Today the NYT reported that a rider asked the cabbie if he was a Muslim and when the cabbie said yes, the rider took out a long knife and stabbed him!
The article is worth reading about. It shows how intolerance leads to hate to acts of violence on innocent victims. Not all Muslims are like the terrorists of 9/11 or the Talibans. Not all Muslims practice child marriage. Not all Muslims hate America.
On a related topic, it takes real character not to fall for a kneejerk reaction against the planned construction of the Islamic Center near Ground Zero in New York City. The core principle of equal rights of religions in America is being tested. If America shows her confidence and lives up to her image as a country which adheres to laws and to the respect of human rights, and does not stand in the way of the construction of the Islamic Center, the world will respect America more for her moral authority and will look up to her for leadership.
If America fights against Islamic fundamentalists with her own brand of intolerance, she descends down to the same gutter with her enemy. Likewise with individual behavior, if a person who replies in kind to an individual who is a hysterical hypocrite and who is being consumed and taken over by a desire to lash out in unjustified name calling, that person is no better than his attacker. It's far better to respond calmly and rebut with facts. Let the facts speak for themselves and establish for the world to see who is telling the truth.
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