By Michael Howell
The Darby Public Library building could not hold the crowd that showed up last Thursday, March 9, to hear Language Professor Samir Bitar from the University of Montana give an address entitled “Perspectives on Islam.” It was the second of three presentations in a program supported by speakers from Humanities Montana and aimed at bridging cultures.
Both the school and the library held board meetings after receiving some strident objections to the presentation from a few community members. Both boards decided to proceed with the presentations. The capacity of the library building is capped at 123 to meet the fire code. When it became apparent that too many people had shown up, a limited number of people were allowed to enter and the rest were turned away.
“I am a Palestinian by birth and a Montanan by choice,” said Professor Bitar by way of introduction. He was born to Palestinian parents living in Jerusalem but moved to Montana in 1974 at the age of 16. He became a professor of Arabic Language at the University of Montana in 1999.
Bitar said that he grew up in Jerusalem where his mother still lives and described it as a multi-religious, multi-linguistic, multi-cultural, multi-ethnic environment. He contrasted his experience there with his experience in Saudi Arabia where he worked for a number of years as an engineer, and cautioned people about confusing religion and culture. He said the Muslim religion was not the same as Arabic culture, for instance. He said there were 57 Muslim countries in the world and about 1.6 billion Muslim people.
“If someone wants to believe that all Muslims are terrorists,” said Bitar, “then no wonder that they are so afraid.”
But, according to Bitar, most Muslims are not even Arabs. The majority, about 160 million of them, are Indonesian. He said only 17% of Muslims were Arabs and only 2.5% are Saudi Arabians. He said the use of Islam for political reasons was not religion.
“It is a complex situation,” said Bitar, “that calls for understanding.” He said one thing that really needs to be understood is how these terrorist groups come to be.
Bitar blamed the media for a lot of the misunderstandings that are prevalent. He said American media does not cover minority peoples fairly. Their culture is generally ignored until something terrible or tragic happens and then a whole people become branded by the actions of one or a few individuals.
He encouraged everyone to read other newspapers from around the world which are available on the internet in English. He encouraged people to get beyond the “sound bite” mentality that lacks the necessary depth for real understanding.
Bitar spoke about the commonality of the monotheistic religions including Islam, Christianity and Judaism and their emphasis on love, and gave an overview of the five pillars of belief in Islam: faith, prayer, fasting, tithing, and the “once in a lifetime” pilgrimage to Mecca. He called Islam a “religion of peace.”
He vowed to continue seeking the true meaning of Islam as a religion of love in its various cultural forms.
“I refuse to give up my religion and culture for fear and hatred,” said Bitar, who is a Muslim.
Bill says
Islam does not mean “Peace.” as the professor well knows.
Islam means Submission.
However, in April I will be holding a class on;
The Infidel’s Guide to Islam and the Politics of Islam
In either the 3rd. or 4th. week of April we will begin a study on Islam and the Politics of Islam which will be about 6 weeks in length and will include:
What is the Religion called Islam Who is the Prophet Mohamed*
Who wrote the Islamic Authority the Qur’an (Koran)
The Third Jihad: Radical Islam’s Vision for America with Dr. Zuhdi Jasser a Muslim and former physician to the US Congress (DVD)
Radical Islams War against The West:
Interviews with St Martin Gilbert, Professor Wistrich, Dr. Khaleel Mohamed and Alan Dershowitz a former PLO Terrorist (DVD).
This study is FACT-BASED and will be taken from the Qur’an, Hadith and Sira which make up Islam.
You can find opinions about Islamic doctrine in the main stream media, but no facts. That is because they do not study the only foundation of knowledge about the true nature of Islam- Mohammed and Allah.
This course is based on three of the Islamic source texts: the Koran, the Sira (biography of Mohammed) and the Hadith (his traditions).
If your knowledge comes from these original texts, it can be verified and your understanding is on firm ground.
This course will end your confusion about Islam. You will understand what underlies the events in the Islamic world and what this means for our State, our Cities and our Heritage if we allow our Governors and State Legislatures to continue to Impregnate America with Islamic Muslim Refugees, and who know the FBI and DHS have said that they cannot investigate to confirm if they are terrorists or not.
I
The location hopefully will be in Hamilton as we are attempting to centralize it
*Mohammed is the perfect pattern of an Islamic sacred life. So Mohammed’s political life is the perfect model of Islamic politics.
Everything that Islam does or says about the non-Muslim is political. It cannot be religious since the Koran forbids religious activity with the nonbeliever.
**Over half of the Koran is political and is about the unbelievers.
If you are interested in taking this study, please contact Bill a resident of Darby Montana on either his cell phone 408-209-5671 or his email address esamu@aol.com.
Rachel says
I love this article. It brings awareness against stigma associated with Islam.
Mrs. Marc Sabin says
Hey professor – remember these events? These events are why Americans do NOT want MUSLIM REFUGEES here in America? And please don’t let me hear how you support the US – show us the letters to CAIR and other groups that you have written to protest the jihadists? Where are the letters to demand that the middle east take your “brethren” and support them? Hmmmm?
To refresh your memory professor:
San Bernardino – 14 dead. Killed by Muslims.
Boston – 245 injured and 4 dead killed by Muslims.
USS COLE – The TRADE TOWERS, and the bombing of many airplanes and other killings by Muslims.
Now want to tell us how peaceful and loving many MUSLIMS are? I suggest you go HOME to Palestine and see how wonderful that country is. Oh wait..you do NOT want to do that. Of course we understand. Then don’t bring MUSLIM REFUGEES here! Get going professor, write Saudi Arabia and other arab countries and DEMAND they take in these refugees! DO IT TODAY!!
Marie Watts says
Very good article! I wish I could have heard Samir speak.