Thank you all for your kind words and greetings. I have to admit, I was a bit nervous. Like many people, I have seen the kindness and humility I have been told about Muslims. However, like many Americans, I have been told about the fanatic. I have to admit, I'm in the group most fanatics love to hate. American, Military, Christian (well, kind of).
I defend myself by saying this: While I was in the military, I had little participation in any struggle involving Islam, or any Arab culture in general. I was a teacher, of voice and confidence. My job was to help my fellow sailors stand tall and speak confidently of knowledge, of facts and numbers. And besides all that, I studied the Chinese, out of sheer intellectual curiosity.
While I am an American, I believe that in the end, we are all one people. Difference in language, ideas, and race are fleeting things, images we create in our minds so that we may hate each other for what we think is a good reason. I did not choose the country I live in, though I do love it dearly. I am not my government, I am not my military. I am me, and I believe what I believe.
And yet, as I type this, I think to myself "I have not been threatened here. Why do I feel the need to defend myself?"
I read the Qur'an, and I see ideas that seem so similar to those I have read about in the Bible, and in Hindu texts. Words may be different, but then, there are hundreds of different translations of the Bible, differences in phrases, but the meaning is the same.
I see distinct parallels between the Christian God with his prophet Jesus Christ, and the Muslim god Allah with his prophet Muhammad (all peace and blessings upon them). Both prophets were teachers. Both gods contain unlimited mercy and wrath. Why then do people fear Arabs? I no longer understand that fear. I cannot blame the common man for the acts of zealots, fanatics, and terrorists, nor can I claim that christians have always been entirely righteous.
Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
I don't know why I'm saying this, only that I felt the need to say it. Perhaps that makes some amount of sense.
One other thing: I asked earlier, and I will raise this again. What are our feelings on marking specific passages in the Qur'an. I have a habit with my Bible. I tend to highlight certain passages (such as 1 Corinthians 13:11, my favorite) and then dog-ear a corner of the bag, so that the point is on the page I highlighted. I have researched, and found some rather specific statements, regarding desecration, and this part interested me:
Muslims must always treat the book with reverence, and are forbidden, for instance, to pulp, recycle, or simply discard worn-out copies of the text; instead, burning or burying the worn-out copies in a respectful manner is required. [1] Respect for the written text of the Qur'an is an important element of religious faith in Islam. Intentionally insulting the Qur'an is regarded as a form of blasphemy. Desecrating a copy of the Qur'an is punishable by imprisonment in some countries (life imprisonment in Pakistan, according to Article 295-B of the Penal Code) and, reportedly, by death in others.
Would following the same practice as my Bible fall under this, or am I okay in doing so? I would never harm a holy book, regardless of its faith, and I never throw the things out. It seems disrespectful to abuse and disregard a thing that millions have formed their lives around. Any thoughts on this matter?