Islamic Studies Group sponsors interfaith forum

Bekir Aksoy said he was shocked that Islam could be so foreign to the West.

Aksoy,… Bekir Aksoy said he was shocked that Islam could be so foreign to the West.

Aksoy, known for hosting interfaith dialogues in Eastern Pennsylvania and the Chicago area, spoke to students and faculty Thursday. The Islamic Studies Group sponsored the event.

Aksoy explained the Abrahamic religions, Islam, Christianity and Judaism, could all be traced back to the prophet Abraham. After Abraham’s time other prophets were put on earth such as Moses, Jesus and Muhummad. Muslims believe that Moses and Jesus were correct but that their word was changed by human interpretation.

For Muslims, the Qur’an is the best teacher and accurate of God’s word and they follow the prophet Muhummad.

With many western prejudices against Islam, Aksoy said the ultimate responsibility falls on the Muslims to teach others about their religion and destroy negative stereotypes.

Several audience members brought up the subject of Jihad.

“Jihad is deeper philosophically than many Muslims and non-Muslims think,” he said.

He explained that when given power, all of the Abrahamic religions have conquered and fought other people.

“Jihad in my mind is defending the mother land,” Aksoy said and explained that Islam does not hold the same Christian view as “turn the other cheek” and Muslims will fight to defend themselves but also advocate peace.

A few individuals can ruin the views of the religion of Islam, Aksoy acknowledged, speaking of the terrorists who use “jihad” as justification to kill.

“Ignorance is exclusivity, really,” he said.

He believes that interfaith dialogues, such as the one held Thursday, were a way to come together and accept each other’s religions.

“You have to preach, you have to tell people to be peaceful, you have to tell other people to be peaceful, that is why dialogue is so important,” he said.

Aksoy said he did not want to be political, but disagreed with the war with Iraq. He said it was bad for the country, bad for the world and bad for Muslims. He believes in finding “not political peace, but real peace,” and urged the audience to work to achieve peace in the world.

Looking around the room that held people of each of the Abrahamic religions Aksoy said, “I am grateful to god that we have come a long way.”