Something to think about...

Muslims pray five times a day. Is this wrong? Absolutely not, even if I would argue that they pray to a non-existent god because they do not pray to Yahweh. They still have the right to pray. This story shows how five muslims went to a football game, prayed in public, and were questioned by the FBI who admitted racial profiling. The muslims said that they pray wherever they are in public because they must, that is what muslims do. They will not change because they did nothing wrong. The muslims want to use this as an opportunity to educate the public regarding Islam.

Now the question: If a CHRISTIAN was praying in public, would it cause a fuss? If a Christian said " I pray continuously no matter where I am, because I am a Christian, it is what Christians do" and wanted to take this as an opportunity to educate the public about Christianity, would it be as readily accepted? Since I'm taking the initiative in finding a bone to pick here where there isn't one, (purely for the sake of asking us all to think), let me clarify that I have no problem with the muslims or anyone else praying in public. My question is on the public's reaction and even the acceptance of the act by other religions. Would we as Christians have our views as easily accepted?? I don't think so, but you may think differently. Comments???

Here's the story:

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Five Muslims who were detained after praying at an American football game want to turn the incident into a tool to teach Americans about Islam. While at a New York Giants against New Orleans Saints game at Giants Stadium on September 19, the New Jersey residents were removed from their seats and questioned by FBI agents after other fans saw them bow to the ground as part of the five-daily Muslim prayers.

"As Muslims, we just have to pray when it's time to pray," Sami Shaban told a news conference in New York on Wednesday. "We thought nothing of it. I pray in malls, I pray everywhere."

The 27-year-old law school student said he and his friends were questioned for about 25 minutes, missing part of the second half of the game. After they were released, an FBI agent told him they had been unwitting victims of racial profiling, Shaban said.

The FBI said the men were questioned because they congregated near an air duct at the stadium, not because they were praying. But the men dismissed that explanation.

"Let's be real here, if anybody with my description even scratches their ear, people get nervous," said Mostafa Khalifa, 27, who, like Shaban, wears a long beard and was among those detained. "I did nothing wrong, I should not change."

He pointed out that football players often huddle and pray on the sideline as a teammate attempts a game-winning kick in the waning seconds of a game.

The fans said they would like to turn the incident into an opportunity to teach Americans about Islamic traditions.

They teamed up with the Council on American-Islamic Relations and invited anybody interested to join them in celebrating the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan along with thousands of worshipers in New Jersey on Thursday or Friday.

"We want to stop profiling. The more that people learn about Islam, the more tolerant they become," said Wissam Nasr, the council's executive director in New York.

Shaban said he has made giving Muslims a good name in the United States his life's purpose.

"I've been a Giants fan since I was like six years old," he said. "I don't want it to be that any time a Muslim goes to a Giants game they can't enjoy the game ... because of the length of our beard or the way that we are."

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Again, this just gives us something to think about in relation to the turn of acceptance away from Christianity and the truth of God. Comments?

Athosxc