Forum discusses Islamic religion, peace

Peace be with you.

This expression was used after every hello and goodbye during a forum… Peace be with you.

This expression was used after every hello and goodbye during a forum held Friday by the Islamic Studies Group.

Two speakers, Dr. Adel Fergany, president of the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh, and Zeki Saritoprak, a professor at John Carroll University, were invited to the forum to discuss the religion of Islam and its peaceful objectives, according to the Cem Karaman, president of the Islamic Studies Group.

“There are a lot of people who have questions about Islam and the Islamic view of what happened on Sept. 11,” he said. “We thought there might be some wrong views, and we hoped to clarify them.”

Fergany began the forum by explaining what Islam is and how one can become a Muslim. According to the Fergany, the word Islam means “submission to God” and is a way of life that dictates whether or not one is a Muslim.

“If you do something in a way that pleases God, you are worshipping Him,” Fergany said in his lecture. “If you see a passer-by on the street and see something harmful in his way and then remove it, you are worshipping God.”

Without peace and harmony, any objectives cannot be reached, according to Fergany.

“The ultimate objective of Islam is to make everyone peaceful, and Islam achieves peace at almost any cost,” he added at the end of his lecture.

The second part of the forum centered on Saritoprak’s discussion of a Muslim’s duties and offered thoughts about the attacks of Sept. 11, 2002.

The Five Pillars of Islam are five responsibilities every Muslim must have, according to Saritoprak. They are faith in one God, prayer five times a day, an understanding of the zakat, which means purification and growth, fasting during the month of Ramadan, and the pilgrimage to Mecca.

“Every Muslim must be connected to God, Allah, and believe there is no other deity but Him,” he said.

At the end of his lecture, Saritoprak discussed the relation between Islam and terrorism, and said that terrorism is not an Islamic phenomenon, but a product of modern society.

“A Muslim cannot be a terrorist, and a terrorist cannot be a Muslim,” he said. “Islam makes up 22 percent of the population and is the fastest growing religion in the world. We are helpers of God.”

Fergany also added that people came up with many reasons for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, but that they should not be blaming Muslims.

“On Sept. 11, people came up with abusive interpretations of Islam,” he said. “If you want reasons, don’t look at the Muslims, look somewhere else.”

A question and answer period followed the two speakers, where students and faculty were invited to ask questions about any theories or politics involving Islam.

“I haven’t seen or been to any forum or event that gave an Islamic point of view on anything that has happened in the past year, and I thought it would be interesting to hear their perspective,” political science graduate Kate Floros said.

The Islamic Studies Group also provided fliers and pamphlets about the religion of Islam to offer more information and invited all interested students to attend any of its meetings. For more information, send an e-mail to isg_of_pitt@hotmail.com.