Welcome back to
the Liberty Insider.
00:00:06.35\00:00:08.18
Before the break I was
talking with guest Imam Shamshad
00:00:08.21\00:00:12.21
about the necessity of
dialog between religions
00:00:12.24\00:00:14.99
and the advantages
that come from that.
00:00:15.02\00:00:16.67
Of course the certain risks
00:00:16.70\00:00:18.94
that come from doing
it the wrong way around.
00:00:18.97\00:00:21.93
But during the break
I was think about 9/11
00:00:21.96\00:00:25.75
which was a horrific
event and it underscored
00:00:25.78\00:00:28.13
the fact that so many people
certainly in the United States
00:00:28.16\00:00:31.62
have almost no knowledge about
00:00:31.65\00:00:35.68
what different faiths
believe and of course Islam.
00:00:35.71\00:00:38.57
They were abysmally ignorant.
00:00:38.60\00:00:41.80
And one of the negative
things that came out of it,
00:00:41.83\00:00:45.16
some people are prejudice
00:00:45.19\00:00:47.63
and just no thought at all
committed acts of violence.
00:00:47.66\00:00:51.51
You know, lashing out
to try to get to the people
00:00:51.54\00:00:54.06
they thought were responsible.
00:00:54.09\00:00:55.50
And I could
remember some of the Sikhs
00:00:55.53\00:00:57.11
were attacked. Right.
00:00:57.14\00:00:58.90
Nobody should have
been attacked. Of course.
00:00:58.93\00:01:01.12
You know, people that
have nothing to do with it
00:01:01.15\00:01:03.07
but that was just pure ignorance
00:01:03.10\00:01:04.65
'cause Sikhs its the
most peripheral connection
00:01:04.68\00:01:09.64
in history to Islam, isn't
it? This is a separate religion.
00:01:09.67\00:01:13.07
Yes, they were
against Muslim because of 9/11
00:01:13.10\00:01:16.06
and because Sikhs
appear to them like Muslim
00:01:16.09\00:01:19.22
because they had turban
and they went attacked them.
00:01:19.25\00:01:22.72
So as you said I agree with that
00:01:22.75\00:01:24.67
that nobody should be attack
00:01:24.70\00:01:25.92
on the basis of faith
or religion whatsoever.
00:01:25.95\00:01:28.53
And this 9/11 disaster
was great disaster for us,
00:01:28.56\00:01:32.31
for whole
humanity in fact I will say
00:01:32.34\00:01:34.74
because Islam says that
if you kill innocent person
00:01:34.77\00:01:38.00
you kill whole the humanity,
you kill whole the humanity.
00:01:38.03\00:01:41.30
So in this regard but after that
00:01:41.33\00:01:44.14
the awareness of
the faith and religion
00:01:44.17\00:01:46.36
and necessity of the
coming together for a dialog
00:01:46.39\00:01:50.69
it became more apparent
and more people accepted it.
00:01:50.72\00:01:54.24
And now you will see
many towns and cities
00:01:54.27\00:01:57.78
there religious leaders
meeting coming together,
00:01:57.81\00:02:01.10
interfaith
meeting, dialog are coming.
00:02:01.13\00:02:03.52
I think it is a
good sign of that
00:02:03.55\00:02:05.70
and so that the
people should know--
00:02:05.73\00:02:07.26
in our mosque here in
Chino and Masjid Bait-ur-Rahman
00:02:07.29\00:02:11.44
in Maryland many
groups were started coming.
00:02:11.47\00:02:15.03
And people were so ignorant
00:02:15.06\00:02:17.91
they don't know even
know how we are greeting,
00:02:17.94\00:02:20.11
why we are greeting, what
is the meaning of greeting,
00:02:20.14\00:02:22.87
what is the different
between Muslim and Islam
00:02:22.90\00:02:26.50
or Quran and things like that.
00:02:26.53\00:02:28.30
So they don't know,
but now by the grace of God
00:02:28.33\00:02:31.04
as we are approaching our
side people are coming to us
00:02:31.07\00:02:34.52
dialog is more
important as I am saying.
00:02:34.55\00:02:36.82
And I would think
not just in the US
00:02:36.85\00:02:38.98
but in another
parts of the world
00:02:39.01\00:02:40.27
that same dialog would be
useful for Muslim communities
00:02:40.30\00:02:45.38
to find out some of the things
about Christianity. Of course.
00:02:45.41\00:02:48.37
I mean, it's obvious to me that
in some countries especially
00:02:48.40\00:02:52.63
where the populous
that are not well educated
00:02:52.66\00:02:55.67
they're presuming
that the United States
00:02:55.70\00:02:57.97
as a political entity is
an expression of Christianity.
00:02:58.00\00:03:01.84
And of course as, you know,
00:03:01.87\00:03:03.03
this government structurally
is not Christian, never was
00:03:03.06\00:03:07.55
and it doesn't do
things because of religion.
00:03:07.58\00:03:10.20
Because of religion.
00:03:10.23\00:03:12.61
And so I think this dialog helps
all around and goodness knows
00:03:12.64\00:03:19.62
there's a lot of information
that could be shared.
00:03:19.65\00:03:21.48
I know a Seventh-day Adventist
00:03:21.51\00:03:22.84
within North America
many people have no idea.
00:03:22.87\00:03:26.08
I remember my son
when he was much younger
00:03:26.11\00:03:29.20
we wanted to send
him to Christian Academy
00:03:29.23\00:03:33.82
and we had a good interview
00:03:33.85\00:03:35.43
but after we were there
the principal called me up
00:03:35.46\00:03:38.22
and he says I'm
sorry he can't come here
00:03:38.25\00:03:40.54
because Seventh-day
Adventist are not Christians.
00:03:40.57\00:03:43.63
I said well, I said what you
made of course we're Christians.
00:03:43.66\00:03:46.89
Oh, no you're not
Christians, end of it.
00:03:46.92\00:03:49.38
Well, that's
apart from the prejudice
00:03:49.41\00:03:52.01
that are
represented, that was prejudice
00:03:52.04\00:03:53.89
built on absolute
lack of information.
00:03:53.92\00:03:57.69
Right, and
sometimes other people
00:03:57.72\00:04:00.38
did not want to
understand other people too
00:04:00.41\00:04:02.98
even so much you do
dialog with them but--
00:04:03.01\00:04:05.39
Well, of course dialog
is the magic, isn't it?
00:04:05.42\00:04:08.17
I can give you example
that I was in Dayton, Ohio
00:04:08.20\00:04:12.57
a group of people
started coming to my house
00:04:12.60\00:04:15.90
and you know I am the Imam
but I welcome them and I gave--
00:04:15.93\00:04:21.70
in my living room they came
00:04:21.73\00:04:23.17
and started
preaching about the Bible.
00:04:23.20\00:04:25.42
So one day it took 30 minutes
00:04:25.45\00:04:27.33
they were gave
me some pamphlets.
00:04:27.36\00:04:29.48
Next day again they
came, third day again they came
00:04:29.51\00:04:32.26
and the third day I said, okay,
00:04:32.29\00:04:34.64
look you come
continuously two days
00:04:34.67\00:04:37.90
you were preaching to
me, you were telling me
00:04:37.93\00:04:39.58
what your faith. Now
you want to tell them.
00:04:39.61\00:04:41.56
Now that I
listened very carefully
00:04:41.59\00:04:43.67
what you are talking.
00:04:43.70\00:04:44.73
Now I want to also
mention about Islam.
00:04:44.76\00:04:47.49
They said, no, no,
no our faith is true
00:04:47.52\00:04:49.95
and I say you are
Jehovah Witness I know.
00:04:49.98\00:04:53.01
I thought they were-- You right.
00:04:53.04\00:04:54.62
And I-- now it is my turn that
00:04:54.65\00:04:57.38
you have to give time
to me also to listen to me.
00:04:57.41\00:04:59.82
And they were not agree at
all and then left the place.
00:04:59.85\00:05:03.48
They say, no, our is
only true, our is only--
00:05:03.51\00:05:07.43
I said, there was a Kroger
store very close to my house.
00:05:07.46\00:05:13.41
And I said, did
you go to Kroger store?
00:05:13.44\00:05:16.31
They said, yes.
00:05:16.34\00:05:17.38
I said, do you find how many
breads are there on one shelf.
00:05:17.41\00:05:21.81
So many brands and
you pick all the time one
00:05:21.84\00:05:24.76
and you say well,
this is the only taste
00:05:24.79\00:05:26.88
because you
didn't taste other one,
00:05:26.91\00:05:28.58
because you don't
know the knowledge
00:05:28.61\00:05:29.67
of other groups and faith.
00:05:29.70\00:05:31.64
So I cannot believe that that is
00:05:31.67\00:05:33.83
what you have
that is the only tasty
00:05:33.86\00:05:35.75
and rest of that
don't have any taste at all.
00:05:35.78\00:05:38.42
Well, there is might be the
truth that's not impossible.
00:05:38.45\00:05:42.00
But they will never
know and you will never know
00:05:42.03\00:05:44.19
unless there is some
discussion if it analysis.
00:05:44.22\00:05:45.96
Of course that is the
necessity of the dialog
00:05:45.99\00:05:48.70
that we should come
closer to each other
00:05:48.73\00:05:50.40
and understand
what is your belief,
00:05:50.43\00:05:52.69
what is my belief, what
is your faith, what is my.
00:05:52.72\00:05:55.02
How I practice.
00:05:55.05\00:05:56.08
Even somebody they do not know
00:05:56.11\00:05:58.10
how Muslim are
practicing their faith.
00:05:58.13\00:06:00.18
For instance after 9/11
it was great disaster again
00:06:00.21\00:06:03.31
I will say that
a Muslim are saying
00:06:03.34\00:06:06.46
prayer in an opening
area or in the airplane
00:06:06.49\00:06:10.18
or somewhere else when
the time of prayer approached.
00:06:10.21\00:06:12.02
You thought
that was provocative?
00:06:12.05\00:06:13.80
Yeah, people thought
00:06:13.83\00:06:16.13
oh, he is doing some
suspicious activities
00:06:16.16\00:06:19.77
and they reported.
00:06:19.80\00:06:21.20
So the reason is
that they did not know
00:06:21.23\00:06:22.93
what kind of worship
and how Muslim worship.
00:06:22.96\00:06:25.66
So I think it is very important
00:06:25.69\00:06:27.17
that we should
come to each other
00:06:27.20\00:06:28.78
and visit to the church
00:06:28.81\00:06:30.89
and mosque or
synagogue or temple
00:06:30.92\00:06:33.51
so that we should know
what kind of worship they do,
00:06:33.54\00:06:36.18
what they say in their worship,
00:06:36.21\00:06:37.85
and how form and
shape of their worship is
00:06:37.88\00:06:40.25
so that we get to have
good knowledge of these things.
00:06:40.28\00:06:42.66
Now I like your attitude
00:06:42.69\00:06:44.99
and I think we
need more discussion.
00:06:45.02\00:06:47.73
And on one level
there has been a lot more
00:06:47.76\00:06:50.22
but on another level
00:06:50.25\00:06:51.67
I think the
barriers are still up
00:06:51.70\00:06:54.23
and in some ways there--
00:06:54.26\00:06:57.23
as I mentioned
in another program
00:06:57.26\00:06:58.67
that you know I
had internationally
00:06:58.70\00:07:00.30
this move against
forbidding people from saying
00:07:00.33\00:07:03.75
anything offensive
to another religion.
00:07:03.78\00:07:07.25
We're in the timeframe
00:07:07.28\00:07:09.17
when people take
offence very easily, don't they?
00:07:09.20\00:07:10.95
Of course, yeah.
00:07:10.98\00:07:13.14
In this age very easily. Yes.
00:07:13.17\00:07:16.81
Many times you will
have experience of that.
00:07:16.84\00:07:18.92
Yeah, yeah.
00:07:18.95\00:07:20.60
And even within the US,
00:07:20.63\00:07:21.88
even within the
Christian community
00:07:21.91\00:07:24.20
things like
abortion, and prayer in school,
00:07:24.23\00:07:27.06
and all of these
things that just you know,
00:07:27.09\00:07:30.22
the emotions are so high
00:07:30.25\00:07:32.04
and often people
don't understand like
00:07:32.07\00:07:34.32
I've just came
form meetings recently
00:07:34.35\00:07:36.71
where people of good
Christian faith were claiming
00:07:36.74\00:07:43.03
that they can't share
their religion in the schools
00:07:43.06\00:07:46.43
and religious persecution.
00:07:46.46\00:07:48.13
Well, they are
not being persecuted.
00:07:48.16\00:07:50.40
There is a protection
that the government has
00:07:50.43\00:07:53.03
so that it's not
teaching religion to anyone
00:07:53.06\00:07:57.41
so that it restricts religious
instruction in the schools.
00:07:57.44\00:08:00.53
But that doesn't
mean the government
00:08:00.56\00:08:01.60
against religion. Of course.
00:08:01.63\00:08:03.27
It's to the advantage of every
religion that it does that.
00:08:03.30\00:08:06.12
Because I would be
very unhappy no offence
00:08:06.15\00:08:09.25
if I found that the State
school was teaching Islam,
00:08:09.28\00:08:14.42
right and you
would be very unhappy
00:08:14.45\00:08:16.33
if you found that you send
your child the State school
00:08:16.36\00:08:20.37
that they were
teaching Buddhism, right.
00:08:20.40\00:08:22.53
You don't want the
government in that business.
00:08:22.56\00:08:24.76
Of course, this is not
the government business.
00:08:24.79\00:08:26.39
That's the point.
00:08:26.42\00:08:27.64
It's not that any
of those religions
00:08:27.67\00:08:30.53
don't have a dignity and
perhaps could be correct.
00:08:30.56\00:08:34.14
I mean, that's
for the individual
00:08:34.17\00:08:35.50
to find with your conscious
and your spiritual search.
00:08:35.53\00:08:38.45
You will settle on one
00:08:38.48\00:08:40.21
that you see God
speaking through it
00:08:40.24\00:08:41.94
and then you
follow your conscious.
00:08:41.97\00:08:43.38
You know, we
also stress this point
00:08:43.41\00:08:45.98
because it happened at the time
00:08:46.01\00:08:47.08
of the Prophet
Muhammad peace be on him.
00:08:47.11\00:08:49.54
Then Prophet
Muhammad peace be on him
00:08:49.57\00:08:52.57
started telling his
mission that he is from God
00:08:52.60\00:08:55.33
and he is prophet
and people follow him.
00:08:55.36\00:08:57.84
And some group of
Christian from Najran
00:08:57.87\00:09:02.25
they came to his mosque
and they said the dialog there.
00:09:02.28\00:09:07.27
So this is very important
for us that it is started there.
00:09:07.30\00:09:10.35
And the founder of the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
00:09:10.38\00:09:12.38
in India, Qadian
he has many dialog
00:09:12.41\00:09:15.65
with other people too,
00:09:15.68\00:09:17.06
in writings also
and verbally also.
00:09:17.09\00:09:20.41
And our community was
doing already this thing
00:09:20.44\00:09:23.88
as I mentioned in
1886 religious founders day
00:09:23.91\00:09:27.13
was celebrated
where the big article
00:09:27.16\00:09:30.39
of the founder of the
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
00:09:30.42\00:09:32.20
title of The Philosophy of
the Teachings of Islam were read
00:09:32.23\00:09:35.48
and it took longer
time than any other person.
00:09:35.51\00:09:38.77
And they increase
two days for that.
00:09:38.80\00:09:41.29
And I think your group is been
00:09:41.32\00:09:43.46
almost forced in
today's discussions
00:09:43.49\00:09:45.61
because in Islam you have
a very distinctive difference
00:09:45.64\00:09:49.28
and you have to
explain yourself over time.
00:09:49.31\00:09:50.59
Yeah, yeah.
00:09:50.62\00:09:51.91
And with your
understand of Jesus,
00:09:51.94\00:09:54.62
your automatically in
dialog with Christians
00:09:54.65\00:09:56.69
so that is a more
positive dynamic. Yeah, yeah.
00:09:56.72\00:10:01.28
But yes, I think
you and I can agree
00:10:01.31\00:10:02.91
and I hope our viewers do
that there are difference,
00:10:02.94\00:10:06.06
there are great prejudices,
00:10:06.09\00:10:07.38
there are truths and errors
all floating around in religion.
00:10:07.41\00:10:10.73
But it can only
be helped not harmed
00:10:10.76\00:10:13.17
by honest
discussion, clarification.
00:10:13.20\00:10:18.09
In some cases you
might be confirmed
00:10:18.12\00:10:20.02
yes these people
have a dangerous view
00:10:20.05\00:10:23.08
that I won't persecute
but I will stay away from it.
00:10:23.11\00:10:25.93
But you might
find that the belief
00:10:25.96\00:10:27.55
you have is quite false,
00:10:27.58\00:10:29.28
it's a prejudice
rather than an understand.
00:10:29.31\00:10:31.66
In this regard
tolerance is also very important
00:10:31.69\00:10:34.34
when somebody disagree
with you or he is mentioning
00:10:34.37\00:10:37.47
things which is not
according to your belief
00:10:37.50\00:10:40.25
you should have tolerance also.
00:10:40.28\00:10:41.64
Unfortunately
these kind of tolerance
00:10:41.67\00:10:44.21
is not in among
the Muslims these times
00:10:44.24\00:10:46.16
especially in
Pakistan, India in these days.
00:10:46.19\00:10:48.48
I think both surely
in the Muslim societies
00:10:48.51\00:10:50.77
tolerance is scarce commodity.
00:10:50.80\00:10:53.16
Yeah. Yeah.
00:10:53.19\00:10:56.50
So a last word from
you as we end this program.
00:10:56.53\00:11:00.98
Again would you--
how would you reiterate
00:11:01.01\00:11:03.60
the importance of
understanding Islam?
00:11:03.63\00:11:07.08
I think this is very important
00:11:07.11\00:11:09.00
to understand the
faith of other person.
00:11:09.03\00:11:11.90
It also important
that if you disagree,
00:11:11.93\00:11:14.80
disagreement is okay,
00:11:14.83\00:11:16.57
but respect should be
maintain always there.
00:11:16.60\00:11:19.41
And knowing other people
is not harming you at all
00:11:19.44\00:11:23.28
and it is also the
teaching of the Holy Quran,
00:11:23.31\00:11:26.68
teaching of the Prophet of Islam
00:11:26.71\00:11:28.49
that you must get the knowledge.
00:11:28.52\00:11:30.67
And for that knowledge
00:11:30.70\00:11:32.44
even if you have to
travel you can travel.
00:11:32.47\00:11:34.78
So to knowing each
other very important
00:11:34.81\00:11:38.18
but maintain the
respect and honor
00:11:38.21\00:11:40.84
and dignity of
other people as well.
00:11:40.87\00:11:43.87
Yeah, the day I read to
my children from the Bible
00:11:43.90\00:11:46.63
where in the Book of Acts
00:11:46.66\00:11:48.49
there was a story
told that Philip taken up
00:11:48.52\00:11:51.45
and placed in the desert
alongside the Ethiopian Eunuch
00:11:51.48\00:11:55.28
who was passing by reading
turns out the Book of Isaiah.
00:11:55.31\00:11:59.95
He was reading it and as he said
00:11:59.98\00:12:01.65
I don't know what it means.
00:12:01.68\00:12:03.47
I think this is
pretty typical of today
00:12:03.50\00:12:05.53
whether it's the
Bible or the Quran
00:12:05.56\00:12:07.83
or probably other holy
books there are a lot of people
00:12:07.86\00:12:10.61
that have no idea
what are in those books.
00:12:10.64\00:12:14.22
I think Christians
speaking as a Christian
00:12:14.25\00:12:16.81
and as a Seventh-day Adventist
00:12:16.84\00:12:18.46
we need to
understand our holy book.
00:12:18.49\00:12:21.49
We need to know a
reason for our faith.
00:12:21.52\00:12:24.63
But also when we are in dialog
with people of other faiths
00:12:24.66\00:12:27.66
we should be familiar
with what they believe
00:12:27.69\00:12:31.14
not in the
comparative religion sense
00:12:31.17\00:12:33.13
which sometimes
equates all religions
00:12:33.16\00:12:36.16
with other religions
but we need to be informed,
00:12:36.19\00:12:39.56
we need to be sensitive
to other people's believes
00:12:39.59\00:12:42.65
and we need to be able
to speak intelligently,
00:12:42.68\00:12:45.16
sympathetically,
and supportively
00:12:45.19\00:12:48.32
of other
people's faith commitment
00:12:48.35\00:12:50.03
because there by
lies religious liberty.
00:12:50.06\00:12:55.53
For Liberty Insider
this is Lincoln Steed.
00:12:55.56\00:12:58.48