<html><head><style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style></head><body><div style="font-family:times new roman,new york,times,serif;font-size:12pt"><div>Another take on the (complicated) history:<br><br><span><a target="_blank" href="http://gotmedieval.blogspot.com/2010/08/professor-newts-distorted-history.html">http://gotmedieval.blogspot.com/2010/08/professor-newts-distorted-history.html</a></span><br></div><div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><hr size="1"><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">From:</span></b> Glenn Schwaller <vpschwaller@gmail.com><br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> vision2020 <vision2020@moscow.com><br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Fri, September 3, 2010 11:17:22 AM<br><b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b>
Re: [Vision2020] Muslims are Part of Our Culture<br></font><br>
Short and sweet: The history of Muslim conquests, probably predating<br>the construction of the Dome of the Rock following the conquest of<br>Jerusalem, and continuing on through invasions of Europe, Spain,<br>India, clearly demonstrates how victory over the enemy is celebrated.<br>In the early 70's, Qaddafi converted 78 synagogues into mosques,<br>ultimately destroying over 60 of them, a continued show of humiliation<br>and conquest.<br><br>Be it peace-loving Muslims or radical terrorists Muslims behind the<br>funding and construction of the Park 51 mosque, based on ancient and<br>recent history I'm astounded that Ms Rivetti cannot see the culturally<br>insensitive nature of this mosque.<br><br>GS<br><br>On Fri, Sep 3, 2010 at 5:32 AM, Tom Hansen <<a ymailto="mailto:thansen@moscow.com" href="mailto:thansen@moscow.com">thansen@moscow.com</a>> wrote:<br>> Courtesy of the “Letters to the Editor” section of today’s (September 3,<br>>
2010) Moscow-Pullman Daily News with a special thanks to The Rev. Mary Beth<br>> Rivetti of Pullman.<br>><br>><br>><br>> -----------------------------------------------------------------<br>><br>><br>><br>> Muslims are part of our culture<br>><br>><br>><br>> I applaud Franci DuPont for her careful explanation of the need for cultural<br>> sensitivity in encountering foreign places (Letter to the Editor, Aug. 27).<br>><br>><br>><br>> Her examples show that she has indeed been involved in attempting to shed<br>> light on the bridging of cultures around the world, and particularly in the<br>> areas of extreme cultural clash.<br>><br>><br>><br>> But then I'm very surprised at her conclusion that the Park 51 Islamic<br>> cultural center is an example of cultural insensitivity.<br>><br>><br>><br>> Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, one of the leaders of the initiative, leads
worship<br>> in a mosque that has been located just a few blocks from ground zero for<br>> more than 30 years. He has been involved in attempts to promote dialogue and<br>> mutual understanding for years, and in particular in light of the attacks of<br>> Sept. 11, 2001.<br>><br>><br>><br>> I think that what is culturally insensitive is the amazing barrage of<br>> inaccurate information and inflammatory rhetoric about the proposed center,<br>> which has been supported by the mayor of New York and local religious<br>> leaders (including the Roman Catholic archbishop and the Episcopal bishop)<br>> as a sign of healing and renewal. The Vicar of Trinity Episcopal Church on<br>> Wall Street - whose members were there, and whose friends and family were<br>> lost Sept. 11 - just a little bit away from the site of the blast calls the<br>> mission of the center "peace and reconciliation, inter- and intra-faith<br>>
understanding."<br>><br>><br>><br>> The supposition that Imam Rauf or Muslims in general constitute "outsiders"<br>> who need to show sensitivity to the culture they are entering is ignoring<br>> the long history of Muslims in our communities. Muslims are as much a part<br>> of us as members of the dominant culture. It is we who need to learn more<br>> about our history, we who need to show some sensitivity.<br>><br>><br>><br>> The Rev. Mary Beth Rivetti, Pullman<br>><br>><br>><br>> -----------------------------------------------------------------<br>><br>><br>><br>> Amen!<br>><br>><br>><br>> “Muslims have made an impact on the evolution of American society.<br>> Historically Muslims have made major contributions, e.g. humanities, the<br>> sciences, and art. They explored North America 300 years before the<br>> so-called ‘discovery’ of the New World by Christopher
Columbus. They used<br>> the Mississippi river as their access route to and from the continent's<br>> interior.”<br>><br>><br>><br><span>> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.islam101.com/history/muslim_us_hist.html">http://www.islam101.com/history/muslim_us_hist.html</a></span><br>><br>><br>><br>> A few examples of Muslim life in American history can be found at the above<br>> link.<br>><br>><br>><br>> Seeya round town, Moscow.<br>><br>><br>><br>> Tom Hansen<br>><br>> Moscow, Idaho<br>><br>><br>><br>> "The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change<br>> and the Realist adjusts his sails."<br>><br>><br>><br>> - Unknown<br>><br>><br>><br>> =======================================================<br>> List services made available by First Step Internet,<br>> serving the communities of the Palouse since
1994.<br><span>> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.fsr.net">http://www.fsr.net</a></span><br>> mailto:<a ymailto="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com" href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">Vision2020@moscow.com</a><br>> =======================================================<br>><br><br>=======================================================<br> List services made available by First Step Internet, <br> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994. <br> <a href="http://www.fsr.net" target="_blank">http://www.fsr.net</a> <br> mailto:<a ymailto="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com"
href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">Vision2020@moscow.com</a><br>=======================================================<br></div></div>
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