Through the sending and receiving of Christmas cards I have been able to re-connect with people I had not communicated with for many months.  This experience has shown me the value of staying in touch with friends.  It takes: Time, Effort & Discipline!  The reward you ask???  For me the reward is being able to know what is happening in their lives and being able to share what is happening in your life.  I wish you success as you embark on the road of “staying connected”.

 

I conducted a funeral service on Monday.  The deceased died peacefully on December 25, 2015.  At first you might be tempted to say Christmas Day is a horrible day for anyone to die.  In most cases I might agree, but not in this case.  The person who died had declined in health status to the point where she had no quality of life.  At the funeral service I said, “This year Jamie received the ultimate Christmas gift, the gift of eternal peace.”  What better gift is there no matter what day we receive eternal life?

 

 

If Trump Was Elected President?

If Trump were elected and imposed his “vision” of America, would we cease to be America altogether?  Would the land of the free and home of the brave, become the land of the angry, violent and racially insensitive?

I am turning this space over today to a Physician I know who does an excellent job explaining the truth behind the Islamic religion.

Human Life Is Sacred To Islam

 

There has been a recent surge in the negative sentiments towards Islam and

Muslims and even physical attacks and property destruction.  There are constant attempts to depict Islam as violent religion due to the actions of a few extremist and radicalized individuals. Religion commands love, mercy and peace; terrorism on the other hand is cruel, merciless and murderous.

 

Then what is causing the emergence of the criminals who call themselves

Muslims but their acts are totally against what the religion I know teaches the opposite?  We find that political conflicts, brutal dictatorships, long warfare and political vacuum involving Muslim countries have helped breeding extremist groups like ISIL, who justify violence in the name of Islam. They will raise whatever banner draws support for their cause; be it ethnic, religious or cultural identity, nationalism, or a particular ideology.

 

Virtually every single American Muslim organization and organization of

Islamic cooperation, the largest body of 57 Muslim countries, has publicly rejected the ideology and practice of ISIL and condemned the terrorist attacks.  There is a lot of misinformation in the media about Islam. The terrorists are as murderers and criminals in the eyes of the law as they are in the eyes of Islamic faith. But the blame is being labelled on Islam. This has also resulted in absurd accusations against the Quran.

 

To understand Islam’s stance on terrorism, one must refer to its original sources, the Quran and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad, (PBUH) which explicitly prohibit any form of injustice including terrorism which seeks to instill fear, injury or death to civilians.  The Quran turns our attention to the high value of human life, whether it is Muslim or Non-Muslim and makes it absolutely forbidden to take an innocent life unjustly. The gravity of such a crime is equated, in the Quran, with the killing of all humanity. (5:32)

The Quran instructs Muslims to show goodness to those who do evil (41:31), to speak words of peace to those who are hostile (25:63), to call to the way of God with wisdom and beautiful preaching (16:125), to treat non-Muslim with the utmost kindness and justice (60:8), to be the best of people  towards other people (3:110) and to respect freedom of religion (2:256, 10:99)  Not only is human life sacred in Islam but the property, wealth, family and dignity of all individuals in society are to be respected and protected.  “And seek not corruption in the earth; lo! God loves not corrupters “(28:77)  Certain verses of the Quran have been tossed around by radical and Islamphobes alike, alleging some Quranic support for violence by deleting the surrounding context.  “Kill them where you find them” is by far the most frequent phrase misquoted by Islamphobes and extremists. But this battlefield exhortation comes right after the verse which states, “Fight against those who fight you” and it comes right before the part which states “but if they cease fighting, then let there be no hostility except against oppressors.”

 

There are Muslim terrorists, Muslim extremists and Muslim radicals, like in any other religion, but they are not the Islamic terrorists. The message of

Quran is that of Mercy, compassion and peace. It has never been and never will be anything else.

 

In the wake of the recent attacks against Muslims in America we have received several phone calls, letters and emails from peoples of Christian faith showing their concern and solidarity.  We appreciate it tremendously. We are all together in the fight against terrorism.

 

Our community will do everything and cooperate with the authorities to help root out any such individuals who have bad intentions. Terrorists cannot separate us using religion.

 

Riaz A. Janjua, M.D

Islamic Society of Cumberland

[This Letter to the Editor was published in the Times-News, Cumberland, MD on Sunday, December 27, 2015.]

 

 

Last night my son, Erik, called me to tell me he has a letter from his university, Harris Stowe State University in St. Louis, MO.  The letter confirms that he has met all the requirements for his Bachelor’s degree and will be allowed to participate in Commencement Services in May, 2016.  Graduation has been a long journey for him as he started his college courses in September 2001.  After attending 2 schools, taking several breaks from enrollment and changing majors – he has completed his goal, and I am proud of him!!