This morning various national media outlets are reporting on a National Muslim Day of Prayer in Washington. This is not at all surprising in light of America's religious pluralism, and that minority religious populations are working in the public square for the same types of opportunities of religious expression as the dominant Christian population has had. The Muslim population in America is also becoming more organized and media savvy, and this is exhibited in their desires for a national day of prayer mirroring Christian activities like this. What is surprising is the protest that has been raised against the Muslim prayer activities by Christian leaders and conservatives. Apparently they are calling for these Muslims to repudiate Muslim terrorism during their event, but Muslim spokespersons respond by pointing out that while the acts of terrorism are opposed by their community, it is not appropriate to use a day of prayer for such repudiations. The national day of Muslim prayer, and the protest of Christians in response, is a reminder of the religious pluralism of America and that the conservative Christian community has yet to find a way in which to adequately grapple with this situation.
2 comments:
Hmmm... I wonder if the Christians who objected will be ready to repudiate acts of US aggression at their prayer meetings.
Good one! Next Christian prayer day, the leaders should apologize for the Inquisition, the Holocaust, and the Manson Family murders. And publicly repudiate Vladimir Putin's Russian Orthodox extremism. And the Rwandan genocide, and Argentina's recent soccer melt-down, etc.
I'm a bit concerned, though: Why specifically a Muslim Day of Prayer? Couldn't they have coordinated with others to sponsor the ordinary Day of Prayer? And who's behind it anyways? That's a really weak website--I'm concerned that it might be some random dude who organized it without a lot of support, in order to make himself seem more important...
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