Her email to us...

Hi,

I am an 18 year old muslim girl and I really do not appreciate the things you have to say about my religion. What people nowadays have to understand is that they cannot judge us as a whole by naming our religion. Because you know why. Our religion does not teach us to be violent to others and to kill others or ourselves. It is a huge sin if we were to committ those crimes. What I am sick and tired is of the news and everyone on tv referring us to our religion and they are constantly mentioning our religion "muslim' when in all fact don't blame the religion blame the people. Do we see you using John Howards religion everytime he makes a mistake. No. Do we see you use the name of the religion of sex child offenders. No. So what gives you the right to write down such bullcrap about my religion. You should really stop writing nonsense articles about my religion and find the true facts about what we truly believe. I don't agree with the terrorism attacks lately and I am muslim and do you think muslims all over the world really like to hear about the war in the world and deaths. No because we are human and we can't help being brought up in the religion and ways we were born in. So I would appreciate the fact that if you want to write an article down about deaths and terrorism you keep my religion out of it. Because your just as bad as those losers that kill themselves and others. And if you want to have something to say about muslims why dont you go and write an article on Jews, Christians and Buddhist then. Lets see if religion is really the cause of all the deaths in this world because I'm sure if you did your homework you will learn that the muslim religion is as strict as the christians and catholics. But this is our religion and our beliefs but they shouldnt be mentioned as the cause of our actions and the way we live our life. We all have our own brains to use and common sense to know whats right and what's wrong and talking about people's religion in a negative way is wrong and that's what your're doing. So please just leave our religion alone. Go pick on another religion to talk crap about if your so sad.

Excerpts from our response...

Dear T......,

Thank you for your input. Unfortunately, you have misunderstood our posts here at Hyscience. We are very anti-Islamist (in the sense of its current use as defined here) not anti-Islam, and there is a very big difference. In regard to your comment that we should, "Go pick on another religion to talk crap about if your so sad," we are not "picking" on Islam; unfortutely for Islam, it is the only religion on the front pages of almost every newspaper in the world and the in the main story of almost every cable news outlet in the world, and the daily diet is that of terrorism, hate, violence, beheadings, war, world domination, and other, shall we say, "disturb

TV screens, and practically no voices of dissent are heard by the radical Islamists and their leaders. You suggest that we "go write about Jews, Christians and Buddhists," but Jews, Christians, and Buddhists do not strap bombs on their bodies and go blow up others, they do not kidnap and murder their fellow Jews, Christians, and Buddhists (sadly, more Muslims are killed every day by their fellow Muslims, than by any other cause), and Jews, Christians, and Buddhists do not embrace a violent theopolitical ideology that seeks to take over the world. The Islam you know may not share such an ideology, but unfortunately, millions of Muslims do and it it their voices that are being heard, not those of moderates such as yourself.

Our underlying purpose is to prod and encourage moderate, truly peace-loving, truly tolerant, Muslims to speak out against the Islamists, terrorism, and jihadism, and all of the tenets therein included. Unless more Muslims speak out against these tenets, the only voices that are heard are those of the radicals.

As you can see from your own example, our prodding works, hence your email to me. However, non-Muslims are not your most important audience, the radical Islamists are, it is they who are claiming to be the voice of your faith.

It also happens that Hyscience and Freedom's Zone collaborate with and provide free "discreet" hosting with unlimited bandwidth to many Muslim bloggers around the world - all of whom have huge bandwidth requirements and are very against the radical Islamist and jihadist ideology. We also have a relationship with a university in Europe.

All of our Muslim friends and the rest of us, like myself and others at Hyscience, Freedom's Zone and other blogs that we assist or are editors and sponsors of, are also very much against terrorism, and believe that when kids are given the chance to learn science, mathmatics, technology, and have jobs, they realize their own value and don't have such a great need for misplaced pride in someone elses distorted version of what their faith is about and what is right and wrong - and is not so inclined to believe that intolerance, hate and violence is their only road to happiness. (Before terrorism came to be so well known, my only exposure to Islam had been " Rumi," who I considered to be one of the most peaceful and loving human beings in the history ever to live on our planet)

You appear to write and express yourself well, and with a little broader understanding of the dynamics and language commonly in play on the Internet, could offer welcome insight into your side of the world opinion of Islam. Most educated people do not have a problem with Islam per se, their problem is the ease with which it can be so distorted into hate, violence, jihad, terrorism, pursuit of world domination, and intolerance of others.

Although that may not be the Islam you know, unfortunately, it is the Islam that millions or Muslims around the world know, and the only one they are exposed to. What is needed is for educated - but informed, moderate Muslims to speak out within the context of the radical Islamists that so threaten your faith and civilization as a whole.

We are very willing to discuss this further and even, should you wish to do so, offer you an opportunity to post your opinions at Hyscience or at Freedom's Zone.

BTW, I have an 18 year old daughter (also three other daughters and four sons). I am a retired immunopharmacologist (ergo I'd much rather be talking about more productive issues than the black plague of terrorism threatening the earth) and am co-founder of a large and growing network of bloggers that includes an international coalition of bloggers of all faiths that fight for freedom and tolerance for all (example is the mission statement here). The coalition is made up of Christians, Jews, Muslims, and even a couple of atheists. You would be greatly surprised to know that some of the most successful Muslim bloggers in the world are affiliated with Hyscience and Freedom's Zone. So I am most certainly not "anti-Muslim." Quite the contrary.

Warm regards, and I look forward to hearing from you, and of course if they wish, your parents also.

Warm regards,
Richard