Religious understanding stressed by panelists
by Roxanna Latifi, NW News Editor

    Students were urged to expand their horizons and understand others during a religion panel sponsored by the Union for Cultural Diversity on NE Campus.
    The panel focused on two religions: Islam and Christianity.
    "I think it's an important time in our world to understand the backgrounds of both religions from the very mouths of those who are practicing them," Tim Gilbert, moderator, said.
    Gilbert, instructor of philosophy and religion, opened the discussion by stating that the panel worked as an informative composite rather than a debate forum.
    Panel members representing Islam included Dr. M. Basheer Ahmed, physician; Amalya Awaida, community member, and Emad     Hamdany, community member. Christian panel members were Suzanne Graham, missionary, Jennifer Hunt, president of Christian Student Ministries, and Gary Smith, professor of biology.
    "UCD decided to put this panel together so that students could get a better understanding of the two religions," Dorothy Bellamy, president of UCD, said.
    Dena Qaddura, UCD officer, believes people who do not educate themselves about other cultures are missing out on the full experience of life.
    Smith began the discussion by stating that people should embrace different religions and cultures rather than discriminate and hate.
    "Either we can choose to dwell on our differences, or we can choose to dwell over similarities. We all (Muslims and Christians) believe in the same God, regardless of how we get there," he said.
    Hamdany supported the idea of commonalities by saying both religions recognize the same Allah (Islamic word meaning God) and believe that he is the creator of life, but man's interpretation created religions.
    After an audience member asked panelists to speak about the peace between Christians and Muslims, Ahmed said it had never occurred to him that the two groups do not live in harmony.
    "The children, both Muslim and Christian, would play together in the front yards," he said. "We get the wrong information from TV.The description is that there is hostility between the two, when in reality the cause is political and cultural rather than religious."
    Audience members were able to get a better understanding of the Qur'an, the Muslim's holy book.
    Muslim panelists explained the Qur'an teaches its followers to treat women as their equal, contrary to what many Americans are taught.
    According to the Muslim Community Center for Human Services, Islamic law does not force females to marry a selected spouse, permit abusive behavior from a husband toward his wife, nor view women as unequal. Under Islamic law, women are permitted to have careers, claim inheritance, divorce under abusive situations and be consulted by their husbands regarding household concerns.
    Awaida read an excerpt by Mohammed, from the Qur'an, "The best of you (men) are the ones who treat women better."
    One misconception many may have is the meaning of jihad. A jihad is not a holy war, according to Hamdany. There is no holy war under the Islamic religion.
    "In Islam, you can only have a war with people who are willing to fight back," said Hamdany. "Even if soldiers put their arms down, you must not harm them."
    Regarding differences, Christianity has a priesthood while there is no priesthood in Islam. Christians believe in Jesus Christ as the son of God who came to earth and died for humanity's sins: past, present and future. Muslims recognize Jesus Christ, but consider     Muhammad as the Islamic prophet.
    Kristin Creech, UCD officer, said the panel was enlightening.
    "I am attempting to embrace the multi-cultural society we live in. I think UCD accomplished that for me and other students today," she said.
    "The panel was successful, but would not have been possible without Tim Gilbert and Murray Fortner," she said.
    Concluding the session, panelists encouraged audience members to inform themselves of other cultures and religions rather than pass quick judgments.
    "There is a great deal of evil in the world, and either we can choose to combat evil in the world or we can choose to combat one another rather than accept our similarities," Smith said.