(Jerusalem, Israel) — Ever since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, I’ve been asked variations of this question: If “real” Muslims are peaceful, where are they?
If there are really courageous, moderate, peace-loving Muslims out there, then why don’t we ever hear about them?
Because they media is not covering them.
Let’s face it, there are some 1.8 billion Muslims in the world. The vast, vast majority are not hijacking planes and flying them into buildings, are they? Or blowing themselves up in malls and schools and restaurants. Or calling for “jihad” — holy war — against Christians and Jews. Right?
Of course not.
Yet the radicals are the only ones we seem hear about on TV and in the newspapers.
Don’t get me wrong — the radicals are a serious, lethal threat. And I have no intention of minimizing the threat they pose. Indeed, I’ve spent the last two decades of my career as an author, speaker and Mideast analyst explaining who these radicals are, why they are so dangerous, and why world leaders and lay people need to take them more seriously.
That said, why are the moderates — the ones who want to make peace with Jews and Christians, and with Israel — not on the cover of Time and Newsweek and other magazines? Why aren’t they profiled on 60 Minutes and other news programs?
Traveling from Morocco to Afghanistan, I’ve worked hard to find the moderate Muslims I know are out there yet have been quiet, or have been ignored by the mainstream media even when they have bravely spoken out and taken action against the radicals.
As we launched these two new websites this week — ALL ISRAEL NEWS and ALL ARAB NEWS — I decided to interview two of the most interesting and important and courageous moderate Muslims that I’ve had the honor of meeting. We don’t agree theologically. And there are political matters we disagree on, as well. But they’re not trying to kill me. I’m not trying to kill them. To the contrary, we’re actively trying to advance peace and religious freedom in this part of the world, even though we have profound disagreements on, for example, who Jesus is, and whether the Bible is the Word of God.
One of these men is a Saudi cleric — Sheikh Mohammed al-Issa.
The other is an Emirati businessman (from the UAE) — Dr. Al Rashid Al Nuaimi.
They are absolutely fascinating, and I want to introduce you to them.
Here are links to the interviews I have done with them. I highly recommend you take some time to read them. And while you’re at it, pray for these men and their families.
Thanks so much — and shalom and salaam from Jerusalem.
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