it is the cruelest of anomalies.
Islam stands closest to Western religions.
ideologically it is in the Abrahamic family of religions.
the basic concept of Islam; belief in one God (Allah) and creation
are at one with those of Christianity and Judaism.
yet no religion is so misunderstood and no people so
feared and even hated as those who follow Muslim teachings.

the majority of Muslims are a peaceful people with a dignity
and understanding of those of other faiths despite:
a long history of persecution that includes the Crusades between 1095-
and 1291 ; a series of religiously sanctioned military campaigns by Christian Europe
whose sole purpose was to destroy Muslims, which has lasted into contemporary time
with the control of the Holy Land and building of settlements by Israel in Palestine;
the unnecessary invasion by the United States of Iraq
with the death of thousands of innocent Muslims, and;
the xenophobia, persecution, racial profiling, deportations and jailing
after 9/11 of thousands of peaceful, innocent and loyal Muslim and Arab
Americans after the monstrous actions of nineteen Arab-Muslims.

which led me one Easter Day to shun all activity and read the spiritual
and legal guide for Muslims, the Koran, when my Roman Catholic
mother called to wish me Happy Easter , a holiday
I no longer celebrate to ask me whether I went
to a family member or friends house to eat Easter dinner.

How does one tell an 83 year old Italian mother, who goes to mass every day and
eats the wafer and blames all my illnesses on not eating meat, especially meat balls
that you are reading the Koran, eating vegetables
and apple sauce with tea and have no wish to be with people?

You don’t!
I told my mother I went to Easter mass, ate the wafer, lit a candle and prayed,
just got home after visiting friends for Easter dinner and was reading God’s book.
I just did not call it the Koran.