I realize that I cannot be totally objective when it comes to being a Muslim in America. Simply because I am not a Muslim. I am a Native born, white, American Christian. Admittedly, my entire faith encompasses more than just Christianity, but there is no denying that I am at the core Christian based. Raised in a Roman Catholic family, I attended parochial schools.
As I’ve grown I have become more spiritual than religious, and have incorporated parts of Buddhism, Hinduism, Sufi-ism, Native American teachings and Pantheism into my personal outlook on life. I’m blessed with what I like to think of as an open mind, and a live and let live attitude towards other who hold beliefs different from my own. We should all have the right to choose where we place our faith.
I have researched enough to know I can’t realize the depths of the religion of Islam. I do know that there are millions of followers of Muhammad that are peace loving, generous, kind people. The unfortunate fact is these fine folks are getting lumped into the pile of dissident, rowdy, radicals that have given Muslims a bad name. Down to the grass roots level, people are buying into the fear.
The other day my girlfriend called a plumber for a leak repair and when he arrived he looked Middle-Eastern. She confided in me her private trepidation of even letting him in her home. She quickly came to her senses and saw she was overreacting, and of course everything was fine. The fact that she was overly cautious is a widespread symptom of what is happening at the hands of a minority group of Islamic radicals.