MIKE MASTERSON: Love and fear

In name of faith

If you're anything like me, you have mixed feelings and considerable confusion about what's happening today in America when it comes to radical Islamists.

Part of me, as a Christian, always has had a live-and-let-live approach to those who practice any faith different from my own. I evaluate the character and value of others based on individual actions.

Fadil Bayyari is a businessman from Fayetteville who represents the best qualities in a human being. He owns a successful construction company and, like many Muslims, practices his understanding of an Islam rooted in compassion and understanding. I believe most Muslims overwhelmingly choose the peaceful co-existence interpretation of Islam rather than the murderous and evil radical version, which can also make those peace-lovers victims of jihadi extremists.

I hold Bayyari up as an example of the love and concern of his chosen faith because he lives what he professes.

In late 2006, Bayarri made national news when, as a Palestinian-born American Muslim, he extended the hand of friendship to help Fayetteville's Jewish community build a synagogue solely at his cost. That act saved the congregation about $250,000. Completed in 2009, Temple Shalom became the first permanent home for Fayetteville's Reform Jewish congregation.

Truth is, very few of us from the so-called Bible Belt know those who practice peaceful Islam. It's sadly true though, as we've witnessed, there are those of this faith rooted in the tumultuous Middle East, who believe they should kill "infidels" who prefer other religions. We've learned this jihadist mentality rooted in their interpretation of their holy Koran is taught and promoted by extremist leaders.

How do we of other faiths know which mosques are peaceful and which are radicalized? We don't. Our ignorance presents a very big problem.

We have seen abundant evidence of the radical savagery, from the beheadings of innocent Christians and fellow Muslims to burning them alive. We've seen radicalized jihadist militants throw innocents from tall buildings, the terrible Boston bombing, and on and on.

Since 9/11, it's become difficult for those raised in the open societies of Western civilization not to take note of the slaughter increasing around us. Most recently, we recoiled in collective horror at the seemingly peaceful, yet radicalized, Muslim couple in San Bernardino sacrificing their lives to commit mass murders in the name of Allah while leaving their baby. And what of psychiatrist Major Nidal Hasan who, while reportedly shouting "Allahu Akbar" in 2009, murdered 13 fellow soldiers and wounded 32 others at Fort Hood, Texas?

Those who embrace religions rooted in love and forgiveness can't begin to understand the rationale behind such evil attributed to our mutual creator. Human nature being what it is, we tend to react out of self-preservation for ourselves, our children and those we love. No sane person I know would fault us for that behavior.

Now this administration insists on bringing thousands of "refugees" from the war-torn Middle East into our open (thus vulnerable) society. This decision is imposed by what amounts to presidential decree, regardless that many individual states prefer not to participate. In light of the carnage and turmoil occurring today from such mass immigration into European countries, such an order leaves many thinking people asking why. The question is especially relevant when our nation has no viable way to conduct thorough background checks on those allowed into its communities.

The FBI has conceded as much. It's common sense to ask how you properly "vet" these refugees when their countries of origin lie in shambles. And even if possible, then what? Why, as an alternative, haven't more wealthy Middle Eastern countries, where Islam for centuries has been ingrained in their culture, agreed to establish their own refugee camps close to home?

I decided to write because I know that unfortunate confusions, fear and similar thoughts have been on so many minds.

How does our basically forgiving and empathetic society (certainly including every equally innocent and vulnerable Muslim sadly caught in the middle) deal with the growing concerns and cancerous suspicions? One caring Muslim woman with a promising career in media (the diametric opposite of a radical) said she's left social media because it bothered her too much for the first time in her life to be reading hateful posts about Islam.

I asked the wife of a successful Muslim businessman from Texas what she believes can be done.

She didn't hesitate: "The many peaceful and innocent Muslims in America and elsewhere have been put in a bad light by the radical actions of a relative few. The only way is to show the love and peace the vast majority of us truly represent. We alone must do what's necessary to openly combat and resist the radical extremists and become involved in helping end the violence and this terribly distorted version of our faith."

------------v------------

Mike Masterson's column appears regularly in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Email him at mmasterson@arkansasonline.com.

Editorial on 02/09/2016

Upcoming Events