View from the Pew
A look inside Hawaii's houses of worshipBy Mary Adamski
Saturday, September 29, 2001
As a Protestant, imagine being expected to explain the actions of your Northern Irish co-religionists who attack Catholic schoolchildren with curses, stones and deadly weapons. Interfaith gathering is fruitful
As a Catholic, try answering for the religious savagery of the Inquisition or the Crusades.
No one would fault you for sidestepping the question with sentiments such as "Hey, don't blame me for those fanatics."
Saleem Ahmed and Hakim Ouansafi didn't duck similar questions from a Thursday night crowd of 120 people seeking to understand why Muslims committed such horrible acts on Sept. 11. Honpa Hongwanji Betsuin Temple and the Hawaii Association of International Buddhists offered the forum.
It was the latest of several public appearances in recent days by Ahmed, a Pakistani-American financial adviser, and Morrocan-born Ouansafi, a Waikiki hotel executive, who strive to help islanders distinguish between their religion and the terrorists who happen to be Muslim. They tackled history and politics of the Middle East, the teachings of Mohammed and the misunderstandings that flourish because of what Ouansafi called "CNN Islam," which links the religion of 1.3 billion people with the images of sought terrorists. "It's difficult to analyze mass murderers as it would be for you to explain Timothy McVeigh as a Christian," Ouansafi said.
Ahmed said despite the closed societies in Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq, "Islam accepts religious pluralism. The Koran refers to 'God of all creation,' not of only Islam."
What do Muslims believe about a day of judgment, heaven and hell? was one query.
"To put it in perspective, those who flew the planes Sept. 11, picture hell," said Ouansafi. "The firefighters going in harm's way to save lives, picture heaven for them."
To questions about the Taliban, he reminded the crowd that "20 years ago, America armed them against the Russians. Now when the Russians are gone, they look around for someone to aim at, and they aim at their women."
Ouansafi's wife, Michelle Ouansafi, tackled a woman's question about why Islam requires that "a woman's naturalness be covered up" with headgear and, in some places, veils. "If a woman is covered, you look at her for her intelligence. There is a freedom when it doesn't matter what size I am, if my legs are good enough," she said. "It helps protect the fidelity of the man, of the woman, keeps the family intact."
Most important, "It's a matter of choice," she said. "It takes courage for a woman in this country to wear it. I don't wear it to work -- I don't have the courage ... yet."
For people who don't give a second thought to wearing their declarations of faith -- a cross on a chain, a T-shirt or tattoo, prayer beads around the wrist -- it's something to contemplate. Why do we force that act of courage on another person of faith?
RELIGION CALENDAR
Mary Adamski covers religion for the Star-Bulletin.
Email her at madamski@starbulletin.com.
