On 9/11, Millions of Americans will NOT Be Burning the Qur’an

Last updated on: September 8, 2010 at 3:51 pm by Nancy Qualls-Shehata

On 9/11, Millions of Americans will NOT Be Burning the Qur’an 2010-09-08T15:51:00-04:00 Nancy Qualls-Shehata

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Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim

Salaam Alaikum wa Rahmatullah

This just in to INN – the Inane News Network. After tireless research and many hours in the field, your intrepid reporter has determined that thousands, no, millions, no hundreds of millions of Americans will NOT, I repeat, will NOT be burning the Qur’an on Saturday, the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. On that day, millions of Americans will not gather at two-bit “churches” and engage in inflammatory rhetoric against Islam. Millions more will not be hoisting signs saying “Arabs go home!” and “Qur’an is from the Devil!”. Untold thousands will not be gathering wood and gleefully pouring accelerant on before lighting it with their made in China Bic lighters. Even more will not be tossing the scripture of over one billion Muslims into the flames while chanting “God hates Mooz-lums!” and singing hymns of praise to God. How can we, as conscientious Muslims, allow this non-event to not happen?

My dear brothers and sisters in Islam, brothers and sisters here in the United States, in Egypt, in Afghanistan, in Malaysia, and elsewhere in the world, I ask you to take a breath. Step back. Do not get caught up in the manufactured hysteria surrounding the proposed Qur’an burning that a tiny deviant little church led by an ignorant deviant little man is planning. If you rely on news reports from the media, you might get the idea that the US is almost in flames over this issue and that Muslims here are heading for the internment camps. Such is not the case. Muslims in the United States are going about their daily lives, fasting, praying, working, taking their kids to school, shopping to prepare for Eid, and even engaging in conversation about a certain tiny deviant little church and an ignorant deviant little man who wants to burn the Holy Qur’an.

I appreciate your anger, your outrage, at the idea that someone would burn our Holy Book. But this anger is not useful. Standing in the street with signs and protesting something that about forty people plan to do is not useful. Burning the US flag and shouting “Death to America!” is not useful. The United States of America is home to over 300 million people. There are good people and bad people, people who are silently in favor of Qur’ans being burned, and people who are against it. Indeed, some of the most vocal opponents of this Qur’an burning are non-Muslim Americans – Christians, Jews, Hindus, people of other faiths and people of no faith at all, but people who value their Muslim fellow citizens and are appalled at what this preacher proposes to do in the name of Christianity. So before you protest, stop and think about all the GOOD people here. When you condemn everyone in the country, you hurt the many people of good conscience who would never dream of committing such a heinous act and who have spoken up for you, for us, for Islam. May Allah give them hedayah.

Really, the joke is on Pastor Doofus (I still haven’t bothered to go google his name). Because of this issue, and the proposed Islamic cultural center in New York City, Islam is in the news day in and day out. Because of this issue, more people are asking about Islam and taking it upon themselves to learn what our religion really teaches. So in attempting to obliterate the Word, Pastor Doofus is really doing our job for us. Our duty in this time is to be knowledgeable about our religion so that when someone asks us about Islam, we can give a correct and intelligent answer. Dialog, not diatribe. That is what is required of us. Remember this if the burning goes forward and you see flames licking at the covers of our beloved Qur’an. Suppress your urge to act out violently in protest or, Allah forbid, attempt to harm anyone engaging in the act. They are not worth your time. Instead, reach out to the non-Muslims in your community and share the beauty of Islam with them. This is your duty as a Muslim, and mine. And Allah knows best.

Fi Aman Allah,

Nancy

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