What our other readers are saying:
A misrepresentation of Islam
The fact of the matter is, there are people in every religion who take extreme views and interperet their sacred text to fit their needs and agenda. This does not necessarily mean that the text or the religion teaches that ideology, it simply means that certain individuals take the meanings out of context and mold it to their needs.
I've studied Islam for several years on an academic level, and nowhere in my studies have I encountered anything that teaches terrorism, violence, or the killing of innocent women, children, or the elderly. It is so unfortunate, because I know so many Muslims and they do none of the things that the media portrays Muslims as doing.
There are extremists in Christianity who try to push their agenda in the name of their religion. For example, domestically we have the Klu Klux Klan. They are a Christian organization that terrorizes minorities, predominantly African Americans. No one labels this group as a Christian Fundamentalist terror group.
The point is, I believe it is wrong for the media, government, and the general public to consider Muslims synonymous with terrorists. Do what I did: study Islam on an academic level, or better yet, go to your local Mosque and see the vast difference in what you hear in the media and how real Muslims conduct their affairs and what they believe. You'll be surprised.
Mike Kinsley, Los Angeles, Calif., USA
Prayer: the one solution
I've been following Jill's ordeal since it began. I'm very happy to be able to read her experiences in her own words and on video. I've also been trying to read more about Muslims and their beliefs to try to understand their way of thinking. Jill's story is also helpful in this endeavor. I'm not sure that we can change the fanaticism. After all, if your reward for sacrificing yourself for your beliefs is heaven, there's not much incentive to accept less than heaven. So, anything goes and is therefore justified. What's left? Prayer, if you believe in it.
Ron Helie, Burnt Hills, N.Y., USA
Oppose violent acts, not religion
I am not aware of any religion that supports violence or motivates the follower to be violent. It is the misinterpretation, of the followers, that makes religion an excuse for being violent. The underlying motivation for being violent is hatred, and how can world address this? With love and sympathy, of course.
I do not mean to show love to those who believe in this violent ideology, but we should criticize and oppose the acts of those people rather than saying it's Islam or their religion that is making them do this. When we say that the religion teaches them violence instead of opposing the actions of certain individuals, we offend the whole community, which increases hatred. We have to be very, very cautious in choosing our words. At the end I will only say that no Muslim, no scholar of Islam, can justify kidnapping innocent people like Jill Carroll. This is simply wrong, and whoever does it will be punished hereafter for this wrongdoing.
Syed Asad, Wilmington, N.C., USA
Peace without religion
The world will be civilized only when it outgrows religion altogether and adopts a secular, tolerant, humanistic outlook that cherishes human beings and peace on earth, instead of having people fight one another because of imaginary deities.
David Zohar, Jerusalem, Israel
Devolop understanding and respect
This story illuminates a world of intense religous adherence that parallels brainwashing. The ever-apparent lack of free thought, movement, and choices creates an atmosphere of intolerance and amazing devotion to a book. In short, we need to make a devoted effort to understand and respect the ideas, beliefs, and convictions of Muslims. If radical Islamists made the same concerted effort, this world could become less concerned with spreading democracy or radical Islam, and more concerned about living in harmony, tranquility, and ultimately, peace. It's not impossible if people just do it.
Evan Mather, Colorado Springs, Colo., USA
Overestimating religious motivations
The Western world needs to understand that day-to-day life in a Muslim society frequently refers to the Koran, to Allah, and to the historical context of living in that society. We then interpret violent acts as those of religious fanatics. I think we overestimate the religious significance of their actions, and don't put enough attention on why they want to behave so violently in the first place. If we helped eliminate the oppressive regimes in the MIddle East and truly worked to resolve the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, we would see much less violence and much less so-called religious fanaticism. Terrorist behavior cannot be simiplistically explained as the acts of religious fanatics.
Carolyn Khanna, Pittsford, N.Y., USA
