Give Islam a Chance

I’m not in any religious clubs. Though raised in a Christian-focused land, I’ve never signed up. In my travels, I’ve tasted Buddhism, Hinduism, Paganism, Animism, and a few other “ism”s. They all make the same sense to me. This year, I had my first immersion in Islam while visiting Morocco. What a lovely religion! Sure, there are wacked out insane Muslim fanatics. But, there are also Christians who kill doctors and suggest assassinating world leaders. That doesn’t mean Christianity is nuts any more than Islam is bizarre. Right after 9-11, I posted flyers around my town headlined: “Ignorance Is Our Enemy, Not Islam.” I’m of that mind now that I’ve had first-hand contact with an Islamic nation.

Here’s my favorite quote from Mark Twain:

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it solely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”