My Ramadan Project- A Response to "Burn A Qur'an Day"

photo from: http://www.topnews.in/slight-injuries-mecca-hotel-fire-248616

I first fell in love with Islam in my 10^th grade world religions class. Everything about it sounded so familiar to me, so beautiful, so compatible with my own beliefs that I thought to myself if I ever have to convert to another religion, it will be Islam. 

Perhaps I should declare at this point, that I am a pseudo-Catholic, lover of all religions. I believe that all faiths have their own validity, and more often than not, people are just on different paths to the same goal.

Earlier this week, scanning across the pages of the PeaceJam website for work, I found that my buddy Brad had posted an article about “Burn a Qur'an Day.” On September 11th,, the Dove Outreach Center in Gainesville, FL is planning on burning Qur'ans  to commemorate those who died during 9/11 and stand against the "evils" of Islam. Having several Muslim friends, and believing that it is imperative that we respect one another's faiths, I am completely shocked and outraged that people are planning on desecrating something so holy. 

These past few days, I have spent some time researching the church. It is apparent that contacting them to express my disagreement will only give them the attention they so clearly seek and further fuel the flames of hatred. However, this does seem like the perfect opportunity to show others a more positive perspective and clear up some misconceptions about Muslims and Islam.

August 11^th is the first day of Ramadan, a 30-day period when Muslims fast, spend more time reflecting on their religion, and refocusing their commitment to God, much like the Christian Lent or Jewish Yom Kippur. Throughout this time I will be fasting, reading the Qur'an, and learning more about Islam as a means of standing in solidarity with my Muslim sisters and brothers. Every Wednesday and Friday, myself and a few guest bloggers will be writing about Islam, the hijab, the role of women in Islam, terrorism, conversion, and other topics relevant to a religion I feel is too often misunderstood and is in reality one of great beauty and integrity.


If you have any questions about this project or have any questions about Muslims and Islam, please leave a comment and myself or one of my guest bloggers will address them.