference was extremely informative. Furthermore, it is incumbent to thank Houghton College for offering courses on Islam. Among the many things that were discussed was ways to share our religion with Muslims and understand their religion. This is crucial because Western thinking divaricates sharply from Islam. Secondly, the concept of jihad is somewhat misunderstood by Westerners, and it was important to clarify this.
The concoction about Islam as a peaceful religion has acceptance in the West, but such promulgations are inconsistent with the continuity of violence in Islam throughout its history. People use the boundary between racialism and criticism as a way to repress critics of Islam; there is this fear of appearing as a bigot. Furthermore, people are intimidated by the bestial reactions of some Muslims to criticism. The cartoonist who caused upheaval over a drawing of Mohammed with a bomb in his turban was a perfect example; his cartoon reflected knowledge of Islam, and Westerners who read about Mohammed, etc. cannot imagine him as a proponent of synchronism, and this image of him encapsulated Islam.
Furthermore, the truculence that characterized the reactions of Muslims gave this cartoon more importance than it merited. There was another incident like this with Theo van Gogh. He made a film about Islamic misogyny, and he was murdered by an Islamist. These events only reinforce the Western perception that has been associated with Islam through fourteen centuries. The "lesser jihad" may be opposed by orthodox Muslims, but the human rights violations in countries where Islam is the major religion remains vexing.
In America, Islam has a formidable population, and it is important to be aware that some Islamic organizations secretly give money to terrorist organizations. Many of these groups have obtained a perception as charities this allows them to circumvent scrutiny. Some organizations like the Islamic Society of North America are using Saudi money to spread Wahhabism. The FBI uncovered a document that explained Islam's "plan" for North America, and their goal is to put America under the Sharia (Islamic law). Americans must be aware of this activity within our nation to protect our treasured freedoms that are nonexistent under the Sharia. More information is available in three sources: the books Infiltration and Muslim Mafia, and the movie The Third Jihad.
- William Evans, Class of 2013
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