"...if anyone slew a person unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if anyone saved a life it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people."    Qur'an 5: 32

"...take not life which Allah has made sacred except by way of justice and law: thus does He command you..."   Qur'an  6: 151

"O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes that you may know each other (not that you may despise each other). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you..."    Qur'an  49: 13

For those Muslims who read or know the above but follow not :

"Nor be of those who reject the Signs of Allah or you shall be of those who perish." Qur'an10:95

On the issue of defending oneself against insolent transgressions and oppressions beyond bounds, Allah commands :

"But indeed if any do help and defend themselves after a wrong (done) to them against such there is no cause of blame. The blame is only against those who oppress men with wrong-doing and insolently transgress beyond bounds through the land defying right and justice: for such there will be a Penalty grievous."     Qur'an  42: 41-42 

Apart from this, for a Muslim...NOTHING else and no other texts or speeches should matter... PERIOD.

Upon seeing a woman killed in the battlefield, the Prophet Muhammad denounced the act: "She should never have been killed" warning against killing women, children and the elderly. The Prophet's Companions followed his noble tradition, ordering their armies never to touch women, children or the elderly and never to use force against recluse monks, farmers or merchants. 

"Do not start the fight, do not mangle [the enemies' corpses], do not uproot trees, do not demolish houses, do not slay sheep or cows save for eating" was the order given to Muslim armies on the way to the battlefield.

Islam holds the human soul in high esteem, and considers an attack against innocent human beings a grave sin.

The Qur'an also demands that Muslims fight against injustice perpetrated against anyone, Muslim or not: "O ye who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to God, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor" (4:135). There are millions of people around the world, who are not Muslims but are suffering as well and it should be Muslims' duty, through their political activism, to help them also. Just as we forcefully speak out against the genocide of Muslims that is being perpetrated in India, Palestine or the Balkans, we should also speak out with as much vigor and force against the genocide that takes place in Rwanda, Congo or Indonesia. We now, rightfully so, decry and bemoan the profiling of Muslim Americans. Yet, I did not remember our condemnation of the racial profiling of African-Americans and Hispanics by police to be as loud or as forceful. This is wrong. There are thousands, if not millions, of battered, abused, hungry, and homeless children right there in our home countries. They also have the right to learn and play, and we should be doing Jihad (struggle) for them as well.

To my Muslims Brothers and Sisters:

   The common man in most parts of the World does not differentiate a religion from its followers and it holds good for average Muslims too. In fact, all religions are primarily judged by the behavior or acts of the followers of that faith. Naturally by extension, Islam is also interpreted rightly or wrongly by our treatment of Christians in Sudan or Indonesia, the treatment meted out to Hindus in Bangladesh or killing of minority Christians in Pakistan. Though none of the above cases compares to the brutality meted out to Muslims in Bosnia or State sponsored genocide in Gujarat -India or daily humiliation amounting to ethnic cleansing of Palestinians by Israelis in occupied territories since last many decades BUT how can Muslims blame the world when some of these excesses take place in the countries governed by Muslims. Some Muslims might argue that these erring Islamic countries only amount to 5-6 out of 56 Islamic nations while most other Muslim countries continue to play good hosts to significant non Muslim minorities. Yes! Our record is better than most but not spotless. It has to be spotless if we claim to be the only custodians of the pure and unchanged word of God. Agreed, We, as indivuduals, cannot change or dictate these erring Muslim governments and so, we have to undertake tasks which will help in building bridges between us and other non Muslims on more personal levels.

In the year after the 9/11 tragedy, many Muslims joined their counterparts worldwide in feeling very much under the microscope, singled out, under scrutiny in India, USA, Europe, China etc., -- their most cherished beliefs often misunderstood, their adored prophet maligned. Yet those feelings have only strengthened their conviction to reach out to others to educate and to become active partners with non-Muslims in building a better community. Retaliation on personal levels, however justified, is NOT an option. We have to educate people and not walk around with our eyes closed. WE should understand that people are upset, but there is no excuse to be upset with Muslims. A friend of mine read and reread the Quran and the writings of Islamic scholars post 9/11-- not just to be able to answer non-Muslim friends’ questions, but to answer her own. People confuse acts of politics with religion, and do not recognize, out of a lack of education, that Islam would not allow this type of behavior.

Muslim leaders should also vow to do their part to reach out more and educate, as well as immerse themselves in helping the community. For example, the Islamic Research Foundation -IRF.net, located in Bombay (India) has conducted more than 100 programs and debates on Islam in the last year, and plans more. One of my other acquaintances, a substitute teacher at a School in Rochester, says she will pair off with a Hindu woman at her school this year, in hope that a friendship will develop over numerous meetings. "It is a way of reaching out," she says. ‘’If we can clear up some misunderstandings about Islam, that would be a very great accomplishment.’’

We should be law-abiding, we should work very hard, and our expressions of faith should be nothing but good works. For many people, you or I would be the nearest thing about practiced Islam, they would ever get to see. If you are a Muslim woman working as a secretary in an organization try to be a Muslim who happens to be a secretary rather than a secretary who happens to be a Muslim or if you are a Muslim boss having some non-Muslim employees, same holds good for you too. We will have to set examples. Islam is the only beacon of our hope in these turbulent times.

Readers Comment: I address my comments primarily to the Muslims and pray that they will read and understand. I must say that as Muslims we have none to blame but ourselves for all of the misrepresentations of Islam. I relate to you a story told to me. There was a Muslim speaking to a group of people explaining the beauty of Islam. It's message of peace, tolerance and equality. A message that the measure of man is how well he behaves. He went on to speak of the manner of the Prophet and his kindness to men, women and animals. After his talk he was approached my a man from the audience who said "I like all that you say and if you can tell me ONE place in the world where Muslims exhibit these principles and have such character and I will become a Muslim today". The cleric began to cry and said" I CANNOT!!! all I can do is set a good example to the rest of the Muslims". I have said it a number of times, the biggest enemy to Islam is the Muslims and until we start as a body to behave as Muslims and not "act" as Muslims the world will have the wrong opinion of us. To my non-Muslim friends please remember and understand that a lot of what you see Muslims doing has no place in Islam and wouldn't be tolerated by our beloved Prophet. And to my Muslims brothers and sisters I say Acquire true faith and live as we are supposed to all the world knows about Islam is what we show them. Let "La Illaha IllAllah" take root in your hearts for what is in the heart comes out through the hands. Until our behavior changes we can only expect more of the same. Look at how the Prophet treated the Jews and Christians and see that even though they did not all convert they all respected him so much that they asked him to be judge in their disputes. Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) said this to one of his companions: "Allah the Dignified has no mercy for one who has no mercy for others, O Abu Zarr when you prepare soup put a little more water in it and see if your neighbor needs some." "Allah is Kind and likes kindness in all things.  It's a fact that in Egypt, which was conquered by Muslims more than 1,400 years, Christians are still living; Muslims governed India for over 800 years, and Hindus are still a majority; the Balkans who were ruled by the Ottomans for hundreds of years have their churches intact; in Bosnia, Muslims did not destroy one church while the Serbs demolished scores of mosques. On the other hand, no single Muslim remained after Andalusia, which was ruled by Muslims for five centuries, was conquered. Which is the religion of mercy and tolerance? Yes, there are Muslims who committed unacceptable acts. But how can 1.5 billion Muslims be judged by the act of a few people?

No amount of Demagogy or rhetoric can supersede facts for long. Truth will reign supreme and the Truth is Islam was and will remain, the only religion, exhorting it's believers to practice tolerance.
As Salammu Aliakum - Abdul Wadoud