When I entered the Military in 1968 at age 19, I was soon in Vietnam. My hootch (group living quarters) had about 60% white and 40% black guys. One day, I mentioned to three black guys that when I was growing up I had a black friend. All three laughed. I asked them what they thought was so funny and one guy said, "Never mind. It's no big deal." As the years passed and I gained more life experience, I realized the reason they laughed was that I was inadvertently using an age-old method often employed to skew the truth. I was offering one black friend as evidence that I got along with black people or more to the point, that I was not prejudiced.
Since then, I have seen this technique used over and over ad nauseam. People point to one reality as if that one fact represents the whole of a truth. When that one fact is in conflict with the greater truth the inference is that the one truth is not the exception to the rule, but evidence that the rule (norm) does not exist or, at least, should be suspect. If a police vehicle is behind you, you will drive the speed limit and not one mile per hour more. If the police vehicle is ahead of you and the officer is driving three miles per hour over the speed limit, you may drive three miles over the speed limit too. He became the exception to the rule so you changed the rule (norm, that is, the speed limit).
We have all experienced people who use the exception to the rule to imply that the rule is not any good, unworthy of consideration or no longer valid. One authority figure misuses his authority so people buy "Question Authority" bumper stickers. One man spanks his child too hard, so it becomes illegal to spank your child for gross misbehavior.
All informed people know the Muslim faith (Islam) demands all non-Muslims who refuse to convert to Islam are to be persecuted, tortured and/or killed. And, we all know that all adult Muslims who know the content of their religious writings or know of Islamic history and current events, know this. However, there is an endless (and expected) list of people who claim they "know a nice Muslim." Their inference is since they know a "nice Muslim" most Muslims are good people and it is wrong to make the statement that the Muslim faith demands the persecution, torture and/or killing of non-Muslims.
When I hear a non-Muslim say he or she "knows a nice Muslim," I laugh just like my black friends laughed when I said, "When I was growing up, I had a black friend." Having a black friend is insufficient proof that there is no color-based prejudice in the world, nor is it sufficient evidence that I am every black man's friend. Likewise, knowing a nice Muslim is insufficient evidence that the Muslim faith (Koran) DOES NOT demand the persecution, torture and/or death of every non-Muslim or that faithful Muslims DO NOT adhere to that cause.
With this truth in mind, why would a Muslim stay a Muslim knowing that prejudice towards, and the torture and murder of non-Muslims are often repeated commandments and major tenets of their doctrine? When a person answers that question for me they can tell me how many nice Muslims they know.
Am I prejudiced towards Muslims? No. I am negative towards people who want me tortured and dead. I have not pre-judged the Muslim faith (Islam). I am only believing their printed religions doctrines (kill non-Muslim who refuse to convert to Islam) and printed political doctrines (take non-Muslims' land and possessions by any means possible, including peaceful and/or bloodshed). Call me a fool for believing them if you want. I call anyone who does not believe them the fool of fools. History as well as the present world conditions proves me right.
If you are not a Klansman take off the white sheet and white hood. If you are not a Nazi remove the swastika from your clothing. If you are a Muslim and not in favor of the "kill all non-Muslim" doctrine, change faiths. It is pretty simple logic, if you ask me. Am I prejudging the Klansman in a white robe and white hood to say that I think he hates black people? No. Am I pre-judging the Nazi with the swastika on his clothing or tattooed on his forehead when I say I think he hates Jewish people? No. Am I pre-judging the Muslim with I think he or she hates non-Muslims? No.
If you are not a Klansman take off the white sheet and white hood. If you are not a Nazi remove the swastika from your clothing. If you are a Muslim and not in favor of the "kill all non-Muslim" doctrine, change faiths. It is pretty simple logic, if you ask me. Am I prejudging the Klansman in a white robe and white hood to say that I think he hates black people? No. Am I pre-judging the Nazi with the swastika on his clothing or tattooed on his forehead when I say I think he hates Jewish people? No. Am I pre-judging the Muslim with I think he or she hates non-Muslims? No.
Even if I knew a nice Klansman or a nice Nazi I would not think that all or most Klansman love black people or that all or most Nazi's love Jews. Even if you know a nice Muslim, do not tell me that Muslim faith preaches love thy non-Muslim neighbor. There is no golden rule in Islam! Even if you know a nice Muslim, your exception to the rule does not change the rule, but establishes the rule; that is why an exception can exist! Besides that, the Koran commands the Muslim to act like your friend until you are positioned for a successful attack.Informed people know that.
The next time someone tells you they know a "good Muslim" just chuckle and say, "What do you mean by that?" When they finish squirming, say, "Are you trying to imply that their prophet Muhammad does not demand persecution, torture and/or death for all non-Muslims?" When they finish saying whatever dumb thing they will say, then consider responding with, "Are you trying to imply that faithful Muslims do not believe in or obey their religious and political writings?" That person will not know what to say. Their premise is that Muslims are good religious people, however, good religious people obey their religion's dictates. You have just informed them that the religious dictates of Islam (Muslims) demand that your friend convert to Islam or be tortured/killed.
Now that person who confronted you about their Islamic (Muslim) friend knows there is no such thing as a Muslim (Islamic) friend. You have just educated someone. Good for you!
Next article subject matter: What are the religious and political writings (documents) of Islam?
To see the previous article in this series go to http://www.ppsimmons.blogspot.com/2014/11/understanding-islam-part-3-muslim.html
Rev. Joda Collins
I make no claim that my views are shared by anyone else.
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