60 Minutes, the television news magazine that is broadcast by CBS, recently featured an interview with the conservative American Baptist preacher, the Reverend Jerry Falwell. Falwell made the following statement on national television: "I think Muhammad was a terrorist. I read enough of the history of his life written by both Muslims and non-Muslims, (to know) that he was- a violent man, a man of war." He continued, "Jesus set the example of love, as did Moses. I think Muhammad set an opposite example." If this was not inflammatory enough, Falwell went on to suggest that the right-wing Christian Coalition is united with the Jews against Muslims.

Since that time, Falwell has issued an apology, of sorts. The official apology reads: "I sincerely apologize that certain statements of mine made during an interview for CBS's 60 Minutes were hurtful to the feelings of many Muslims. I intended no disrespect to any sincere law-abiding Muslim." He claimed not that his statement was inaccurate and unfair but that he made a mistake while responding to a "controversial and loaded question" at the end of the hour-long interview.

Falwell's statements have had significant repercussions around the world. Hundreds of Muslim protestors gathered outside the CBS Broadcast Center in New York City demanding an apology for such hateful lies. The interview sparked protests in India. Tragically, a protest on Friday, October 11th in Sholapur resulted in a riot between Muslims and Hindus, and as a result five people were killed and fifty people were injured. Shiite Muslim clerics in Lebanon and Iran have responded in outrage. Iranian Foreign Minister, Kamal Kharrrazi made the following statement: "What this American priest said encourages war among civilizations and also increases cries and it should be confronted."

American religious groups have issued clear statements refuting and condemning Falwell's remarks. The Executive Board of the National Churches of Christ in the USA adopted a resolution in sharp contrast to Falwell's views. The National Council of Churches represents over 50 million US Christians. The resolution rightly points out that Falwell's perspective was "not Christian and shockingly uninformed." As a result, he has endangered the "security of every nation where Christians and Muslims are seeking a peaceful relationship."

The Interfaith Alliance is an association of 150,000 members from fifty faith traditions including the Unitarian Universalist Association. The Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy who is the Executive Director of the Interfaith Alliance has written a letter to President Bush asking him to distance himself from Jerry Falwell, Billy Graham and other leaders of the Christian Coalition in the interest of national security and trust. After the attacks of September 11th, 2001, Bush visited a mosque and affirmed Islam as a religion of peace. In the interview, Jerry Falwell suggested that his constituency controls the Bush Administration's policies toward Israel. The Interfaith Alliance has asked Bush to divorce himself from the Christian Coalition. The suggestion that foreign policy is based upon fundamentalist biblical theology has frightening implications.

Jerry Falwell is not known for his inclusiveness. You may recall that after the attacks of September 11th, 2001, he condemned "pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays, and the lesbians who are actively trying to make an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, the people for the American Way- all of them who have tried to secularize America- I point the finger in their face and say, 'You helped this happen'". Now, it's hard to take seriously a man who accused Tinky Winky, one of the colorful characters on the children's TV show Teletubbies, of being gay. However, no matter how foolish or false his statements may be, his words echo around the world and influence not only how Americans are perceived abroad but has some real ties to the current Administration.

As Unitarian Universalists, we draw from many sources. As is demonstrated symbolically on this pulpit, our foundation is the Jewish and Christian traditions. We believe that revelation is not sealed that each person is capable of direct experience of transcending mystery. Our liberal faith inspires us to study the words and deeds of prophetic men and women. Humanism counsels us to engage our minds and to use reason in all aspects of life. Our ethical and spiritual life is inspired by wisdom from the world's religions.

Even though our liberal religious faith values a free and responsible search for truth and meaning, we do not draw equally from all sources. Although I learned about Hinduism and Buddhism in UU Sunday School, I was not exposed to the teachings of Islam until I went to seminary. I believe that my experience is fairly typical of Unitarian Universalists, who like other Americans are moved to deepen our understanding of a religion that has often been misunderstood by the West. Religious education not only expands our personal vision, but also helps to dispel the culture of hatred that has been promoted by Falwell in the name of religion.

Given that Islam is one of the fastest growing religious movements in the world, it is essential that we as Unitarian Universalists acquire a just appreciation. There are currently 1.2 billion Muslims worldwide making Islam the second largest religion globally and the third largest religion in America. Muslims are not only our neighbors, since August a Muslim group has been meeting for congregational prayers in our sanctuary. The closest Mosque is in Providence. There is a small group of local Muslim men who were meeting on Friday afternoons on the Naval base. Since September 11th, 2001 there has been an increase in security on the base and although some of the men are officers, some are local civilians. The Navy Chaplain contacted us to ask if our space was available, and our Governing Board approved the weekly use of our church.

We have a fairly active Clergy Association here on Aquidneck Island. Occasionally, we collaborate in offering a joint service. We call them "Interfaith" services but really they have been Jewish, Christian and Unitarian Universalist, not truly representative of all faiths. During the Service that was held at Temple Shalom in remembrance of September 11th this Fall, we made sure to invite a representative from the local Muslim group. It was difficult making the arrangements because of a language barrier. The speaker went on a little longer than was comfortable. However, the inclusion of the Islamic faith in our local memorial service marked an important shift in recognition. My hope is that this relationship will continue to develop over time.

Of course, it is ridiculous for me to speak of Islam as completely uniform. There are many different sects, practices, teachings, philosophies and interpretations. To lump all Muslims together is like saying that all Catholics, Mormons, Baptists, Greek Orthodox, Quakers, and Pentecostals are essentially the same because after all they're all Christians! My aim this morning is to outline some of the common ground that Judaism, Christianity and Islam share as well as some basic tenets of Islam, which may inspire your further consideration.

As Eleanor alluded to in her reflection, the Prophet Muhammad is the ideal model for Muslims to follow. The basis for this emulation are volumes of collected writings that contain observations about what the Prophet said and did during his lifetime. The life of Muhammad is worthy of several sermons but today I will simply highlight a few aspects. Muhammad was very much a product of his times. He was born in Mecca in about 570 CE. The culture was shifting from a more nomadic way of life to that of urban commerce. At the age of forty, after meditating in a cave, Muhammad received the words of the Quran through the Angel Gabriel. Quran actually means "recitation" in Arabic. Over the course of twenty-three years, passages were revealed to Muhammad and his disciples wrote them down. Being illiterate, he functioned as Allah's intermediary. Memorization and recitation of the Quran in Arabic is central to Muslim practice. There are many translations but the cadence, inflections and rich rhyming prose of the original Arabic text offers a resonant spiritual message to the listener. Perhaps the recording gave you some sense of its beauty.

The Quran contains within it many of the figures and stories of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures. The revelations are regarded as the fulfillment of former scriptures. Muhammad is considered by Muslims as the Seal of the Prophets, that is the final messenger from Allah who received the final and complete revelation to humankind. However, it is believed that Allah sent many prophets, 124,000 to be exact, going all the way back to Adam with Abraham, Moses and Jesus as particularly significant. Muslims regard Jews and Christians as children of Abraham and "People of the Book". All three faiths emphasize moral responsibility, Last Judgment and eternal reward and punishment. However, each one also emphasizes a special covenant with God, which has been a source of conflict instead of lasting common ground.

There are Five Pillars or basic tenets of Islam. The first pillar is Faith. The verbal profession states that "There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the prophet of God". Islam has a steadfast belief in monotheism- the unity and oneness of God. Although there are many divine qualities such as Mercy and Justice, ultimately Allah is beyond distinction and division.

The second pillar of Islam is Prayer. Muslims pray five times a day. In Islamic communities one is awakened at sunrise by the call to prayer. Like the recording that began our service, a sonorous voice calls out to the faithful: "God is most great. I testify that there is no God but one. I testify that Muhammad is the Prophet of God. Come to prayer. Come to success. Prayer is better than sleep. There is no god but the One and True God." At noon, early afternoon, sunset and the fall of darkness, this same call rings out (without the reference to sleep). Every believer then turns towards Mecca and recites the declaration of faith and any other verse from the Quran he or she should choose.

Seyyed Hossein Nasr, in his book "The Heart of Islam", describes the meaning of this act of worship as follows: "The life of the practicing Muslim is punctuated ever anew by the daily prayers, which break the hold of profane time upon the soul and bring men and women back to God and to sacred space pointing to the supreme center of the Islamic universe, Mecca, where the celestial axis penetrates the plane of earthly existence. The prayers are a rejuvenation for the soul, protection against evil acts, and a shelter for believers amid the storm of the life of this world."

The third pillar of Islam is the Fast of Ramadan. During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from dawn until the sun has set each day. There are exemptions for children, elderly, pregnant women and the sick. The practice of fasting fosters self-discipline and spiritual reflection. Muslims are reminded of their dependence on Allah for nourishment, which develops humility and gratitude. The act of fasting also raises awareness of what it feels like to be hungry and therefore increases compassion toward others in need.

The fourth pillar of Islam is Almsgiving, also known as "purification". Muslims are expected to give 2.5 percent of their annual savings to the poor, needy, disabled and deprived as a religious act. Almsgiving purifies the giver. One of the goals of Islam is to actively develop an equitable society.

The fifth pillar of Islam is Pilgrimage. Once during his or her lifetime, a Muslim is expected to make a religious journey to Mecca (if economically and physically feasible). Mecca is a sacred place because it was the birthplace of Muhammad and the holy site has even more ancient associations. Pilgrims visit the well believed to be the spring revealed to Hagar. Muslims circumambulate the Kaaba, an immense cube of blocks 34 feet high, 31 feet wide and 38 feet long, built by Abraham at God's command and embedded in this structure is a piece of a meteorite that fell to earth during Adam's time.

When I attend our General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association, my spirit soars being in the company of around four thousand UU's. I can only imagine what it is like to participate in the Islamic Pilgrimage or hajj, which today draws over two million people to Mecca. The pilgrims dress in a special white cloth signifying purity but also to erase all external distinctions. Here is Nasr's description: "People come from all quarters of the world and include Arabs, Persians, and Turks as well as Black Africans and Malays, Chinese and Indo-Pakistanis as well as Germans and Americans, black-skinned as well as fair-skinned people, pilgrims with dark eyes as well as blue ones. No where else in the world is the ethnic and racial diversity of the Islamic community unified in the surrender to the One God more evident than in Mecca during the hajj".

The word Islam means "surrender". To be a "Muslim" is to be one who surrenders or submits to Allah. This comes from "salam" meaning peace or in harmony with the laws of the universe. "Shalom" comes from the same root meaning peace and wholeness. Muhammad was not only a religious leader but also a political leader. The sacred and secular were not separate but together informed the creation of a just society. Although there were some armed conflicts, Mohammad was in no way a terrorist. His religious principles called him and his followers to act with mercy, compassion and work toward an equitable society.

The reading this morning by Mohammed Ahmad Surrer calls upon humanity to raise the challenge of right and wrong, to end selfishness, bitterness and fear. Together, let us raise a challenge to all hateful statements made in the false name of religion. May our Principles and Purposes awaken in us a hunger for knowledge and deepening understanding with our neighbors of every faith and perspective. As individuals and as a congregation, may we continue to broaden our understanding of what it means to share this brink of time. May the prophetic deeds of men and women guide us in the creation of a more just world.