Go To Hell!

Mr. bin Laden,

In the name of Allah, The Most Merciful, the Most Benevolent.

I begin by reciting some important principles of Islam to remind you that there is more to Islam than justa call to arms.

1. Islam was sent as mercy to humanity (Quran 4:79).

2. Do not make mischief on the earth (Quran 29:36).

3. People, we have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes that youmight know one another. The noblest of you before God is the most righteous of you. (49:13)

4. There are among the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) upstanding nations that recite the messageof God and worship throughout the night, who believe in God, who order honor and forbid dishonor and race ingood works. These are the righteous. (3:113-114).

I am writing this to make it clear that there are Muslims in America and in the world who despise andcondemn extremists and have nothing to do with you and those like you for whom killing constitutes worship.Islam was sent as mercy to humanity and not as an ideology of terror or hatred. It advocates plurality andmoral equality of all faiths (Quran 2:62, 5:69). 

To use Islam as a justification to declare an Armageddon against all non-Muslims is inherently unIslamic– it is a despicable distortion of a faith of peace. One of Allah’s 99 names in the Quran is "Al Salam"which means Peace. Thus in a way Muslims are the only people who actually worship peace. Today this claimsounds so empty, thanks to people like you, Mr. bin Laden.

You and those like you are dedicated to killing and bringing misery to people wherever they are. Godblessed you with the capacity to lead and also endowed you with enormous resources. You could have used yourinfluence in Afghanistan to develop it, to bring it out of poverty and under-development and show the worldwhat Islam can do for those who believe in it.

You chose to provoke and bring war to a people who had already been devastated by wars. Yes many innocentpeople lost their lives in America’s war on Afghanistan and many more might lose their lives in Iraq. Thisis indeed regrettable. But we must never forget as to how the West is divided over this and how nations andpeople within nations are agonizing in Europe and in America over this decision to go to war in Iraq. 

While many Americans and Europeans oppose the war, Muslim nations have already agreed to cooperate in thiswar. No Muslim leader has tried to play the role of a statesman on this issue. It is a tragedy that there isnot a single Ted Kennedy, Jimmy Carter or Nelson Mandela in the entire Muslim world who would stand up andspeak for justice! 

Before we rush to condemn America we must remember that even today millions of poor and miserable peopleall across the world are lining up outside US embassies eager to come to America, not just to live here but tobecome an American. No Muslim country today can claim that people of other nations and otherfaiths see it as a promise of hope, equality, dignity and prosperity.

Yes, we American Muslims will continue to challenge the Bush administration's proposal to wage waragainst Iraq. We think a regime change in Washington is as necessary as a regime change in Baghdad, but thatis an intramural affair. Once the war is declared, make no mistake Mr. bin Laden (or for that matter, Mr.Saddam Hussain) we are with America. We will fight with America and we will fight for America.

We have a covenant with this nation, we see it as a divine commitment and we will not disobey the Quran(9:4) – we will fulfill our obligations as citizens to the land that opened its doors to us and promised usequality and dignity even though we have a different faith. I am sure Mr. bin Laden, you can neitherunderstand nor appreciate this willingness to accept and welcome the other.

Sure at this moment out of anger, frustration and fear, some in America have momentarily forgotten theirown values. I am confident that, God willing, this moment of shock and insecurity will pass and America willonce again become the beacon of freedom, tolerance and acceptance that it was before September 11th. 

On that day Mr. bin Laden, you not only killed 3000 innocent Americans, many of whom were also Muslims, butyou signed the death warrants of many innocent people who will die in this war on terror and many more whowill live but will suffer the consequences, the pain and the misery of war. 

Before September 11th, the US was giving aid ($45 million a year) to Afghanistan and was content to waitfor the Iraqi people to free themselves and the rest of the world from their dictator. On that day you changedthe rules of the game and Muslims in many places are suffering as a direct consequence. 

When the Prophet Muhammad (saw) and his companions fought in the name of Islam, Allah made them victoriousand glorified them in this world. They made Islam the currency of human civilization for over a millennium.You and your men on the other hand face nothing but defeat, global ridicule and contempt and run and hide likerats in caves and dungeons. You live in the dark. Your faith neither enlightens you nor enables you to live inthe light and you have made Islam the currency of hate and violence.

Let me tell you that I would rather live in America under Ashcroft and Bush at their worst, than in any "Islamicstate" established by ignorant, intolerant and murderous punks like you and Mullah Omar at their best. TheUS -- Patriot Act not withstanding -- is still a more Islamic (just and tolerant) state than Afghanistan everwas under the Taliban.

Remember this: Muslims from all over the world who wished to live better lives migrated to Americaand Muslims who only wished to take lives migrated to Afghanistan to join you. 

We will not follow the desires of people [like you] who went astray and led many astray from the StraightPath. (Quran 5:77). 

I conclude by calling upon you Mr. bin Laden and your Al Qaeda colleagues and Mr. Saddam Hussain tosurrender to International Courts and take responsibility for your actions and protect thousands of otherinnocent Muslims from becoming the victims of the wars you bring upon them.

Dr. Muqtedar Khan is Assistant Professor of Political Science at Adrian College in Michigan. He is on the board of the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy, Center for Balanced Development and the Association of Muslim Social Scientists.