Thursday Thirteen #28: So What If Obama WAS A Muslim?

Note to those of you who proclaim yourselves prominently on your blogs that you are "Christians":
You might just want to skip this post because it's about some ideas that don't fit your view of the universe. If you feel that you are "saved" and that those of us who do not share your belief system are going to hell, you're probably not interested in my blog anyway. After all, I'm Jewish, and an agnostic Jew at that.
 BTW,I may read your blogs on Thursdays,but I don't comment, because I am perfectly happy to allow you your point of view. But I have a feeling I'm not welcome to your party.

On the other hand, be you Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Pagan or anything else, and you feel that it's just possible that someone else might have a line to a higher power besides yourselves, read on. I welcome ALL comments, aside from trolls...

This thirteen has come about because I am hopping mad about something I read in today's NY Times. An older gentleman turned away from Barack Obama when he approached him in an Indiana diner, and told a reporter:
"I can’t stand him. He’s a Muslim. He’s not even pro-American as far as I’m concerned.”

Well, Mr Indiana, in the first place Obama is NOT a Muslim. But what if he was?

I lhave no truck with ANY organized religion. But I live in Northern Virginia where we have a large Muslim population. Both of the women who took care of my daughters when they were infants and toddlers, the women who were their second mothers, were Muslims. I have Muslim co-workers and Muslim kids go to school with my kids.

The Muslims that I know work their asses off to get ahead, want their children to succeed and are as devoted a bunch of AMERICANS as any group of flag waving, church going white Christian folk you'd happen to meet. They're tolerant and polite and I'm proud to know them.

So here are:

THIRTEEN THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ISLAM--BUT PROBABLY DON'T
 

1) Arabs make up only 15% of the world's Muslim population. The country with the largest population of Muslims is Indonesia. Large numbers of Muslims are  found in Asia (69%), Africa (27%)and Europe.

2)Jews and Christians are called "People of the Book," meaning people who have received previous revelations from God.  The Koran commands Muslims to protect from harm not only mosques, but also monasteries, synagogues, and churches -- because "God is worshipped therein."

3)Islam considers Judaism and Christianity to be predecessors of Islam, and worthy of respect:

"The same religion has He established for you as that which He enjoined on Noah - the which We have sent by inspiration to thee - and that which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: Namely, that ye should remain steadfast in religion, and make no divisions therein: to those who worship other things than Allah, hard is the (way) to which thou callest them. Allah chooses to Himself those whom He pleases, and guides to Himself those who turn to Him." 

4)The Koran names many prophets and most come from the Old and New Testaments:

"The Messenger believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, as do the men of faith. Each one of them believes in God, His angels, His books, and His Messengers. They say: 'We make no distinction between one and another of His Messengers.' And they say: 'We hear, and we obey. We seek Thy forgiveness, Our Lord, and to Thee is the end of all journeys.'"(Al-Baqarah, 2:285))

5)Among the figures considered prophets by Islam:Adam, Noah,Abraham,Isaac,Jacob,Joseph, David, Solomon and John. Sound familiar to those of you who read the Bible?

6)Moses is considered one of the greatest prophets, because he received the Ten Commandments, one of the sets of words God sent before sending Mohammed:

Moreover, We gave Moses the Book, completing (Our favour) to those who would do right, and explaining all things in detail, and a guide and a mercy, that they might believe in the meeting with their Lord. And this is a Book which We have revealed as a blessing: so follow it and be righteous, that ye may receive mercy: Lest ye should say: "The Book was sent down to two Peoples before us, and for our part, we remained unacquainted with all that they learned by assiduous study:" {Koran 6:154-56}

7)While Muslims do not regard Jesus as divine and do not believe in the Trinity, they believe him to  be one of the greatest prophets sent by God. The Koran includes accounts of his virgin birth, his teachings, and the miracles he performed. It is also believed that he was sent by Allah to prepare the way for the Prophet Mohammed

8)Mary (Maryam) is thought to be an angel or a saint and a chapter of the Koran is named for her.

9)While Islam believes that the faithful go to Paradise, it does not shut out other believers:

Those who believe [in the Koran], and those who follow the Jewish, and the Christians, and the Sabians, any who believe in God and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.

10)Muslims keep their food halal, which translates to "permissible". Like Jews they cannot eat pork or pork products, or animal blood. Meat must be slaughtered by a halal butcher who kills quickly and says a prayer asking God (Allah)'s permission to take the animal for food. There is no "milk with meat" prohibition such as exists in Jewish kosher laws. There is some disagreement about whether seafood is halal.

11)Muslims are forbidden to drink alcohol.

12)Zakat-- the tithing  of at least 2 1/2 percent of one's income to the poor and needy is one of the pillars of Muslim.

13)The six "Articles of Faith" of Islam are:

• Faith in the unity of God
• Faith in angels
• Faith in prophets
• Faith in books of revelation
• Faith in an afterlife
• Faith in destiny/divine decree

 All right now.
Take a look at all that and answer me again: so what if Obama WAS a Muslim?
But he isn't...........

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