ARLINGTON (CBSDFW.COM) – On a recent Friday afternoon, Muslims filed into an Arlington mosque – men on the first floor, women on the second – and prayed for peace as the 10-year anniversary of terror approached.
“Brothers and sisters, when we talk about Islam, we talk about a religion that did not know terror before, did not practice terror before,” Imam Hasan Khalil told them.
“Killing one is like killing the entire humanity … if you don’t have regard for the single life of a human being, then you don’t have regard for any living thing on earth,” he said.
All agreed, and then they kneeled to the floor to pray.
Khalil’s sermon is no different than what is being preached in any other place of worship, as Americans brace for the emotional recognition on Sunday of the 10 years that have passed since this country was attacked by Osama bin Laden and his gang of terrorists.
Muslims, however, say they also have to look over their shoulder for those in this country who continue to believe, wrongly, that their faith in some way makes them terrorist sympathizers.
Bin Laden may have claimed to have been a Muslim, but he was not true to the faith, local Muslim leaders say, because he was a killer.
“One of the greatest teachings of Islam is peace,” Khalil said in his prayer service. “It is a religion to establish peace, and to establish justice, not the other way around,” he said.
Jamal Qaddura, spokesman for the estimated 20,000 Muslims who live in and around Arlington, said laws should be passed that prevent hatemongers from inciting violence against Muslims.
“The Muslim community has been tarnished,” Qaddura said. “Ten years later, as we approach the anniversary in a few more days, we are still the ongoing victims of 9/11.”
Last year, a man burned down the playground set at an Arlington mosque after failing to burn the mosque itself. He was caught on a surveillance camera and arrested. He later pleaded guilty to hate crime charges and was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison.
“He just said, ‘I did it because I hate Muslims,’” Qaddura said.
It is that type of unbridled hatred, made worse by the aftermath of 9/11, that Muslims say they hope to one day overcome.
Imam Khalil drove home that point during the recent prayer service.
“Mercy and terror do not work together,” he told his followers. “If you are sent to be merciful, then you are definitely not sent to spread terror.
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33 Comments
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Well how about if all of these so-called “peaceful” muslims and their leaders make a public and well distributed outcry againts the terrorst factions of their religion and make continuous worldwide pleas for those in the middle east to stop their murderous ways. Maybe if the rest of the world heard this going on for an extended period of time the attitudes of other religions toward muslims might change, but as long as the terrorism continues and we hear only silence from these groups, they will continue to be demonized.
September 10, 2011 at 9:01 pm
Well how about if I require that you, a so-called, “peaceful”, christian and your leaders make a public and well distributed outcry against the racist factions within your religion and make continuous worldwide pleas for racists to stop your hateful prejudice. Maybe if the rest of the world heard this going on for an extended period of time, the attitudes of other religions towards racist christians might change, but as long as the hate and racism continues and we hear only silence from you, you will continue to be demonized.
September 10, 2011 at 10:05 pm
You can’t require it,because you are the tiny minority,and Americans are rising up and want answers. Plus if there is another terror attack in the USA,all Muslims here will probably be in danger of some kind from different groups,citizen and government. SO THERE SMART MOUTH.
September 11, 2011 at 3:20 am
Stigma of 9/11? Muslims celebrated in the streets.
Islam and peace cannot co-exist. Every part of the world where Muslims are, there are violent problems.
I never understood why Muslims say “Allah Hu Akbar” when they are beheading infidels or stoning women if Islam is that peaceful. How does Islamic violence in every part of the world that they are glorify allah?
September 10, 2011 at 10:19 pm
An Ex-Christian
Christians celebrated Osama Bin Ladin’s death. The crowd cheered at the GOP debates when Perry bragged about Texas’ execution record. Every part of the world where christians are, there is violence. I have never understood why christians say, “God bless you”, before they execute you. Christians invented and perfected genocide. How does that glorify their God?
September 10, 2011 at 10:32 pm
brothers on the floor, sisters on the second floor. you sisters are subordinates and your prayers cannot mingle with those of your brothers.
really the men should cover their faces since they are the ugliest.
September 10, 2011 at 10:25 pm
Christians celebrated Osama Bin Ladin’s death. The crowd cheered at the GOP debates when Perry bragged about Texas’ execution record. Every part of the world where christians are, there is violence. I have never understood why christians say, “God bless you”, before they execute you. Christians invented and perfected genocide. How does that glorify their God?
September 10, 2011 at 10:31 pm
Yes, Christians celebrated Bin Laden’s death. Bin Laden is an Islamic terrorist. So you support an Islamic terrorist who is responsible for killing 3000 people?
I have not seen Christians killing and stoning people like we Muslims do. What gives a muslim right to kill a woman by stoning?
Why do Muslims kill apostates?
You know Muslims cannot answer simple questions. May moon god bless u.
September 11, 2011 at 1:00 am
Not now not this KTVT I will remember you for the timing of this story!
September 10, 2011 at 11:03 pm
I work with many Muslim doctors who are the kindest most compassionate people I have ever met. As with any religion there are those who are radical and only preach hate. The Muslims I work with are kind and peaceful people. I judge each person by their actions not their religion.
September 10, 2011 at 11:54 pm
Yeap, u keep on saying that you judge each person by their actions not their religion.
Islam is an idealogy that disguises itself as a religion. Islamic idealogy kills its own followers besides killing infidels and apostates. Anyone that follows quran to the letter will eventually become a terror supporter.
All I needed to know about Islam, I knew is on 9/11.
September 11, 2011 at 12:56 am
The problem is the radical 10%, how many 9/11s will it take for you to realize none is better than to trust “the nice ones”!!
September 11, 2011 at 12:59 am
Muslims are directed by Allah to convert infidels or kill them if they won’t. There is NOTHING peaceful about Islam. If only 10% of the 1.8 million Muslims in the US are “radical”, then we already have 180,000 Muslim terrorists here!!
September 11, 2011 at 12:55 am
Muslims will use Taquiyya,which means lying for Allah,to further their agenda. They are required to lie. It is in the Koran.
September 11, 2011 at 1:08 am
Christians have killed more people in the name of God then any other religion. So why don’t we just kill all the Christians?
September 11, 2011 at 2:19 am
People like you are precisely the problem. Do not speak ignorantly please.
Christians killed who? Are you talking about crusaders? Cursades happened because Muslims occupied all of the Christian land (as I type this, Hagia Sophia is still occupied by Turkey’s Islamic Terrorists).
September 11, 2011 at 9:24 am
this is the main reason we need to throw all of you ragheads out of Amercia and back to the sands of Saudia Arabia, Iraq.
September 11, 2011 at 9:57 am
Patton said it best. Kill them all and let god sort it out later. Actually, we are still stocking nuclear weapons. I say carpet bomb any country that has 90% of its land covered in sand with those said nuclear weapons. Kill all the muslims and get rid of terrorism for at least a little while.
September 11, 2011 at 7:23 am
I for one I’m glad idiots like Patton are dead. Idiots like him are why we made so many stupid mistakes throughout time.
September 11, 2011 at 8:01 am
Ladies and gentlemen, the stupidest comment on the boards for 2011 goes to… no surprise here… NITENURSE, with another insane infantile comment!
If it weren’t for “idiots” like Patton stopping crazed genocidal maniacs like Hitler, the world could have well been taken over and all non-Whites would have been murdered or enslaved, including your kind, NiteNurse. Hmmm… wait a minute… that may be a GOOD THING. Let me think about this for a while.
September 11, 2011 at 8:57 am
I really don’t think NiteNurse is serious. I truly believe he or she is a professional troll. I’ve seen way too many asinine comments from NiteNurse that lead me to believe those comments are posted just to rile us up. Either that, or NiteNurse is a very hollow, pathetic and lonely person in desperate need for ANY KIND of validation, even if it’s negative. There’s just no way someone can really be that stupid. No way.
September 11, 2011 at 10:13 am
Why are muslims here in America? Think about it. islam teaches them to convert or kill us so why would they want to come here, live here, reproduce here and put mosques on every corner? Duh… to conquer America. Why would they want to put a mosque at Ground Zero? Why do they want to put mosques in our neighborhoods? There is no distinction between peaceful, moderate and radical muslims because if they believe in and live by their quoran then they hate America, Christians and West. Which brings me back to why are they here? It is really an unarmed occupation of America by 1.8 million soldiers of alah with a common goal – to take down America.
This is a stupid article by CBS11. Just more CAIR-spin trying to paint muslims as victims and the media goes along with them.
September 11, 2011 at 7:36 am
All religion is stupid. People follow fairy tales and kill each other in the name of said mythology. What a colossal waste of time.
September 11, 2011 at 8:54 am
So much blood has been spilled in the name of god, both Christian and Muslim that is why your faiths makes non-believers out of good and moral people. Your gods are horrible because they obviously preach violence not peace. If there is an afterlife may ALL religious followers burn. If 9-11 taught us anything it taught us that violence creates more violence and someone has to be strong and say “NO MORE WAR!’
September 11, 2011 at 10:32 am
Atheists kill people, too. Look at Mao and Lenin. Religion is a waste of time, yes, but violence and war is propagated by all kinds of people.
September 11, 2011 at 10:39 am
…and let’s not forget Stalin, who surpassed Lenin in mass executions, as well as Pol Pot.
September 11, 2011 at 10:47 am
“Men on the first floor and women on the second” That’s what Muslims think of women. To Muslims women are just things to be beaten and raped then stoned to death because they were victims.
Islam is NOT peaceful. Islam is a terrorist religion built buy the pedophile Muhammad.
September 11, 2011 at 11:03 am
Interesting because Warren Jeffs the CHRISTIAN believes the same thing about women.
September 11, 2011 at 5:34 pm
Both religions are idiotic.
September 11, 2011 at 5:56 pm
i did not compose the following but thought i would pass it along. thing about it.
CAN MUSLIMS BE GOOD AMERICANS?
This is very interesting and we all need to read it from start to finish
And send it on to everyone. Maybe this is why our American Muslims are
So quiet and not speaking out about any atrocities. Can a good Muslim be
A good American?
This question was forwarded to a friend who worked in Saudi Arabia for 20 years.
The following is his reply:
Theologically – no. . . . Because his allegiance is to Allah, The moon
God of Arabia .
Religiously – no.. . . Because no other religion is accepted by His Allah
Except Islam (Quran, 2:256)(Koran)
Scripturally – no. . . Because his allegiance is to the five Pillars of
Islam and the Quran.
Geographically – no . Because his allegiance is to Mecca , to which he
Turns in
prayer five times a day.
Socially – no. . . Because his allegiance to Islam forbids him to make
Friends with Christians or Jews .
Politically – no.. . . Because he must submit to the mullahs (spiritual
Leaders), who teach annihilation of Israel and destruction of America ,
The great Satan.
Domestically – no. .. . Because he is instructed to marry four Women and
Beat and scourge his wife when she disobeys him (Quran 4:34 )
Intellectually – no. . Because he cannot accept the American
Constitution since it is based on Biblical principles and he believes the
Bible to be corrupt.
Philosophically – no. . . . Because Islam, Muhammad, and the Quran does
Not allow freedom of religion and expression. Democracy and Islam cannot
Co-exist. Every Muslim government is either dictatorial or
autocratic.
Spiritually – no.. . . Because when we declare ‘one nation under God,’
The Christian’s God is loving and kind, while Allah is NEVER referred to
As Heavenly father, nor is he ever called love in the Quran’s 99
Excellent names.
Therefore, after much study and deliberation…. Perhaps we should be
Very suspicious of ALL MUSLIMS in this country. – - – They obviously
Cannot be both ‘good’ Muslims and good Americans. Call it what you wish
it’s still the truth. You had better believe it. The more who understand
This, the better it will be for our country and our future.
The religious war is bigger than we know or understand. ….
September 11, 2011 at 11:13 am
Islam is NOT the problem. RELIGION IS THE PROBLEM.
Want peace and prosperity? Get religion out of politics and government.
Religion poisons everything, especially governments.
A secular world is a sane world by Pat Condel.
Watch this brief video:
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=171_1214563797
September 11, 2011 at 11:46 am