• "570 years after Jesus was born, Mohammed was born in Mecca. . . when he was 40, he heard the voice of Gabriel giving a prophesy about his destiny as a prophet. He went to his wife's cousin, an 80-year-old man and a Christian who told him he felt his vision was true and was in the spirit of Abraham . . . Thus, the first person to confirm the validity of the prophet's destiny was a Christian!

• As Mohammed spoke his message and gained followers, there was tribal dissent, and many of his followers were persecuted. The King of Ethiopia was a Christian, who gave sanctuary to the prophet and his followers. The Muslims found safety in a Christian community.

• In Medina, the followers were looking for a sense of community, dignity, love . . . the "Charter of Medina" created unity between the followers and non-Muslims. The Koran, with 114 chapters, teaches that other faiths should be recognized and respected.

• As the Muslim faith became more dominant, it became a political empire. The Roman Empire and the Muslim Empire were both seeking power.

• In 1095, as Muslims were in Spain, India, etc. Pope Pius declared Muslims the Anti-Christ, and declared that it was the duty of every Christian to invade the Muslim Empire. For 225 years, the Crusades spread throughout the world. Priests cursed the Jews and Muslims every week in worship, yet the Muslims could not curse Jesus and be a true Muslim.  

• In 1963, 10,000 bishops convened at the Vatican to discuss how to address the worldwide Muslim population, since they are part of the Abrahamic faith!  Also the Vatican taught that an anti-Semitic attitude can't be justified. The Catholics recognized the equal footing of all faiths, and taught that Muslims are also people of faith.

• Today, Muslims are a diverse group, from all over the world. Some countries have laws which govern their people which may not necessarily be the same tradition and spirit as that found in the Koran (for example, the role of women in Saudi Arabia). Just as we cannot use one blanket statement to categorize all Christians around the world, neither can we do the same with Muslims.

• Regardless of what country Muslims are living in, they need to face problems together and find common ground.  In the past, America has been a model of working together and showing the world religious unity was possible, in response to extremism.

• After 1400 years, all Muslims -- and all people -- need to hear the message that all people are of the same faith roots.   People need to take a stand against deviation of the faith and misinterpretation.

• How do we go about building bridges?
  • Commit to being a bridge-builder - step out and greet people - get to know them.
  • In addressing people in poverty, use established groups or colleges, health care systems, translation services, and culturally respectful services.

• What are some common misconceptions about Muslims?  
  • "Muslims have only recently come to the US".  
    • In reality, when the explorers from Spain sailed to the New World, some of their crew members were Muslims (Moors).
    • Thomas Jefferson celebrated Ramadan in the White House, to honor his slaves' religious traditions.
    • The "Mother Mosque" in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was established in 1934.
    • There were Muslims in Minnesota in the 1800's, including Syrian immigrants.

•  Muslims need the opportunity to talk and disagree, and that need for discussion and debate has not always been possible in other countries.
  • There are 57 countries in the world where Muslims are the majority.
  • Islam's vision gives humans dignity, but church and state must be kept separate (unlike Saudi Arabia). Otherwise the church and religion can become distorted - for example, when Saudi Arabia printed many copies of the Koran which listed the distorted message that Jews and Christians had gone astray.

• About the Koran
  • The Koran connects God with humans. It needs to be correctly translated and shared with Muslims overseas so they have the true message.  
  • When policies are made that exclude part of the community, that affects the ideology that is moved forward.
  • When an American pastor threatened to burn the Koran, he may not have known that along with verses in the Koran, a translation of verses from the Bible is also included on that page.

• Final Thoughts:
  • All people need to have accurate information about Islam to fight fear and distrust.
  • Muslims travelling overseas and sharing ideas can show that Muslims can be successful - an image that is not always correctly portrayed.

Grace and Peace,

Rick