America, Freedom and Islam

by Yi Gu

America is the country that I call home and the land where true Islam thrives. Dedicated to freedom and blessed by God, she has done so many wonderful jobs around the world. Islam does not contradict freedom. It inspires Man to strive in an American way for it.

Those who died defending this country and liberating Iraq and Afghanistan now rest at Arlington as heroes deserving admiration by fellow Americans and blessing by God. By eradicating despots, exterminating terrorists and emancipating the people, they did exactly what Islam expected of them.

I’m not a “harmless” Muslim by some popular standards. I believe there are some good wars worth fighting and the American invasion of Iraq was one of them. Instead of touting unconditional peace and love, Islam requires Man to defend freedom and fight for justice by all means. That’s what Americans did in Iraq and why we, as Muslims, are so proud of this great country for doing the Good God commands.

Islam being a faith is not to be interpreted literally. Otherwise you would be tortured by its abundant teachings that sound intolerant and exclusive. Such dogmatism would engender similar problems for Christianity and Judaism. Any attempt to use literal Islam to curb or even modify freedom goes against what essential Islam is intended to advocate.

Saudi Arabia is not a free country because it has an autocratic monarch and its laws prohibit construction of new churches and synagogues. France is much better but far from perfect because it enables arrogant men to remove what a women chooses to wear to cover her face.

Fortunately, freedom remains robust here in the U.S. despite being threatened by the religious right. Muslims should never learn from extremists to bully LGBT people and to force women to give unwanted births by the bigotry and hatred they claim to be ordained by God.