This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
In a recent conversation, a friend told me something startling. The content wasn't as startling as that so many people seem to agree with what he said: "Sure, not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslim."
A study based on FBI data from 1980-2005 revealed that only 6 percent of terrorist attacks in the United States were performed by Muslims. So why do we think all terrorists are Muslim?
Do you have a Muslim friend? Is the only Muslim you know the guy on TV shouting "Death to America!"? Having lived in the Middle East, I can attest that most Muslims are as scared as we are of this tiny fraction of 1 percent.
Many of the things we hold dear, like family and charity, are equally important to Muslims. When I lived in the Middle East, strangers would feed me; others would openly cry when I said I was away from family for five months. As a part of their belief, Muslims also give 2.5 percent of their earnings to charity.
The Muslim people are good people. Hate will only create more extremists.
Vulhar Rala
Provo