Upside down thinking/99% vs. 99.9%

Reform Jewish leader tells U.S. Muslims that Islam is being demonized

By Shlomo Shamir, Haaretz Correspondent and Reuters

The president of the Union for Reform Judaism accused American media, politicians and religious groups on Friday of demonizing Islam.

Addressing the annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America, Rabbi Eric Yoffie said Muslims have been turned into "satanic figures."

"There exists in this country among all Americans, whether Jews, Christians, or non-believers, a huge and profound ignorance about Islam ... there is no shortage of voices prepared to tell us that fanaticism and intolerance are fundamental to Islamic religion, and that violence and even suicide bombing have deep Koranic roots," he said.
Yoffie said his organization is discussing with Muslim leaders a dialogue and education program in the near future to increase understanding between the two faiths.

He said Americans need to know "how far removed Islam is from the perverse distortions of the terrorists who too often dominate the media, subverting Islam's image by professing to speak in its name." Yoffie also called for an end to racial profiling and legal discrimination of any kind against Muslim Americans, and urged North America's Muslims to keep condemning violence committed in the name of Islam until the message sinks in.
In his address, Yoffie said "to all those who desecrate God's name by using religion to justify killing and terror, let us say together: Enough."
"No cause in the world, and surely no religious cause, can ever justify murdering the innocent or targeting the uninvolved ... You cannot honor God if you do not honor the image of God in every human being; and you cannot get to heaven by creating hell on earth," he said.

He's calling for more dialogue. NYT said last time Jews tried this it broke up over Israel. After Yoffie left, today's NYT reports (page a12) "Leaders of American Muslim organizations attribute the growing intolerance to three main factors: global terrorists attacks i the name of Islam, disappointing reports from the Iraq war AND THE AGENDA OF SOME SUPPORTERS OF ISRAEL WHO TRY AND TAINT ISLAM TO UNDERMINE THE PALESTINIANS"

UPSIDE DOWN THINKING
1. Who fired 70 missiles from Gaza at Israel on the first day of school, with a tree stopping a missile from landing squarely on the day care center? They say it as retailiation for Israel for killing 3 kids in Gaza the day before in an airstrike. That is after daily missiles from Gaza flying at Sderot. What is Israel to do? Let missiles continue to fly? Stop sendig kisssiles, rearming for a conflict and peace will reign.
2. Open up any major newspaper-yesterdays NYT front section, story of Lebanon fighting militant in camps, Chaos in Darfur as arabs fight Arabs, Iran defiant, Iraq, Pakistan militants, etc al on the front page or front section. That Islam based trouble is Jews fault?
3. What are we supposed to do when polls show about 1/3 of US Muslims under 30 think suicide bombing is legitimate?


SO OK WHERE IS THE WORLDWIDE MUSLIM CONDEMNATION OF TERROR?


On another matter
Scientists today reveal humans are only 99% alike DNA, not 99.99% as they thought.
Still close enough to say Adam Echat-we all have the same father and yet God made us unique, with unique gifts and responsibiliies to the world.