Part II: Touching Stephen Ogilvie's Face: Touching the Face of Islam

Any who have truly been touched by the grace of Jesus Christ will find themselves incapable of harming their neighbor.  His teachings guide our actions.  But it is also understood by this journalist that the torching of a bus and cars, and vandalism or arson of homes in Ireland is a response offered by citizens who know they are powerless against the whims of their government.  And being frightened, releases the fight response.  They cannot flee the unhealthy policy initiatives hoisted upon them. So... they fight.

We can't get to you, our bastard leadership.  But we can get to them.  Take that!  Serves ya' right!   

So to re-calibrate this conversation prior to having the "tough talks"  allow me to share a few of my poignant  and happy memories within the Muslim community.

The image above is of Madad.  We attended a musical event together at our local art center. There are extensive posts about her on my Wordpress site.  I introduced her to the symphony, chorale arrangements, and artist receptions which were offered by our local arts center.  We attended many events together.   The first time she experienced the symphony, her joy was unbounded.  She continued to clap, oblivious to the fact the audience was no longer clapping. smile 

The image above is from a party for the high school graduation of Eyman. (Left-to-right, Tammy, Mohamed, his daughter Eyman).  I took her shopping and bought the dress she is wearing.

Being new to the Sudanese culture, I had been previously informed, "The Sudanese do not own a clock."  Ignoring the advice, I arrived at the designated banquet hall for the party at seven p.m.  The doors were still locked.  Punching in a phone number and verifying the address, Eyman told me, "Seven p.m. means it is the time the women begin to cook and then get dressed for the event." The doors unlocked about eight p.m.  Food was not served until nearly 11 p.m.  The music was obnoxiously loud, and the women with their ear-shattering trills of joy left me with a massive headache.  Did I have fun?  You betcha.  The dancing was awesome. But I gulped down a couple of Tylenol as soon as I arrived home.

This is Dr. Yusuf Ziya Kavakci.  A legal Mufti, he greatly expanded my understanding of Islamic law from the Hanafi tradition.  One of the best memories is attending an event with him at Southern Methodist University.  This event, launched my career as a journalist for Daily Times Pakistan. I remain indebted to this scholar.

So to re-iterate:  A Christian does no harm.  But Muslims have certainly done a damn good job of harming themselves because of their belief system.

Let's talk about Jesus next.