Misunderstood Religion
Reader comment on item: How Central Is Muslim Anti-Semitism?

Submitted by Ihsan Rijal (Malaysia), May 30, 2003 at 11:40

I'm a Non-Arab Muslim. As a muslim I believe that my religion is the best and the truest compared to any other religion but still I respect any followers of any religion. And If I do not have such believe than why should I choose Islam as my religion. The feeling of superiority for any follower of any religion is normal and understandable. Some choose his religion because out of reasoning, for some it is because of personal experience and many of them inherited the religion from parents. Despite myself believing the superiority of my religion, all of you whether Christians or Jews believe also that your religion is superior and have reasons for such claim.

Thus, what actually abnormal are those who choose their religion for which they feel inferior to others. Those who feel that they are subjects to others. And those who are made to serve others.

Despite the feeling of superiority between various kinds of religions, we have the commonness to each other. We believe in goodness and virtues and that to be promoted and to be nurtured. Not hatred.

It is true that I regard the Christians are not on the right path and the Jews are to be condemned. But that does not justify myself to sentence all of them to death punishment. It is not the teaching of Islam. But Islam is a comprehensive religion which manifests its mechanism of defence in the real world to defend itself, its followers, followers dignity and followers property. It means that there is no sense of cowardness in Islam. If one does damage to us he would receive back the same amount of damage.

We muslims, regardless of races and nations are brothers to each other. No superiority among muslims except for those who have stronger faith. We love virtues and peace and we practice them in daily lives BUT if our right face be slapped we do not give the left one to be slapped too.

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