Posted by
ricaler on Saturday, October 06, 2007 10:01:52 PM
Salem is on the economic and cultural fringes of Louisville, Ky. Many of us work in the area and make the commute back and forth to shop, eat, and play. The Courier-Journal is the newspaper of record for the area and it was with interest that I read a story from Sept 29 concerning a new mosque to be built off Westport road. According to the article, it will provide a home for local muslims and a place for others to learn about Islam. It will be a three-phase project and when complete will have an elementary school, middle school, high school and a gym. "It will be a place that feels like home....and it will be a place where we could invite in guests, just like they invite us into their homes."
Sounds swell doesn't it? After all, other groups have their churches and synagogues along with their respective schools. But....I still have some questions. According to www.jihadwatch.com, "Jihad (in arabic "struggle") is the central duty of every Muslim. Modern muslim theologians have spoken of many things as jihads: the struggle within the soul, defending the faith from critics, supporting its growth and defense financially, even migrating to non-Muslim lands for the purpose of spreading Islam. But, violent jihad is a constant of Islamic history. Many passages of the Qur'an and the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad are used by jihad warriors today to justify their actions and gain new recruits. No major Muslim group has ever repudiated the doctrines of armed jihad. The theology of jihad, which denies unbelievers equality of human rights and dignity, is available today for anyone with the will and means to make it possible."
So, what exactly is to be taught in these muslim schools? A Kentucky approved curriculum? A religious education exempt from state oversight? Will they be required to abide by Title 9 laws requiring boys and girls athletics teams? Will they field ball teams to compete with "infidel" schools? Hmmm....
In nuclear physics, a little radioactive material does no harm. It cannot interact with other matter to support steam heating to power nuclear electrical generation or cannot explode. But, once you reach a "critical mass", then there is enough nuclear matter to inneract to support and maintain fission, or if you prefer, an explosion. The same could be said of modern Islam. When in small numbers, as now exists in Louisville, there are few problems, but with the coming of years, an Islamic birth to adult cultural education, and growth in numbers, eventually a "critical mass" will be reached and the potential or actual violent phase will be reached. It is more than a concern...it is a prediction.