Open Letter to All Muslims - Give Peace A Chance, by Giving Caring and Empathy a Chance
By Elsa Schieder

Worldwide, there are many cultures of "righteous" rage – cultures where rage and hatred are incited, encouraged, fostered as righteous. I say, that must stop.

Today's idea:

Any Muslim who is not protesting 10,000 times as much against every act of Muslim violence as they have protested against a Danish cartoon that links the Muslim religion with violence is committing an injustice. Anyone who does not protest far more against violence than against a cartoon is doing damage to the Muslim religion, and much more vital, is doing something very wrong.

Many Muslims say: the cartoon is an outrage. One must make no image of the prophet. It defiles the religion. The Muslim religion is a religion of peace.

I answer:

No image of the prophet? All the world can easily see one very powerful Muslim image of the prophet – in the words and deeds of those Muslims who call for rage, hatred, violence. You slaughter fellow Muslims. You murder aid workers. You have created the very image portrayed in the Danish cartoon.

I say:

You prefer to try to kill the messenger, instead of heeding the message and doing what is required: to change.

The cartoon, I have been told, may actually tell two truths. One: violence is being done in the name of the prophet Mohammed. Two: when the bomb goes off, it may not only kill those around him, it may also kill him.

I agree: I see that the branch of the Muslim religion which is supporting violence will self-destruct. Those with eyes to see will leave it.

You demand that others change, give in to your rules. It is time for you to change.

I also say:

Were your prophet here, he would count up every destructive act and hold you accountable. He would throw you out, every single one of you who does such violence or who condones it - just as Jesus threw the money-changers out of the temple for defiling it.

In case I have not been absolutely clear:

Many Muslims worldwide have protested against the Danish cartoon which shows the prophet Mohammed turned into a ticking time bomb.

At the same time, Muslims are NOT protesting worldwide in horror and outrage against massive Muslim violence - violence often turned against other Muslims. In Iraq, there is a reign of terror in some areas, with some Muslims murdering anyone from another branch of the Muslim religion. A few days ago (today is Feb. 25, 2006), to give just one instance, one of the holiest mosques in Iraq, from one branch of the Muslim religion, was bombed. It was done by Muslims to Muslims. In retaliation, Muslims have violated hundreds of mosques from the other main branch, and murdered scores of fellow Muslims.