To my Muslim neighbours, I want to let you know your zeal and passion to serve God is inspiring. You pray many more times a day than other believers. You try to live righteously. Because of your faith, you follow your religious laws faithfully – and that’s because the history of your people goes way back to Abraham, the Father of the Faithful. Did Abraham become the founder of your faith by following the laws? Abraham’s faith, his belief system, was tested many times even before he became circumcised. At one point he even thought he had to kill his only son as a sacrifice – to prove he trusted God. But he was shown a better way, a non-violent way. His belief in the loving nature of his deity made a wild ram appear from the thicket to be the sacrificial animal for the offering. God saved a child and Abraham was saved from killing his own son! You know that Abraham is not just respected for his actions. Abraham was given the title Father of the Faithful because of his faith in God! He believed God would somehow intervene before he had to get blood on his hands. His faith was in the metaphysical power to save the situation and make things right. Ishmael, his first son became the founder of Islam. His son Isaac became the founder of Christianity. Did you know this story of Abraham is recorded both in the Qur’an and in the Bible? Abraham holds an esteemed place in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam alike. Many later prophets came from his lineage! 
And when Abraham was buried, both Ishmael and Isaac came together to bury him in the family plot in Canaan, and his many other children also came to honor him. It’s time we do the same to honor our one true God, so we can all walk the Path of Abraham. Christianity has had it’s own dark centuries of the Crusades where in the name of God many nations where terrorized by religious warfare. It adds to our shame. Now the same thing seems to be happening through zealots in the Islam religion. Don’t make our mistake…. Why do humans think we have to “help God” by killing off the unbelievers? Simply because they don’t believe exactly as we do? God doesn’t need any help with anything! We need help to learn his ways. God is all about loving people and he has the power to change us. So I guess I’m writing this letter to Muslims eager for the cause. Please yes, show us how to fervently serve God in our lives. The western world desperately needs that. Please, convert the world to your Faith, but base it on your belief (faith) in an all-powerful merciful God. Allah the all-merciful. Inspire us to return to godly ethics and standards. Break through cultural barriers and convert us all to this – with kindness. That’s how you will change the world.
English translation for this Qur'an verse: "And hold firmly to the rope of God all together and do not become divided." (The verse continues - "And remember the favor of God upon you - when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His favor, brothers..." (Quran 3:103)
Jane Catherine Rozek 
I was moved to tears. Indeed what you say is so true. Why is it that people who kill in the name of God don’t realize that God does not need their help and that God only demands humanity and unity. The image you have used is very inspiring. We need to learn from eachothers faiths to discover the truth and also to live in harmony. It is not war but peace talks that could bring the righteous vision of life to light.
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I really liked these pictures too, Amra! Unity is loving God with all our hearts, and loving our neighbours as ourselves. These two laws are in all religions, aren’t they? Maybe that’s the foundation we can all agree on to start building peace in our world!
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Definitely 🙂
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I am a Muslim myself and I was deeply moved by your post. I’m so happy that someone truly understands what Islam really is all about; loving humanity, wanting to better it and spread kindness, love and goodness with peace. I’m extremely happy that unlike many others, you don’t simply judge what the media is showing you about Islam and how they want to portray this beautiful religion, you’re making judgments yourself. I wish you peace and closeness to God wherever you may be.
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Thanks so much for writing in. I love to chat with people! Yes, there is violence in all political cultures and many religions went through extreme radicalism (look at the early crusades in Christianity, and the Nazi regime against the Jews). But I believe we the people, who have love and God’s spirit in our hearts, have to speak out against false arrogance. Love is so much more powerful than hate!
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Isn’t that a beautiful foto of the young child bowing in prayer. I agree……NO killing. First the USA has to quit killing. We need to get out of the middle east. The number of innocent lives we have taken there is horrendous. If it happened on our soil…….well…. if we don’t watch it, someday it will.
I was just thinking yesterday how much i love the bowing with hands in prayer when you greet someone. i much prefer it to the hand shake. Off topic maybe…..
I also love bowing on the ground in prayer. When in the Buddhist Sangha i had the chance. Its has an extremely sacred feel. i guess…….i could bow in prayer to the leaders of the world & especially those in the USA, that think killing is the way.
To quote the Bible, “”You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” Who knows the verse from the Bible?
Before we point fingers, we should know the number of people killed by US armies. We should know the suffering they go thru now. We should know how many people now do not have clean water, decent highways & food to eat. My heart goes out to them.
The first question is to ask “WHY” radical Muslims are behaving as they do? Then ask what we would do if the same numbers of people had died by Muslims on our soil, our infra structure destroyed, our natural resources confiscated, etc.
I think it is hard to judge another man until we have walked in their shoes. I’d venture to say, that few Americans have traveled to war torn areas in the middle east.
As i become judgemental myself, i see GREED being the cause here. The military industrial complex is a huge cha ching at the taxpayers expense. In a sense, we all have blood on our hands. My heart aches for the harm we have caused.
Oh my Gosh! Thanks for the post.
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Wow! What a well-written response. I agree with all your points especially with the first question being WHY radical Muslims behave as they do. Perhaps it’s just that they are so disgusted with our culture’s degenerative values and ethics. I mean, can you imagine what they must think of our population if they watch North American TV programming?
And yes, most of our world’s problems; political, environmental, world finances, can all be traced back to GREED. Thanks so much for your response. I hope you write in more often!!
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