What's in a name? | A dove's cry

ACT I

The dove is a symbol of peace the world over and there is a church in Florida which has named itself after the cute white bird. The name ‘Dove World Outreach Center” should leave one with instant feelings of peace and tranquility. Now, how do you like a sudden special announcement by the church: ‘Upcoming: September 11th is International Burn a Koran Day’?

The poor dove would never know the loss of reputation incurred at the hand of Terry Jones, the ‘proud’ pastor behind the charade at Dove Word’s ‘International Burn a Koran Day’ effort. It is an ‘outreach’ alright, just of a slightly different taste; and the dove is about to find out the hard way.

When CNN’s Rick Sanchez recently questioned Pastor Jones and asked: “How would you feel if a Muslim said to you what you just said to them... I am burning your bible?”

“I would not like it, but it’s our right, [because] we live in America,” the pastor instantly replied.

Rick Sanchez, to his credit, did manage to muster-up a smile while in clear disbelief and so visibly disgusted with the answer.

“Why would you sound or do something as hateful as to burn their most sacred book”, Sanchez asked again.

“Because times call for it. It calls for radical times.” Pastor Jones replied.

“I do not understand why people defend Islam,” Pastor Jones openly complained to Rick Sanchez.

Rick Sanchez could not hide his disbelief that Pastor Jones would so blatantly choose to purposefully burn a religious holy book that Pastor Jones himself acknowledged is revered by 1.5 billion people of the world.

“You do Christians in this country a disservice by sounding as hateful as you do; and saying that you are going to perform hateful acts as you say you are; for people who may not necessarily believe as you say they do," Rick Sanchez told Pastor Jones in closing.

ACT II

How incredibly dishonest for an organization to show up on television and make a claim of being “dedicated to freedom of speech, religious liberty and individual rights”, yet not to have single one of these words reflected either in its name or in its activities; not even remotely? Instead, Pamela Geller, the woman behind this farce opted to name her organization ‘Stop Islamization of America’ (SIOA). Well, so much for advancing the cause of ‘liberty and religious rights’ by having ‘Stop’ to start the name of her circus and complete it with ‘Islamization of America’. Don't we just love such 'religious liberties' granted to us by the likes of Ms. Galler.

In response to ‘Muslims for Peace’ ads campaign on New York buses, SIOA has also begun running ads on buses offering support to anyone wanting to leave Islam.

In support of her crusade in New York, Pamela Geller showed up on The Alayona Show on RT TV with a smirk and started to feed the viewers with her usual opening line; the ‘dedicated to freedom of speech, religious liberty and individual rights’ mantra.

What happened next was somewhat perplexing - to Pamela Geller at least. The grin quickly disappeared as Ms. Geller learned that she would not be able to capitalize on her traditional Islam bashing skills, an art acquired from the like of Robert Spencer, I believe.

Dr. Waseen Sayed, spokesperson of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community on the opposing side explained that Islam endorsed her right to say whatever she wished; Pamela Geller quickly needed to pick a different fight.

And, boy, Ms. Geller twisted and turned to pick different fights and in panic she became combative with the host of the program right from the start.

First Ms. Geller opted to discredit Dr. Sayed and Ahmadi Muslims. "His sect is a small apportion of the worldwide global population, the ummah population," she decried.

As the anchor proceeded to ask more pointed questions, Ms. Geller altogether altered the mission of her life and that of the organization she was there to speak for.

"The ad is not directed at Muslims," she changed her stance. "This ad is directed to girls in trouble.”

Well, that switch didn’t go very well either. Once the TV anchor turned the wisdom of a 'supply', for which there is no demand, on its head, Ms. Geller proceeded to pull a quick George W. on every one – the ‘if you are not with us you are against us’ trick.

"Frankly anybody that finds these ads offensive, is in support of the death penalty the sharia for conversion out of Islam," she claimed. “What’s wrong with these ads? It just says are you in trouble?"

Ms. Geller’s sentences slowly became incoherent and the desperation of the moment as well as that of her total mission was quite clear by this time.

“If I’ll save [just] one life, it’s worth this flack,” was very telling of her successes in getting flocks of Muslims over to her side.

Just as Pastor Jones did himself in at the Rick Sanchez show on CNN, Ms. Pamela Geller turned out to be well capable of destroying her cause on The Alayona Show on RT TV.

Ultimately, therefore, the question arises that would a real victim, if there were any, ever trust the likes of Pamela Geller and Terry Jones?

ACT III

Dr. Waseem Sayed, spokesperson for the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community sat in the Los Angeles studios of RT TV, on the opposite of Pamela Geller in New York, and gave a glimpse of the mission of his community: To take their message of peace, loyalty and love for this homeland door-to-door, literally.

Dr. Sayed explained that he is a Muslim who believes in the Messiah, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian.

"Our interpretation and our 121 years effort since the founding of our community ... has been to say that Islam is for the freedom of religion and there is no such thing as punishment of death for a person who renounces Islam," Dr. Sayed quickly dispelled the myth and fear being used by the Pamela Geller and Pastor Terry Jones' ilk.

“We want to emphasize that Muslims must, in the United States of America, stand up, and speak out, and say that the Islam they believe in is Islam which teaches peace, the essence of it,” Dr. Sayed stressed. “This is what we are doing. We are going across the country, you know…”

“It’s not [about] the bus ads. A hundred bus ads - anyone can purchase,” Dr. Sayed went on to explain their bigger mission next.

“Thousands of members of our community are going door to door- and this year our goal is that 6 million Americans should receive the message that Islam stands for peace.”

Dr. Sayed’s message seemed not to suffer from the contradictions Pamela Geller and Paster Jones were ill with. For Dr. Sayed, “Muslims for Peace” title and his ‘talking points’ were well in-sync.

“So you don’t have any problems with Pamela’s bus ads?” the TV anchor asked.

Dr. Sayed responded: “This is a great country. It gives us the freedom – for Pamela to say what she wants to say, and for the Muslim to be able to say what they need to say and wish to say.”

“And, I invite all Muslims in the United States- they should stand up and they should go around the country and tell their neighbors that Islam means peace,” Dr. Sayed's emphasis was clearly on bringing the Muslim house in order as well.

“And they can call this 1-800- Why Islam number or go to MuslimsForPeace.Org ”

Now, coincidentally, Dr. Sayed also had a pamphlet in hand that he showed off; and there was something unique to be observed, which brings me back full circle to the title of my article - ‘What’s in the name | A dove's cry.’ You see, the pamphlet Dr. Sayed showed, displayed a proud dove, with underlying slogan ‘Love for all, hatred for none.” There were no contradictions between Dr. Sayed’s message, the Muslims for Peace title, and the Ahmadiyya Muslim slogan, ‘Love for all, hatred for none.’

Perhaps, Paster Jones, Pamela Geller, or anyone capitalizing on Islamophobia should look up to Ahmadiyya Muslim Community when it comes to intellectual honesty.