Responding to Fear & Hatred

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem
In the Name of God/Allah, The Compassionate, The Merciful

I have been working with a non-profit organization called M.E.C.C.A. - Muslim Education & Converts Center of America. The goal of this organization can be summarized as follows:

1) To provide essential educational and support services to those who are new to Islam.
2) To propagate the idea that one can be Muslim and American at the same time, with no contradiction.
3) To teach Muslims (new and old) and non-Muslims alike about Islam, emphasizing the tolerant tradition within Islam.

Click here if you're interested to learn more.

Having a presence on the internet as a Muslim organization, unfortunately, earns us a number of nasty e-mails. We recently received a particularly special e-mail from an individual who's name will not be disclosed for the sake of respecting his/her privacy. This person was responded to by our President, Mr. Thomas Wilentz, who is one of many living examples of a Muslim who is also an American.

This is the letter we received, unedited:

American as apple pie?

Would you describe stoning to death a 17 year old woman as American as apple pie?

You people are pigs. This is not a religion, is it a form of barbarism.

Get out of our country, you are not welcome here.

I am an American woman and your culture is anathema to our rights. The men in your culture are barbaric, hairy, stupid sexist pigs. And that women in America SHARE POWER with me is AMERICAN AS APPLE PIE. SO GET OUT.

Get the next plane out of our country. You do not belong here with your sexist views and perspectives on women. And your religion is frightening to us all. Who will you blow up or stone to death next????

And here is Brother Tom's response:

Dear ---------,

Your email was refreshing. Thank you. I always enjoy hearing the honest, uncensored comments from people like you who have been misled to believe that "the muslims" are barbarians. To answer your question, I would not describe stoning a 17 year old girl to death as "American as apple pie." Why would you ask?

Would you, as an American woman, like to be told that "you people are pigs" and to "get out of our country, you are not welcome here?" I, as an American man, do not appreciate being spoken to in such a manner. Perhaps you have heard of the golden rule - do unto others as you would have others do unto you? Try it sometime.

Now that you have vented your anger about atrocities commited by some Muslims somewhere by sending me a nasty email, please take a moment to examine your views. If you are a white Christian, would you want to be judged by the actions of the Ku Klux Klan or Timothy McVeigh or the genocidal war criminals among the Bosnian Serbs? I think not. Likewise, we Muslims do not like being judged for the crimes committed by fanatical Muslims or jihadis. Have you ever heard of guilt by association? It is un-American.

Also, your comment that Muslim men are "barbaric, hairy, stupid sexist pigs" is nothing more than naked bigotry. Bigotry is no longer American as apple pie- although it used to be. By the way, we Muslim Americans are not getting on any planes and leaving our country - because it is OUR country too. There is a little bit in the Bill of Rights known as the Establishment Clause. It guarantees the freedom of religion. So I get to be Muslim, and you don't have to be scared of me because I cannot force you to worship as I do. But you have to let me worship as I choose, and you can't kick me out of the country, or deny me any equal rights under the law because of my religion. That is American as apple pie.

You ask "who will you blow up or stone to death next?" This question implies that I have already blown someone up, or stoned someone to death. You must have me confused with somebody else. I have never even been in a fistfight.

I hope you can find it in your heart to shed the hatred you feel for people who have committed no wrong other than worshiping God as Muslims. Anyway, you will need to get used having us hairy, stupid guys around, because we're not going anywhere. If it's too upseting for you, maybe you should consider moving somewhere else. I hear there are almost no Muslims in Antarctica. (just joking!).

I do not mean to give you a hard time, but your email really demanded a response. Don't judge all Muslims by the actions of a few.

May God bless you.

Tom Wilentz

This was not the first e-mail we've received from someone who is filled with fear and hatred of Muslims. There have been others in the past to whom brother Tom has responded who have actually replied thanking him and apologizing. We all hope that brother Tom's response will elicit the kinder person inside the individual - one that is free from irrational fear and hatred.