Imam explains Islam’s Links to Christianity, Judaism
By Russ Morgan (Contact)
Friday, February 27, 2009
“Islam remains one of the most misunderstood religions in the United States,” began Imam Sayid Hassan Al-Qazwini. “Not many people know anything about this religion. Not many people know the basics about this religion.”
The philosophy and meaning of Islam was the topic of Al-Qazwini’s talk Thursday afternoon at Emporia State University.
“I am supposed to speak about the philosophy of Islam,” Al-Qazwini said. “What does Islam mean? What does it stand for?”
Al-Qazwini, a Muslim cleric, moved to the United States from Iraq in 1992. He is leader of the Islamic Center in Detroit, and author of “American Crescent: A Muslim Cleric on the Power of His Faith, the Struggle Against Prejudice, and the Future of Islam in America.”
Al-Qazwini explained that Islam is the second largest religion in the world, behind Christianity, and the fastest growing: one quarter of the world’s people follow the religion.
“Not many people know that Islam is the third monotheistic religion, besides Christianity and Judaism,” he said.
Yet the problem is that too many Americans see Islam as a religion of violence and extremism, he explained, and that it is oppressive to women.
“These are basically myths that are spread in this country through our media,” he said. “... Basically, the majority of Americans do not know much about Islam other than negative misconceptions.”
Many believe Islam to be a religion that condones or even encourages the killing of Christians and Jews.
“Indeed, it is in the Quran, verse 35, chapter five, we learn that the Quran considers killing one innocent person to be equivalent to killing the entire mankind,” Al-Qazwini said.
Many Americans believe that Islam hates Christianity and Judaism.
“Indeed, Islam believes that if you do not believe in Christianity and Judaism, you cannot claim to be a Muslim,” he said.
Al-Qazwini explained that Muslims see the Quran is the actual word of God, revealed through the prophet Mohammed.
“If you read the Quran, it speaks highly about all prophets of God,” he said. “Many of them are Jewish prophets, such as Jacob, Joseph and David. The Quran speaks highly of Jesus. Indeed, Jesus’ name was mentioned 124 times in the Quran. After Moses, who was mentioned 126 times. Remember that prophet Mohammed’s name is mentioned only four times in the holy book.”
The Quran even speaks highly of Mary, Jesus’ mother, and tells the story of Jesus’ birth.
“Indeed, we Muslims believe in the authenticity of all the prophets of God,” he said. “However, we believe that there are five superior messengers, including Abraham, Noah, Moses, Jesus and Mohammed. These five stand to be the most superior messengers of God. Obviously we do not believe that Jesus is the son of God, because we Muslims believe God does not beget nor is begotten.”
Al-Qazwini said Muslims believe that Jesus, like the other prophets, was sent to be a savior, a messenger of God, and that Muslims do not believe the prophets to be in competition. Rather, they complement each other, and serve to move humanity toward a better understanding of God.
“Therefore we believe the message that was taught by previous messengers was completed by the prophet Mohammed,” he said. “... Prophets of God do not fight with each other. It is the followers of these prophets who often fight with each other.”
Another misconception Al-Qazwini seeks to dispel is that Muslims worship a different God than do Christians and Jews.
“Who is Allah? Allah is the Arabic word for God. If you speak English, you call him ‘God.’ ... If you speak Hebrew you call him ‘Yahweh.’ So you’re talking basically about the same God, the same entity with different languages. We’re not talking about a different God. We Muslims worship the same God other people worship.”
Al-Qazwini then addressed the commonly held misconception regarding the concept of Jihad.
“Indeed, the word ‘Jihad’ originally refers to the inner struggle that every human being would conduct within himself or herself,” he said. “Jews have Jihad. Christians have Jihad. When you struggle to be a good person, a good citizen within society, when you try to be a good person, refraining from committing sins or crimes, you are doing Jihad. This is what the word Jihad means, to struggle with yourself to be a good person, to be a law-abiding citizen.”
Al-Qazwini explained the origins of Islam, how Mohammed established the religion amid much hostility, and how Mohammed was forced to defend the newly formed society. Mohammed “gave a new flavor” to Jihad by claiming that defending your country is not only a national duty but also a religious duty.
“Jihad had never been used by the prophet or any of his legitimate successors to justify murder,” Al-Qazwini said. “What happened a few years ago in September of 2001 in New York and Washington, that has nothing to do with the religion of Islam. That was an act of murder, a crime that Islam condemns. Islam would not condone killing innocent people under any circumstances.”
Al-Qazwini said that people of all faiths use their religions to cover for their crimes.
“Religions have been exploited throughout history,” he said. “All religions. ... The majority of Muslims I consider to be law-abiding citizens, peaceful and peace-loving people. And we have some people who use the religion of Islam to cover for their political agenda. But that does not mean that Islam would condone terrorism and violence. Indeed, if you read the history of the prophet Mohammed ... in his tradition, surprisingly you find so many parallels with the life of Jesus. ...”
Al-Qazwini compared Jesus’ admonition to turn the other cheek with a verse from the Quran: “Expel the evil with the one that is good so you may find your enemy turned into your friend.”
Al-Qazwini then detailed a few of Islam’s main characteristics. One is the religion’s universality, the fact that it is not confined by racial boundaries. He said that, although it is commonly believed that Islam is an Arabic religion, 82 percent of Muslims are non-Arabic.
“Because Muslims quote prophet Mohammed saying ... God does not look at you for the way you look,” he said. “Rather He looks at your heart and how pure it is. God does not care if you are black or white or short or tall, these are irrelevant features for God. But what really matters for God is how pure our hearts are.”
Another characteristic of the faith Al-Qazwini outlined is Islam’s inclusiveness, its respect for other religions and other views.
“If you are Muslim, you have to believe in Christianity and Judaism,” he said. “We have to believe in all the messengers of God. So if someone becomes a Muslim, there is a very easy transition for that person to have. And that is only to go one step forward. To accept what Christianity says, to accept what Judaism says, and then go one step further to accept what Islam says. ... Islam gives a very honorific title to Christians and Jews, and that is ... the People of the Book,” people who have received the message of God.
Al-Qazwini’s visit to Emporia was sponsored by ESU’s Office of International Education, the Center for Student Involvement, the Multicultural Affairs Office, the Philosophy Club and the Department of Social Sciences’ Boertman Lecture Fund.
madpoet (anonymous) says...
You just have to look at Fred Phelp's cult to see that people can use religion as an excuse to do whatever evil they want. It just seems odd that so much violence is done in the name of Islam. I mean, other then the violence in Ireland between Catholics and Protestants, I don't recall much killing done in Christianity's name in recent times. I'm not talking about the Crusades, I'm talking in the last 100 years or so. I've worked with a couple of Moslem men and they were both nice and respectful. I have always wondered why it was that so many people warp the Islamic teachings for an excuse for hating and killing non-Moslem or even members of other Moslem sects. If someone could answer that, maybe they could put a stop to all the killing.
February 27, 2009 at 2:49 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
crossriverjordan (anonymous) says...
Muslims do not believe in Christianity. Christianity believes God begot Jesus and Muslims do not as stated in the above article.
Christians believe Jesus was God in the flesh that came to earth. Muslims do not believe that to be true.
Christians believe that Jesus is God, part of the trinity of God: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Muslims do not believe that to be true as stated above.
Christians believe in a totally different God than Muslims. Jesus is God.
Jesus is not a prophet. He rose from the dead on the third day: Easter.
As a Christian, I would never claim to believe in the god of Muslims.
It is funny we do not hear much about how Muslims are helping people around the world when natural disasters happen. Where were they when Katrina hit, when 9/11 happened, etc. How come they don’t build homeless shelters, soup kitchens, etc to help the poor? Where are they? Christians are typically at the forefront helping…”because the love of Christ compels them” 2 Corinthians 5:14.
February 27, 2009 at 3:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Happiness09 (anonymous) says...
All I can say is that my Bible doesn't say anything about a prophet named Mohammed that I can recall.
February 27, 2009 at 3:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
madpoet (anonymous) says...
My understanding from when we went over other religions in Sunday school, is that Islam borrows heavily from both the Jewish and Christian faiths. They have adopted a lot of the food restrictions etc from the Jewish tradition. They say Jesus is just a prophet, not the son of God, but so do other religions. I am a devout Christian so disagree with them. Personally, I suspect Mohammed wanted to found a religion and cobbled one together from what appealed to him from other faiths. That is typical of cults of whatever stripe. That this has grown so large is rather amazing to me.
February 27, 2009 at 3:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Bjnemp (anonymous) says...
Anyone who believes that pile of perverted propaganda is a fool.
February 27, 2009 at 4:28 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
There are quite a few Muslims who would disagree with this article. The Somalian woman who we talked about quite a bit last year - and many others, warn about Islam being more and more taken over by the more radical elements. And they warn that a big part of that problem is the denial of many, or the unwillingness to take a stand and speak out against it. Many Muslims, like Al-Qazwini, are basically in denial. If you press them they will grudgingly admit that maybe 10-15 percent are more radical than they would like. Well, 15 percent of 2 billion is..... basically the entire population of the United States. Not exactly insignificant. If Islams "oppressiveness" towards women is MERELY a "myth, propogated by our media" - then why were so many women being shoved aside by the Somalians at Wal-Mart? Why are women treated so badly in Muslim countries? Why are women not allowed to vote in Saudia Arabia? Why are they forced to wear burqua's? Why do we see regularly on the news horror stories of women being treated like cattle, being beheaded for minor crimes, not being allowed to be seen in public without a male relative, not allowed to attend schools, etc.....
Maybe instead of spending all his time either lying or in denial, he should instead be honest about what happens in many Muslim countries, and talk about working to improve the situation.
If Islam is so respectful of Christianity, then WHY is it illegal to even be caught with a Bible in Saudi Arabia?????
Is he truly that blind?
February 27, 2009 at 6:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Observer (anonymous) says...
"Is he truly that blind?"
No but he well knows that the academics at ESU are and that is why no one will challenge the propaganda which he brings.
Women as chattel under Islam.
Writers, filmmakers, artists murdered or under sentence of death for speaking-out in Europe.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellit...
The freedom to say what one thinks about any religion - its clerics, practices, precepts and sartorial rules - is as much a part of the European heritage as giving voice to the oppressed. At the dawn of the 21st century, in a once enlightened Europe, Theo van Gogh was savagely murdered. Authors and politicians need police protection, have been forced into hiding, reduced to silence and deprived of their fundamental rights. For Robert Redeker, a former philosophy teacher at a lycée in Toulouse, the consequences of this thought control have been devastating.
Redeker has been in hiding ever since his op-ed article "Face aux intimidations islamistes, que doit faire le monde libre?" (How should the free world confront Islamist intimidation?), appeared in Le Figaro on September 19, 2006, two days after Pope Benedict XVI's speech at Regensburg. The outrage provoked by the pope's observation on the relation between Islam and violence, wrote Redeker, was an attempt by this same Islam to stifle freedom of thought and expression, the most precious Western value, which did not exist in any Muslim country. Islam was trying to impose its rules on Europe, he added, citing, among others, prohibition of caricatures, pressure to allow girls to wear the hijab to school and accusations of Islamophobia.
February 28, 2009 at 5:13 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
I assume everyone has been following the current story about the Muslim guy here in the US that beheaded his wife. He founded the Muslim TV station here in the US........
February 28, 2009 at 11:33 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
Gee, anyone remember all the rioting just because a Danish newspaper ran a caricature of Mohammed? Christians see our religion defaced daily, but I don't recall people being killed & mass rioting worlwide....
February 28, 2009 at 11:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
Wow! mrwho, if you really wanted to understand, I would gladly outline it for you, but you clearly don't.
As for, "Indeed, it is in the Quran, verse 35, chapter five, we learn that the Quran considers killing one innocent person to be equivalent to killing the entire mankind,” and "Expel the evil with the one that is good so you may find your enemy turned into your friend.”
The third piece of that picture is the part of the Quran that instucts that those who won't convert are infidels, not innocents, and are to be killed--an instruction that does not exist in Judaism or Christianity.
February 28, 2009 at 6:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
And the Quran also teaches that it is ok to lie to infidels, (since we are no better than animals), so.... the person in this article is free to tell us "infidels" any cotton-picking thing he wants.
I see that Clinton just pledged over $900 million to help rebuild the Gaza strip (good luck keeping that out of terrorists hands). WHY aren't rich Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia & so forth helping the Palestinians? WHY aren't Iran, Al-Qaeda & others spending millions or billions of their massive oil & opium $$ to help their precious Palestinians, if they care so much about them? Why is it always we infidels who actually pitch in to help?
Well, we all already know the answers, just thinking out loud...
February 28, 2009 at 8:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jhimmi (anonymous) says...
I think Christians in general take Jesus' commandments to love one another, turn the other cheek, love your enemies, those without sin cast the first stone, etc., etc. to make more sense than Old Testament verses about killing everyone at the drop of a hat.
I'm not sure where in the New Testament Jesus authorized the Inquisition or the Salem witch trials. Mohammed, on the other hand, gave very explicit instructions on how to deal with non-Muslims, especially Jews (or, as Mohammed called them, 'apes and pigs').
February 28, 2009 at 8:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
"Prophets of God do not fight with each other..... Jihad had never been used by the prophet or any of his legitimate successors to justify murder........ if you read the history of the prophet Mohammed ... in his tradition, surprisingly you find so many parallels with the life of Jesus.”
Well, if you read the history of Mohammed, you will find a very violent, hedonistic story. He married one of his many wives when she was 6 and consumated the marriage when she was 9. I don't see alot of parallels with the life of Jesus.
From http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Pag...
"The Life of Muhammad: An Inconvenient Truth"
Quite a fascinating & insightful history & read.
February 28, 2009 at 9:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
I sense alot of anger and/or hatred of Christianity, or religion in general in you mrwho. I'll agree - religions have throughout history been twisted & misused by all. NOBODY is blameless. But I also see non-religious people and atheists behaving the same way - rioting over the gay marriage amendment vote in California, atheists defacing religious symbols.... etc..... so I don't believe that it is only religion or religious people that behave badly.
But, back to the current topic if we may - the point was about Islam, what it teaches, and how (at least many) of its followers believe and behave. And many of us in the world see quite a different view than you & the other Rosie O'Donnells who believe Christianity is every bit if not more dangerous than Islam. Refresh my memory, please - how many of those that were caught with the "Flirty Fishing" Christian tactic got beheaded? How many of the women trapped that way set themselves on fire, or had their genitals mutilated so they could never receive pleasure from sex? How many Christian countries, like the US, arrest you if you are even caught with a copy of the Quran? I can't seem to find the figures, maybe you could enlighten me.
February 28, 2009 at 10:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
Point taken - I should have said "countries where the majority of the people claim to be Christians or follow some version of Christianity, or some variant of Christianity is the dominant religion." I think the stats would bear that out, that this is a predominately Christian-believing country. (over 3/4 of Americans claim to be Christian - not saying they behave as they should, they just identify themselves as Christians). At least our founding fathers claimed it was founded on Judeo-Christian principles (as opposed to Sharia law) :).
Ok, so how many countries where Islam is NOT the predominant religion, will arrest you for carrying a copy of the Quran?
February 28, 2009 at 11:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
LOL :)
February 28, 2009 at 11:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
blulitespecial (anonymous) says...
I'm sure I missed something here- Who really paid for this? Swap out any religion for muslim,and any American sounding name for that of the speaker.Was this State of Kansas sponsorship for a religion?Would ESU accept speakers from non-muslim religions? Will there be more of my tax dollars at work in this fashion?
March 1, 2009 at 10:18 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
It's probably just a prelude to ESU changing all their class schedules to revolve around Islamic prayer times ala Tyson..... has the university started work on the prayer room yet? LOL
March 2, 2009 at 8:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )