Peace Be Upon Whom, Again?

The Quran, the holy book of Islam, begins with the words, "In the Name of God, the most gracious, the most merciful." A standard expression in the Islamic world, when referring to Mohammed or other major religious figures, is "Peace be upon Him" (so frequently used that it's often simply abbreviated "PBUH" in English translations).

For a religion which places such emphasis on the graciousness and mercy of God, and on the wish of peace upon people, graciousness, mercy and peace continue to be in miserably short supply across the Middle East, and particularly in Iraq. Yesterday, an enormous truck bomb killed more than 100 people and injured more than 200 in a crowded Baghdad market. Sunni and Shi'ite militants continue to murder each other at a horrifying rate - an Iraqi Interior Ministry spokesman said that more than a thousand people have been killed in the last week alone in various acts of sectarian violence.

As I asked in my post on January 25th: where are the voices? Where are the Muslim religious leaders with the courage and humanity to condemn the staggering violence committed in the name of their religion? Why is the Council on American-Islamic Relations so concerned with filing lawsuits about alleged discrimination against Muslims in this country instead of taking a stand - loudly, publicly, in the Middle East, and in Arabic - against the horrific actions that turn much of the Western world against Islam?

In short, where is the graciousness?

Where is the mercy?

Where is the peace?

It's long past time for Muslims to stand up and be heard for something other than self-righteous prosteletyzing and hectoring denunciation of those who don't believe as they do. It's time for them to get their own house in order, to show each other - and the rest of the world - that Islam is what they claim it to be: a religion of graciousness, mercy, and peace.

But, as always, I'm not holding my breath.

Today is Sunday, the Christian day of rest and worship. In the Catholic Mass, worshipers are exchanging a sign of peace with one another. While that's going on, Muslims in Iraq and Gaza and elsewhere are exchanging bombs and bullets.

Peace be upon whom, again?

Enjoy the rest of your weekend. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo