Saved from Islamophobia

Originally posted at American Thinker

Author Eric Metaxas opens his book Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy with the words, "At the beginning of the war, it was possible to separate the Nazis from the Germans and recognize that not all Germans were Nazis. As the clash wore on . . . distinguishing the difference became more difficult and vanished altogether.”

I have to admit, I was heading in that direction. Yes, it’s a different decade, different Overseas Contingency Operation, different man-caused disaster, different sect of people; but the same blurring of lines. Much to the chagrin of Obama and Brennan, I was beginning to deduce that there was no such thing as a moderate Muslim. Then Imam Feisal Abdul-Rauf, moderate Muslim and bridge builder ad infinitum, rode in to save the day. Arriving just in time to remind me, the lost American infidel, how wrong I was to blur the lines between radical and moderate Muslims.

Thank you, Imam Rauf, for shaking me out of my Islamophobia. Thank you for being a shining example of a moderate Muslim. To safeguard against the danger of backsliding, I will hang this list on my fridge, reminding me daily what you, a moderate Muslim, and others like you believe.

Moderate Muslims:
Believe that good hygiene is important and remind us to wash our hands . . . after all, we Americans have been walking around with the blood of 500,000 Iraqi children on our hands.

Believe that it is important not to exclude any groups from their religion . . . therefore, Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Islamic Resistance Movement are all considered legitimate “religious movements” within Islam.

Believe, as supported studies show, that terrorists like al-Qaeda target only “political objectives” . . . codeword for “Western-influenced infidels” or anyone else on the planet who does not agree with or abide by Islamic ideology.

Believe that good reflexes are important . . . therefore, as long as the West keeps “provoking,” the jihadists have a right to continue to react defensively.

Believe in giving proper credit were credit is due . . . therefore, moderate Muslims remind us that Osama bin Laden was made in the USA.

Believe in Israel’s right to exist . . . as a one-state country. (Please note: Any tendency to believe a Muslim, who supports Hezbollah and Hamas, is implying that Israel will one day be a one-state Muslim country is counter-productive to the image of a moderate Muslim.)

Believe in funding aid boats to Israel . . . and then enjoy the world-wide attention for the Free Gaza Movement after passengers on boats readily greet IDF soldiers with weapons.

Believe in separation of church and state . . . or conquering the state, since the only law that Muslims need exists already in the Koran and the Hadith. Separation shall promptly cease, though, when one goes on a good-will tour funded by the U.S. State Department or when rebuilding mosques overseas with US tax dollars. At that point, the church and state become joined at the hip