In light of the fact that Homeland Security agents in Toledo, Ohio have arrested and indicted three local Arab Muslims this past week on terrorism charges, making international news, this letter originally published October 1, 2001 in The Press (Millbury, Ohio) takes on even greater meaning:

Reality & peace

To the editor: I applaud Gov. Bob Taft for his efforts to dispel misguided animosity against every Arab or Muslims because of the vile terrorist acts of some who share their faith.

However, I would hope that many would take this opportunity to learn what Islam believes. We must face reality and not try and bury our heads in the sands of political correctness. In America, for the most part, it is still possible to agree to disagree on politics and religion without getting abused or killed.

I wonder if Gov. Taft realized that those same Muslims he was reassuring would not welcome him in their holiest city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

As a Christian, Gov. Taft would be forbidden to even enter the city! I wonder if those sincere Christians who recently circled the mosque in Perrysburg Township, praying for its protection, realize they would be second class citizens in Muslim countries, where their non-Muslim status, along with Jews, is known as dhimmi. Hindus and other “idolater” status is lower and is known as as kaffir/infidels.

I wonder if Gov. Taft has ever visited the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, the site of Solomon and Zerubbabel's temples and where Jesus and his disciples taught and prayed, where, as a Christian, the governor would violently be forbidden to pray or read the Bible because of the Muslims who occupy Judaism's holiest site.

I wonder if those concerned Christians realize that the so-called Mosque of Omar, the Dome of the Rock, has quotes from the Koran mocking Christians for believing that Jesus is divine. Christians and Jews are forced to pay an entrance fee to the Muslims (to upkeep the beautiful abomination) if they want to see where our father Abraham was prepared to sacrifice his son, Isaac.

I'm also reminded of the time when I lived in Perrysburg Township and had “Palestinian” neighbors (from Kuwait, Lebanon and Jordan) and we were like family, since we were in each others' apartments all the time. Every time relatives came from overseas they would have me go with them to the country to find a lamb to buy and slaughter for a feast (and I was to keep quiet about their American girlfriends and hold their liquor for them). We even had a caravan of three carloads going to see the Sear's Tower in Chicago, and I was the only blond American male amongst them wearing a Jewish star.

One day they purposely showed me a newsletter from the Islamic Center in Perrysburg that had a story from the Haddith -- saying attributed to Mohammad -- that spoke of a war in the last days between Jews and Muslims, and how Jews would hide behind trees and the trees would say, “There's a Jew behind me, kill him!” except for one tree that would shelter the Jews.

The next month the singles' club of the Worldwide Church of God went to the mosque for a dinner-tour, followed by a question and answer session with the Egyptian imam/religious leader (who recently died and was praised as one who supposedly sought peace between different religions). I repeated the “spiritual lesson” to the imam and asked him if the Muslims had any such saying.

He replied that the Jews create such spurious sayings in order to discredit Islam and Arabs. I then shocked him, and the audience, when I asked: “If that's not a Muslim story, and is spurious and created by the Jews, then why would you, as leader of this Islamic community permit that very story to be published in your newsletter last month?”

He was speechless. So I know, firsthand, how many people can profess that their religion is “peaceful” to a Western audience and whistle a totally different tune to their own masses. I've also lived in predominately Arab East Jerusalem, just outside the Damascus Gate, working for my great American-Israeli Jewish manager under our Muslim boss (who was exceptionally gracious). I know from a grassroots level what a farce the lying “peace” process is, and how such a false peace is based upon lies and delusions and is destined to crash and burn.

All this is not popular to say, nevertheless it is the plain truth. Time will surely reveal that peace is possible between Israel and Ishmael, Christians, Jews and Muslims -- as the Jerusalem-based Root and Branch Islam-Israel Fellowship reveals -- but it must be based upon the Bible and reality, not lying visions of false prophets of any empty peace.

(I appreciate The Press publishing my piece despite our heavy Muslim population).