assalamo alaikom greenies a piece are
you guys doing I'm about to head out and
I thought I'd take you guys along with
me on this journey I'm about to go and
meet up with a Christian group of
students with their teacher Professor
Henry reached out they've been studying
a little bit about Islam you know
they're kind of seeing something fishy
what's what's going on you know there's
a lot of this this manufactured fake
fear pumping people up and intelligent
people are seeing past all this so
they've been looking into Islam
themselves and they want to be really
objective so they invited me a Muslim to
come to their Institute and to answer
some questions and to connect so I'm
going to connect with my Christian
brothers and sisters in humanity and I'm
taking you guys along with me let's go
all right guys so Michael we're gonna go
and speak to our friends and have a nice
session Henry how you doing Academy it's
a Christian school West Side Chicago
right let's enter some questions getting
to know each other make sure you keep
turning it yeah and it's something
unique we see here but I want to just
touch upon this so the priest would be
in this box here I imagine this one here
and then the individual would seven did
this kind of food so you come in here
yeah and you pretty much okay the priest
is here and then you come in here and
this booth here but the interesting
thing is since we're here to share one
thing in Islam is that you don't go and
I know and Chris Hassan says modesty I
don't do the same no yeah you're right
here you go in through the grease to the
PGS in Islam as soon as someone doesn't
matter how many sins they came with yet
to God they go to him directly yes but
they don't pray to anyone else
No
to a prophet a saint a messenger yeah
nobody now disease nobody but to the
Creator so it's a direct dial up yeah
and then we learned that god almighty is
the most loving to forgive or most
forgiving he forgives all sins yeah
there's one thing associating partners
with him that's the unforgivable said a
shape that's sure but even if someone
did shook right if they they repent to
God he forgives but if a guy on that's
the test go that's the unforgivable
unparticle said yeah okay but make it
contextualize that that's what after
they die but if they did it while their
liar okay and they repent you know what
I mean the person could have been you
know worshipping cows and worshiping you
know human beings and angels and all
sorts of you know MA whatever the case
but then he just turned his way around
okay and he repented then God forgives
okay Boston's so this is interesting I
wanted to point that out yet that you
have this confession box here yeah yeah
yeah and then just because we're a
Protestant institution again like you
said we don't use it you think well yeah
yeah yeah this is the area now that you
have what were you saying sermons yeah
every Friday we'd have a chapel in here
so students have come in to worship the
whole school will come in here and we
have two different chaplains that work
part-time here and they'll come and
they'll we'll do worship to start so
that a couple of songs our example
family does in worship and then the
chaplain will come up and he'll preach a
sermon for our viewers I'm you know as
people know me I started the Deen show
over back in 2006 really excited about
sharing this message because there's a
lot of misconceptions revolving around
it yeah and I really get excited to come
and share you know what I know and you
know there try to help clear many of
these misconceptions and deliver really
what Islam is truly about what what what
motivated you guys to have someone like
me to come out and you know share you
know what I do
a great question I think part of that is
just that misconception that's just so
prevalent and not just within
Christianity but just within our nation
at large and one of the argument one of
our units within my senior Bible class
is talking about different monotheistic
faiths so we'll talk about Islam we talk
about Judaism then we talk about
Christianity as well and I just think
with how rampant Islamophobia is and
xenophobia is in our nation I wanted to
give the students an unbiased
perspective of this religion just for
them to have a real good sense for what
is it truly that the Muslims believe so
I want to move them away from some of
these different misconceptions in such a
way so I'll do my best to present an
unbiased perspective but I'm still
biased because I am a Christian so I
wanted you to come in to really give an
objective unbiased kind of unfiltered
perspective on your own religion that's
really amazing we encouraged I mean more
people to do this especially like you
said you never manufactured hate and
fear this anatolia Islamophobia and we
see a lot of destruction of so many
mosques that are being like you know
vandalized burning bomb yeah and you
know I really appreciate Christians like
yourself you know human beings you know
who are connecting with other human
beings to kind of rid you know people of
this ignorance and that false fear the
manufactured feel that moves people to
do some her idiocy
violent and crazy actions and you just
saw oh I'm just within the media I'm
just constantly bombarded with this
inflamed rhetoric you know of jihadists
and Muslim extremists and so for me as
an academic as a teacher holler do my
best to faithfully capture what is it
truly that Muslims believe and so one of
the assignments that I'm assigning to my
teach my students is the question is
Islam truly a religion of violence or is
it a religion of peace and so we did a
really kind of an in-depth study of the
life of Mohammed and it was just
fascinating but in just studying
Muhammad himself like he was not a man
of violence and so I wanted to have my
students interact with you who could
potentially help us to contextualize
some of these different verses in the
Quran that are often misused and
misappropriated so I wanted you to come
and maybe give some of that context to
help us work through the Quran itself
kind of on its own terms I'm excited I'm
happy to meet my friend Henry here this
is
working together and that's what we need
to do work through back together I'm
gonna go in and share because we care
keep tuning in very excited to meet my
Christian friends brothers and sisters
in humanity we all have the same father
Adam that is a distinction between
people you know brother citizen faith
then you have brothers sisters and
humanity and now people who are wanting
to learn or inquisitive not just
swallowing everything whole from Fox
News and all of the Islamic olds and all
the hate rhetoric that's out there
connecting making the human connection
it's very excited to meet talk chat
share alright so we just finished that
was our first real session first real
session so now this is a will do I'll
ask you some questions now well until
the next group is come in oh you can
just you know one of the things that you
have this would be a good way to not
forget hopefully tell us what was one of
the points that that's new to you that
interested you from some of the things
that we've been discussing that you
remember now yeah I think one of the
things that was really helpful to hear
was you talking about the relationship
between Judaism and Christianity and
Islam and I think just you kind of
giving that context understanding that
there's there's a belief and in all
these prophets I think you would say
some you know belief in the 124,000
prophets is that right and that you
would affirm the prophets in Judaism you
too firm the prophets of Christianity
and that all of them taught the same
message although it might have looked
different and that you know even though
what you and I might disagree about
Jesus and and if he was the son of God
or not at least agree agree that he was
a great prophet that he did bring a
message that he did preach a message
about there being one God and just kind
of seeing that continuity between those
three religions and seeing how you view
even the sacred texts of those religions
where you'd say you know we would affirm
you know the Hebrew Tanakh we would
affirm the Christian scriptures however
they were distorted and corrupted
or time and that was really helpful so
those are the kind of things were
discussing like we said so to reaffirm
that very important that people don't
know that that that belief that what was
revealed in its original tutorial yes we
believe in the Torah is its original
original we don't believe today that
exists what was in its original - injeel
yes we believe in that and then the cut
the the chain of prophets from the
beginning until muhammad peace be upon
him to end that same message and we
believe worship the Creator God not the
Christian yeah one guy alright next
classes next class is coming in and then
we'll continue on here with my new
friend gonna be here Henry having a
great time here Professor Henry very
very important question that he asked
hey thank you so much thank you thank
was of what they call many people they
capitalized on people's ignorance you
asked me a very wonderful question about
they call it the sword verse what did
you get out of the answer and now from
have you heard the other many of the
hate provocateurs have you heard this in
certain circles that are they try to
bring this up and then after is
explained in context what kind of feel
do you get what do you think it's really
helpful because I think what's
interesting is when I have engaged that
sword verse and I think you call the
provocateurs is that yeah and we don't
and we don't consider it like a sword
you know right yeah yeah yeah right
exactly from from what I've heard surah
chapter 9 verse 5 I've heard that verse
spoken of often out of context when when
it's spoken of in a more violent
interpretation of violent way say the
verse for people that I don't know with
Bridget ah that wherever you find them
slay the idolaters yeah or after the
four months or a piece of universally
they adulterers wherever you find them
and so that's the text I've had some
trouble with interpreting and for those
who would say they interpret that in
more of a violent way
oftentimes they don't give me any
context and so I have a hard time
interpreting it or they would say it's
justified to use that as a universal
command because they oftentimes don't
give me
context but those who I hear is she say
that that's not you know a verse that
should be used to justify violence they
would give me context and that's what
you did so well for me today was that
you gave me that sense of context of
what was going on with the Muslims at
the given time what was going on in the
relationship between Medina and Mecca
and the court age and how the Muslim
community was just trying to survive and
that that verse was used as more of kind
of a charge but given for a specific
instance not as this Universal command
to be slaying non-combatants wherever
they want to and then we talked about
the verse that Trump's all of that yeah
yeah chapter 60 verse 20 was a 28th
chapter 60 verse 8 where god almighty is
saying that he doesn't forbid you for
from dealing justly and kindly with
those who haven't persecuted you or
fought you because of your religion
which they were persecuting the Muslims
fighting them right so in context you
contextualize that offensive it's just
the fact it was for that particular time
yes but you see what many people do they
capitalize about people's ignorance they
throw this verse out there and say you
see these Muslim it's just like I'll
give example what comes to mind and Luke
there and Matthew there's two verses one
it's it's and and I would be very
ignorant if I did that but but you do
have even some Christians will do that
just like you know let's say someone
who's misinterpreting the text let's say
I came I say look Jesus said that of my
enemies who wish that I not reign over
them bring them here and let them slay
me or where he says that and you'll put
it we'll put in context where I think
not that I have come to bring peace but
a sword yeah now I know that's not I
know the content yeah it's like then
taking that out of that can't you see
the games that we play yes absolutely
yeah completely unfair complete misuse
of the text that's why that
contextualizing is just so important to
proper interpretation but for me not
being a Muslim and not having that
context it's hard for me sometimes to
interpret the Quran especially given the
fact that it's not necessarily laid out
chronologically and some of the
different surahs' and chapters the way
that they're laid out is a little bit
more complicated for me so I think just
for you as an you know being familiar
with with Islam in the Quran just to
give me that kind of that clarity in
that context was just really helpful to
illuminate that that text and that's why
these meetings these gatherings us
connecting like this is so important we
have another group coming in no that was
that was it no that was the last yeah I
want to thank you thank you so much for
having me this is great and I'm here
anytime that you need us we're here to
connect and keep doing this wonderful
work that you know helping to bridge
that gap of misunderstanding I'm very
I'm very excited you professor Henry
here this is great man thank you so much
for how much for coming thank you god
bless thank you yeah he would probably
most likely look more like a like an
Arab but you guys would you guys agree
right so yeah what are the main
differences that you see in the culture
if you look at the sermon of the mount
what was Jesus wearing wearing he's
typical he looked like he was wearing
like a thug
right yeah that's interesting when you
relate to that he had a beard right yeah
right if you look at in many because of
the hot climate in that area you would
see they would be wearing something so
if you go into that part of the world
you'd see people wearing kind of that
same dress here but you'll also see
people wearing which some people were a
suit in time I mean when people go down
to that part of the world they
experience such hospitality such love is
something that we might have lost in our
I always always going always going
connection anyways go you'll sit
together in some of these places and
people are eating there's one one we're
not used to this but there'll be a big
batch of food and everyone sharing from
there but there are cases where people
are so scared they're thinking they go
when you don't travel when you don't see
and then you get fed all of this you
know hysteria and what now you think I'm
gonna go here if these people are gonna
kill me they're gonna Lynch me but man
people have gone you go to this you
travel you go to like Dubai you go to
different places which device
the most developed you don't want to
develop absolutely you know that's one
myth like all these people are backwards
or not they're hey when you blow people
back into the Stone Age you know the
major lives that's an important point so
now when we get to know each other and
we appreciate these different cultures
and you get to go ahead and travel like
you did you can appreciate the different
food maybe the different dress maybe
when they think okay they're stuck in a
rural area they're stuck somewhere and
everybody you know different than that
you know is the enemy and then you have
that's where you have these issues but
this is important now that you know
people think out the box they travel
they look they see they meet they make
the human connection and the only way to
combat that is to be exposed to other
things to go to other places see other
cultures finished a wonderful session
now me and Henry me and my new friend
Professor Henry we're breaking some
bread so he took me out to lunch look at
that need some great food breaking bread
we're talking about how how important it
is that we make these connections
and we work for a greater good with you
know can you elaborate on what you were
saying about that yeah
just talking about the reality of how
important it is to have these kind of
conversations or book Muslims and
Christians any linking arms listening
first before talking
and being charitable before we were
quick to critique
linking arms with this common mission
which is I think Peace Love
and a betterment of you know other
people and ourselves
I think that's a lot we can rally around
instead of kind of being divisive and
sectarian there's a lot there's a lot of
kind of mutual agreement and common
ground that we can both agree on you are
you are a great example of someone who
mission I think many people can follow
henry's li reach out make the human
connection and break bread there's a
1-point of our conversations to get
imported this is very important because
many people in their homes and their
surroundings and they're with their
friends maybe you're having lunch and
somebody you know brings up a
conversation and Islam being all over
the news a lot of times you know this is
what you get you and that fear is
created so you are mentioning that this
happens to you all yeah yeah for me just
conversations that I've had with friends
or relatives you know those who have
been watching them
different events that have to do in the
name of Allah or and justify by the
Quran
and so for me it was really important to
do that kind of due diligence and
research to really figure out is that a
religion of violence or is it
and just after my interactions with
Eddie and after some of the research
that I have done over the past couple
years
it seems pretty plain to me that the
message that were this big propaganda
a challenge that was fun wasn't it I
really had a great time thank you Henry
and all of the students that were there
I really appreciate hanging out with you
guys making the connection hopefully
people can follow and Henry's lead
there's many people out there who are
quiz ative they want to know more about
Islam they want to know about the
Muslims they're sick of all the false
propaganda and the lies they've been
told from Fox News and many of these
media outlets so they want to connect
they want to be objective they want
their students also so any University
Christian school you want to hook up
with us or you're an individual you want
to learn more call us