Like at many public institutions in America, at Florida A&M University we enjoy two major breaks from school-Thanksgiving and winter break. With these breaks around the corner, I can’t help but reminisce on issues that arose around this time last year.
Why did I catch malarkey from my professor when I attempted to inform him I was taking off one day for a three-day religious holiday? The holiday I was observing was Eid Al-Fitr, an Islamic celebration of the completion of the month of Ramadan.
Ignorance of other religions abounds at FAMU, which makes being excused for non-traditional holidays an issue; however, this is a nationwide issue.
That college success “educator” said, “I don’t know if you’re going to get off for that day, since they were bombing in celebration of Ramadan in Iraq the other day.”
I thought, “Did he just say that?”
I tried to explain to this professor that true Muslims don’t bomb innocent people or commit suicide on any day of any year.
I was attempting to enlighten him that “terrorist” is not a synonym for “Muslim.” He replied, “Well uh, I don’t know.”
Exactly…he did not know. This was an “educator” who wasn’t intelligent enough to properly educate himself on an important subject before outwardly speaking on it.
If the mind is idle, it is not being educated. But if that mind is being incorrectly educated, what good is the education it receives?
What is a Christian terrorist or extremist? How can someone be a Christian and a terrorist? Does that make sense? No. Have you ever heard that term? I have not. Why not? It simply doesn’t make sense, that’s why.
The Ku Klux Klan members call themselves Christians, but are they really? Are they Christian terrorists?
Well then what is a Muslim terrorist? There is no such thing as a Muslim terrorist. The word Muslim means one who submits to God. Muslims practice Islam, which is a religion of peace. Osama bin Laden calls himself a Muslim, but he is far from one.
Have you ever heard the greeting “As-salaamu laikum?” It means “Peace be upon you,” not “Bombs away!”
I don’t know Middle Eastern culture, but I know Islam doesn’t justify terrorist behavior, just as Christianity doesn’t. Prophet Muhammad wasn’t a terrorist and nothing in the Holy Quran instructs or commends terrorism. So the highly-educated should think before speaking on “moozlims” or terrorists.
I’m just tired of people talking about nonsense, especially those of higher education. Don’t speak on subjects you learned about on television without reading the proper literature. This is the 21st century; it’s time to get it right.
Siraaj Sabree is a sophomore from Miami. Contact him at bree_305@yahoo.com.