Riyadh, July 12: It seems that extreme views are easiest to get published. As a frequent traveler to the Middle East and with Muslim friends here and there, I will affirm that there are many law-abiding and friendly Muslims, and not everyone is hell-bent on violent jihad or forcible imposition of Shariah law. But this is not the real issue.
When the day comes that I, as a Christian, can stand on a street corner in a majority of Muslim nations and call out “Jesus is God, and Muhammad is a false prophet,” then I will believe that Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance. This claim of peace and tolerance is regularly cited as the opposing view to “extremists” pitted against Islam in Western articles. Such a claim is easy to make but much harder to prove.
As a Christian, I may disagree with any Muslim who says “Jesus is not God, and Muhammad is a true prophet,” but I will defend his right to say what he believes as much as my right to say otherwise. This also is American free speech, founded on peace and tolerance.
–Agencies