Central Michigan Life

Issue date: 11/16/07 Section: News

A panel of professors from CMU who are affiliated with Islam came together in the Charles V. Library on Wednesday night. They spoke about topics such as terrorism. [Click to enlarge]

Muslims aren't that bad - or they'd all be in jail already, joked assistant political science professor Moataz Fattah.

Fattah was one panelist at Wednesday night's "Islam and Terrorism: Are They Compatible?" in the Charles V. Park Library Auditorium.

Prof Ed instructor Mahmoud Moursi, assistant religion professor Hugh Talat Halman and English Language Institute instructor Michael Kelley rounded out the panel.

The three cited passages from the Quran and Hadith holy texts to spotlight differences between the teachings of the world's fastest-growing and second-largest religion and what radicals with agendas do in its name.

"Are they compatible? The answer is an unconditional 'no' with a capital 'n'," Moursi said.

Moursi called the term Islamofacism nonsense that hurts more than a billion peace-loving Muslims around the world. He referenced 42 specific Quran verses about peace.

Fattah showed a video clip scrolling Quran verses and images of Islam's historical contributions to arts, science, mathematics and law. Another clip showed CNN footage of radicals inciting violence.

The term "jihad" came to mean "struggle" during Islam's infant years when the prophet Mohammad's followers had to use violence in defense, Fattah said.

"CNN was not around when there were crusades," he said. "Fox was not around when there was inquisitions."

Halman said radicals have detached themselves from the religion's core values of compassion and mercy so they can distort isolated traditions for their own needs.

"In the Quran, jihad never has a military or fighting application," Halman said. "It means to use your resources for the good of the community."

Kelley talked about his un-pressured conversion to Islam at age 39, he said it answered theological questions from his youth. Growing up a Protestant in Minnesota, Kelley was exposed to Islam traveling between U.S. and Indonesia for work.

He said claims and rhetoric in modern media must be rigorously questioned.

"The evidence is clear. Terrorism is not compatible with Islam and does not reside in the hearts of true believers," Kelley said. "Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, be it Osama Bin Laden or Rick Santorum."

Farmington Hills senior Aaron Lesniak, who converted to Islam last January, said the panel was educational.

"It definitely addressed events in the Middle East and how terrorists are just using Islam to justify their war plan," he said.


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