Bullock Texas State History Museum
Growing Intolerance
RECEIVED Fri., Jan. 30, 2015
Dear Editor,
Last week’s protest by some misguided individuals at Texas Muslim Capitol Day and Texas Rep. Molly White’s demand that all Muslims visiting her office recite "The Pledge of Allegiance" is insulting to all Muslims in America [“Rep. Molly White Not Quite Sure Who's American,” Newsdesk, Jan. 29]. This group of Muslims – many of them students who recite the pledge daily in schools – were visiting the Texas Capitol to engage with their state representatives and were met with slogans such as “Go Home & Take Obama With You” and were equated with Nazis. This is a sign of growing intolerance and Islamophobia in our society.
We unequivocally denounce the acts of terrorists, a very small minority among Muslims, who distort the peaceful teachings of Islam. As members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, we were taught the saying of Prophet Muhammad since childhood that “love of one’s country is part of one’s faith." For us, that means love for the USA, our home.
Last week’s protest by some misguided individuals at Texas Muslim Capitol Day and Texas Rep. Molly White’s demand that all Muslims visiting her office recite "The Pledge of Allegiance" is insulting to all Muslims in America [“Rep. Molly White Not Quite Sure Who's American,” Newsdesk, Jan. 29]. This group of Muslims – many of them students who recite the pledge daily in schools – were visiting the Texas Capitol to engage with their state representatives and were met with slogans such as “Go Home & Take Obama With You” and were equated with Nazis. This is a sign of growing intolerance and Islamophobia in our society.
We unequivocally denounce the acts of terrorists, a very small minority among Muslims, who distort the peaceful teachings of Islam. As members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, we were taught the saying of Prophet Muhammad since childhood that “love of one’s country is part of one’s faith." For us, that means love for the USA, our home.
Yasir Mirza
