IN THE NAME OF ISLAM

August 2005
		The July 2005 suicide bombings in London's transit system and attacks in a resort town in Egypt have stoked the debate within the Muslim community about why so many perpetrators of terrorist attacks are Muslims and what ordinary believers in Islam can do to keep people from killing in the name of their religion. Four Muslim thinkers answer your questions.

Forum Introduction Does Islam ever justify the killing of innocents? Why don't Muslims who commit terrorist acts see that violence is counterproductive? Does U.S. foreign policy take the correct approach to influencing the rise of democracy in Muslim nations? Do most young Muslims in the U.S. feel they are integrated into U.S. society? On the NewsHour, did you read from the Quran or an interpretation? How can one foster dialogue with the broader religious community? How can we stop terrorism at its source? Why do militant young Muslims obey someone with no official clerical standing, like Osama bin Laden? What literature can I read to better understand the teachings of Islam? Is there a theological authority that is recognized by all or a great majority of Muslims? What's the difference between Islam and Muslim?	Jack Zavada of Streator, Ill. asks: Imam Elsayed: Your comments clarified the schisms within Islam for me tonight. But I'm still a bit confused as to why militant young Muslims would obey someone with no official clerical standing, like Osama bin Laden. Are the leaders at many Mideast mosques supporting his radicalism or speaking out against it? Imam Shaker Elsayed responds: The fact is the majority of leaders I know of are talking against him. However, the Middle Eastern government got into a comfortable position of deflecting people's anger towards the West, while they continued to garner our support for their illegitimate regimes. That provides the fuel for terrorist arguments. As G.W. Bush recognized last summer: "The U.S. has been wrong for the past 60 years in its support of dictators thinking they will stand with us." Paraphrased. It is about time that we stand with the rights of peoples rather than with the interest of the view ruling elites, who are mostly illegitimate. We have to level with educated Muslim intellectuals who are willing to reason, listen and dialogue with us, especially if they represent their communities and nations. Thank you.   Joan Owings of Washington, D.C. asks: What literature can I read so that I can better understand the teachings of Islam and what can I do to reach out to Muslims who are suffering from discrimination because of the nightmare of terrorism? Imam Shaker Elsayed responds: Your question touched my heart. Thank you for your spirit and sensitivity. For a quick reference, I would refer you to "Islamicity.org", and "islamtomorrow.com." Also, you may visit any Islamic center close to your place to check on their library and/or bookstore. A simple list, though, is: - "Islam in focus," Hammoudah Abdul Ati - "Principle of Islam," Mawdoudi, - The Muslim book of Prayers, - More importantly is, "The Translation of the Meaning of the Qur'an," by Yusuf Ali, or T B Irving, or Pecktal Professor Salim Mansur responds: There are several wonderful books available on your learning about Islam. I suggest you pick up Karen Armstrong's book on Islam which has a very useful bibliography, and her biography of the Prophet titled "Muhammad." I also recommend Bernard Lewis' book "Crisis of Islam." But then you might want to read some books by Muslim writers dealing with these problems. There is none better I can recommend than the writings of Muslim women, and in my list Fatima Mernissi is right on top. Take a look at her book "Islam and Democracy," and "The Veil and the Male Elite." Author Asra Nomani responds: I would read all of the works of Khaled Abou El Fadl, a brilliant scholar of law at UCLA, particularly a new book coming out this fall, "The Grand Theft: Wrestling Islam from the Extremists" (HarperSanFrancisco Publishers). He is grounded in Islamic law, or sharia, and he is a courageous scholar whom I call "the pope of tolerant Islam." A classic that he has written: "Speaking in God's Name," a critique of sexist interpretations of Islam handed down as gospel. To open the doors of all of our communities to each other, I would recommend that you find your local mosque, introduce yourself, offer your assistance to local Muslims, attend the regular Friday prayers -- in the main hall, not in a secluded women's section -- and engage with the community so that nobody can demonize the other.