Message to Muslims: I'm Sorry

Many Americans have suggested that more moderate Muslims should stand up to extremists, speak out for tolerance, and apologize for sins committed by their brethren.

That’s reasonable advice, and as a moderate myself, I’m going to take it. (Throat clearing.) I hereby apologize to Muslims for the wave of bigotry and simple nuttiness that has lately been directed at you. The venom on the airwaves, equating Muslims with terrorists, should embarrass us more than you. Muslims are one of the last minorities in the United States that it is still possible to demean openly, and I apologize for the slurs.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/islam/32311-message-to-muslims-im-sorry.html

I’m inspired by another journalistic apology. The Portland Press Herald in Maine published an innocuous front-page article and photo a week ago about 3,000 local Muslims praying together to mark the end of Ramadan. Readers were upset, because publication coincided with the ninth anniversary of 9/11, and they deluged the paper with protests.

So the newspaper published a groveling front-page apology for being too respectful of Muslims. “We sincerely apologize,” wrote the editor and publisher, Richard Connor, and he added: “we erred by at least not offering balance to the story and its prominent position on the front page.” As a blog by James Poniewozik of Time paraphrased it: “Sorry for Portraying Muslims as Human.”
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32311

I called Mr. Connor, and he seems like a nice guy. Surely his front page isn’t reserved for stories about Bad Muslims, with articles about Good Muslims going inside. Must coverage of law-abiding Muslims be “balanced” by a discussion of Muslim terrorists?

Ah, balance — who can be against that? But should reporting of Pope Benedict’s trip to Britain be “balanced” by a discussion of Catholic terrorists in Ireland? And what about journalism itself?

I interrupt this discussion of peaceful journalism in Maine to provide some “balance.” Journalists can also be terrorists, murderers and rapists. For example, radio journalists in Rwanda promoted genocide.

I apologize to Muslims for another reason. This isn’t about them, but about us. I want to defend Muslims from intolerance, but I also want to defend America against extremists engineering a spasm of religious hatred.

Granted, the reason for the nastiness isn’t hard to understand. Extremist Muslims have led to fear and repugnance toward Islam as a whole. Threats by Muslim crazies just in the last few days forced a Seattle cartoonist, Molly Norris, to go into hiding after she drew a cartoon about Muhammad that went viral.

And then there’s 9/11. When I recently compared today’s prejudice toward Muslims to the historical bigotry toward Catholics, Mormons, Jews and Asian-Americans, many readers protested that it was a false parallel. As one, Carla, put it on my blog: “Catholics and Jews did not come here and kill thousands of people.”

That’s true, but Japanese did attack Pearl Harbor and in the end killed far more Americans than Al Qaeda ever did. Consumed by our fears, we lumped together anyone of Japanese ancestry and rounded them up in internment camps. The threat was real, but so were the hysteria and the overreaction.

Radicals tend to empower radicals, creating a gulf of mutual misunderstanding and anger. Many Americans believe that Osama bin Laden is representative of Muslims, and many Afghans believe that the Rev. Terry Jones (who talked about burning Korans) is representative of Christians.

Many Americans honestly believe that Muslims are prone to violence, but humans are too complicated and diverse to lump into groups that we form invidious conclusions about. We’ve mostly learned that about blacks, Jews and other groups that suffered historic discrimination, but it’s still O.K. to make sweeping statements about “Muslims” as an undifferentiated mass.

In my travels, I’ve seen some of the worst of Islam: theocratic mullahs oppressing people in Iran; girls kept out of school in Afghanistan in the name of religion; girls subjected to genital mutilation in Africa in the name of Islam; warlords in Yemen and Sudan who wield AK-47s and claim to be doing God’s bidding.

But I’ve also seen the exact opposite: Muslim aid workers in Afghanistan who risk their lives to educate girls; a Pakistani imam who shelters rape victims; Muslim leaders who campaign against female genital mutilation and note that it is not really an Islamic practice; Pakistani Muslims who stand up for oppressed Christians and Hindus; and above all, the innumerable Muslim aid workers in Congo, Darfur, Bangladesh and so many other parts of the world who are inspired by the Koran to risk their lives to help others. Those Muslims have helped keep me alive, and they set a standard of compassion, peacefulness and altruism that we should all emulate.

I’m sickened when I hear such gentle souls lumped in with Qaeda terrorists, and when I hear the faith they hold sacred excoriated and mocked. To them and to others smeared, I apologize.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/19/op...R_AP_LO_MST_FB

 
Do share your immediate thoughts or reactions on this issue? We value your views! Login Now! or Sign Up Today! to share your views with us.. Gurfateh!

Have you actually read the Koran ??

"I’m sickened when I hear such gentle souls lumped in with Qaeda terrorists, and when I hear the faith they hold sacred excoriated and mocked. To them and to others smeared, I apologize"

I apologise to all those muslims that have suffered in a backlash...they are but people.

What is sacred to them..speaks for itself.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32311

Some links have been removed. If you want to know why send me a pm. spnadmin

As mentioned..I thought this was meant to be a forum for Philosopical/Theological detabe....seems that for the special people..|NO critism..NO questions.

I can show you that There is NO such thing of tolerance in an Islamic society.

I am not racist, nor do I hate muslims...but what I have done is read the koran and read it please. ..before we all have fatwas imposed on us.

It is a Political-Theological barbaric system.

Sorry..Do you only want posters that SUBMIT... This is pure nonsense. spnadmin

Let people believe...but Let us question !!!
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32311

abusive language removed. spnadmin

Valid quotations . Real history .

You tell me when you can Practise Silkism in Saudi Arabia ? Egypt (poor Crotic christians) ? etc...

Why is it that to question Islam and the Koran...you get a fatwa...?

Please go to the bottom of the article and direct your question to the original author. Tejwant Singh has posted the article. He has not taken a stand on it's message yet.

This is an official warning. Yes this forum is a place for philosophical debate. You have been ranting and raving for 2 days now and aiming your anger at other forum members.

This needs to stop. You can express a negative view and control your emotions at the same time.

To which member have I been rude to...New to the forum so please give me specific examples....I have NOT been rude to any Posters directly....Not one.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32311
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32311

Obviously I cant give any links that hurt the Special People. I suppose that to be a Sikh is to follow what Admin have to say..namely you.

I always though that WE were free to believe and express our views. Does that make you a real Sikh and me a failure.? I have so much respect for Sikh Culture...that from Nanak to Gobind..who QUESTIONED all Dogma.....

Not allowed to express my free will anymore. Shame on you.

Express my views...why did you cut my links..sorry..thought we were from a noble culture that allowed us to chose.

I have questioned several barbaric thought systems.

I will humbley be your Harbi and Slave.

I will NOT question anymore.

I will not expect you to have a sense of humour.

I will leave Sikhism...just because you say so.

Pick on someone else

Lionsingh Ji,

Please stop crying foul play. If you want to confront Muslims directly then go to their forums. Attacking them from a Sikh forums sounds quite cowardly to me. There is a saying in punjabi, i will translate for everybody's pleasure.. "In his own street, even a street dog behaves like a Lion!!"
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32311

I hereby invite you to control your anger while posting at SPN or go to forums like http://www.faithfreedom.org, where you would find many of your kind to vent your frustrations against Muslims. All the Best!

I am afraid SPN has no place for you behaving like this.

Gurfateh!

Aman Singh

PS: You claim to be a Sikh, but you have choose Hedonism(???) as your followed faith!!

lionsingh ji

I have seen how you are compassionate, warm, reasonable and constructive on other threads having nothing to do with Islam. So I know you are not bringing any agenda with you to SPN.

You can be reasonable at least in light of this subject. In fact there is no honor when the lion slays the goat. It is expected. The goat is no match for the lion. So, the ball is in your court to make the reasonable argument when you believe that the other is incapable of doing so.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32311
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32311

Until then I will have to delete your comments if you continue like this. Will be away for a few hours anyway --- so please reconsider where you stand. When I return we shall see where we are. Thanks.

LOOKS LIKE WE ALL HAVE CLOWNS IN OUR RANKS!

p.s. thank you to the writer of the article. peace.

Anyway, here's what lionsingh has to say about you guys on his beloved 'english defence league site'

lionsingh Yesterday, 10:16 PM Post #1
Patriot

Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32311
Posts:539Group:MembersMember#14,782Joined:14 August 2010 Well banned again almost...It makes me more so ashamed as this is a Sikh site..base in the USA..me arguing against them saying SORRY to Muslims !!!
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32311

W@anker apologised to Muslims !!!! I think the Admin on this site is a islamic kiss ***...

PLEASE JOIN IN but do it from an intelligent perspective. You want Sikhs to join us...then Rational arguments. THIS IS NOT A MUSLIM SITE...SIKH PHILOSOPHY....They cut my links to Anti-Islamic sites....Fcuking USA site.

Moreover, its a site to understand Sikhs a little more.

I am vanquished soon. An official warning...just through Jihadi crap back...well banned...

My user name is, sorry was Lionsingh.

THIS IS NOT SIKHISM....It is a site.


http://anonym.to?http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/islam/32311-message-to-muslims-im-sorry.html

PLease join... I was Anti-Islam...and the sh1t hit the fan.See My last report.

"Please go to the bottom of the article and direct your question to the original author. Tejwant Singh has posted the article. He has not taken a stand on it's message yet.

This is an official warning. Yes this forum is a place for philosophical debate. You have been ranting and raving for 2 days now and aiming your anger at other forum members.

This needs to stop. You can express a negative view and control your emotions at the same time"

SO have a look and let me know...

Fcuking Admin has a Muzzi right up his ***.

he said sorry to the Muzzis....after all of Sikh history !!!

WILL SOME PLEASE RETORT & I am fcuking ashamed that they are USA wankers.

Just use intellect. It is for Philosophy....you see...Just make up a name with singh, punjab,kaur,sikh....

ibs ji

I stand accused of being all that. And the poster of the article was Tejwant Singh ji, and I am certain he will reply in time.

There were two links to the English Defense League site on a certain post by lionsingh ji. The post containing the links was moved out of the forum, after I made a determination that the content of the entire site was in its own curious way both inflammatory and unintelligible. The moderation team will decide whether to move them back or not and I hope the decision is to keep them out of view.

It has been a struggle for lionsingh to state his case without accusing various individuals of "flipping" over to Islam.

lionsingh has not been banned. He is making a drama out of the rejection of his temperamental language, and making demons of those who disagree with him. These are tactics that have been used from time immemorial in order to put a match to issues that did not have to become battles in the first place.

We need to feel compassion for lionsingh because he has forgotten the moral of the story of Bhai Kanhaiya. Guru Gobind Singh embraced him for giving water to injured Muslim soldiers even when other lieutenants wanted to boot him out of the panth. Compassion is one thing. Acceptance is something different.

Lionsingh also seems to have even more difficulty expressing himself on the EDL site than he does here. Thanks for the heads-up. In a way though you have managed to do his posting for him