This month’s interview on “Glen’s Parallax Perspectives” will help us understand and appreciate Islam as a legitimate faith in the world, in the US, and in our local communities.
Islam is the world’s second most popular religious faith, but almost all Americans who are not Muslim do not understand the Islamic faith. Many Americans think they know things that actually are not true.
Some people’s political agendas want us to be afraid of “the other.” Then they exploit our fear in order to control us so we will serve their political agendas. The remedy for fear and exploitation is to really understand “the other.” When we really understand something or someone, the fear goes away, and we can recognize our common humanity with the people whom we had previously been tricked into fearing.
Three knowledgeable guests—Turan Kayaoglu, Aneelah Afzali, and Mustafa Mohamedali—help us explore this topic. They are a university professor, a lawyer, and an engineer, respectively. All three guests are practicing Muslims who are well educated experts in their respective professions. Besides sharing solid information, our guests also share from their hearts as well as their heads.
We explain Islam as a monotheistic religion believing in the same one true God that Jews and Christians believe in, and that also appreciates Muhammad as the last of a long succession of God’s prophets. We explain Islam’s basic beliefs and core values, Islam’s origin and universality in appreciating the equality of all people regardless of nationality, race or gender. We invite people to visit your local mosque, such as the Islamic Center of Olympia, www.islamiccenterofolympia.org.
This interview informs the public. It helps our nation become more savvy and more civilized. I believe that our society will function better when people understand and appreciate the various kinds of people who live here—and when we deepen our own spirituality.
Watch on your computer or on TCTV
Everyone everywhere can watch this interview—and/or read a thorough summary of what we said—through the “TV Programs” part of my blog, www.parallaxperspectives.org. Each program is also posted to one or more categories listed on the blog. Cable TV subscribers in Thurston County can watch on Thurston Community Television (TCTV) every Monday at 1:30 pm, every Wednesday at 5:00 pm, and every Thursday at 9:00 pm throughout the month.
Questions? Contact Glen Anderson, producer/host at (360) 491-9093 glenanderson@integra.net
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