Kind of serious for a moment...

Gabcast! My thoughts and junk #1

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Yep...a return to audioblogging for the Sudiegirl. I admit, I like this Gabcast system a little better simply because it allows you to do both text and audio. I highly recommend it.

Now, on a serious note...

I assume you've heard about this latest civil rights quandary...Muslim travelers would like to have their own prayer rooms in airports.

To quote the article:

A group of Somali clerics met with airport officials Friday and said they would attract less attention if they had a private area for prayer.

The Muslim method of prayer involves praying on ones knees, pointed in the direction of Mecca, five times a day.

The situation that led to this request of separate prayer rooms in airports was the removal of six Muslim clerics from a flight due to claims of anti-American statements while gathered in prayer, as well as some asking for seat belt extensions even though the need for them was questioned by flight attendants. Click here for a brief report.

US Airways is conducting its own investigation of the incident, and you can click here to read about that.

Here in DC, a protest involving Muslim clerics, Christian ministers and a rabbi was held at Ronald Reagan National Airport regarding this issue, which they believe smacks of racial profiling.

Here's my take on it - you can agree, disagree, call me a loser, whatever...just stay on topic with your comments and you should be fine.

I had a co-worker that prayed to Allah in this manner every day, in his cubicle, and didn't distract anyone. He was respectful to those he worked with for their beliefs. When my father passed, he was one of the first ones to reassure me that Dad was in God's hands and that belief in God would help me stay strong. We didn't believe in the same god, but the fact that he reached out to me like that as opposed to calling me an infidel made such a difference to me...it helped me break down many stereotypes I had in my head.

I can understand airline employees being alert to potential dangers...after 9/11, any flight attendant, pilot or security guard that isn't is a hazard to their passengers and fellow employees. I don't complain about going through security checkpoints because I understand the importance.
I just wish that our fear of another horrific event like 9/11 didn't cloud our country's collective opinion of Muslim believers. Not everyone that believes in the Muslim doctrine is a terrorist. The Muslims like the Al-Qaeda members are using their belief to destroy, not to build. They don't care who they take down in their actions - they just want to show the world that they are doing what they think is their God's will and destroying the infidels. Furthermore, I feel they would be terrorists no matter who/what they believed in.

I don't share Rosie O'Donnell's opinion that terrorists are not to be feared. They are. I guess I don't get how she has problems with Tom Selleck being a member of the NRA but she says terrorists are not to be feared because they're "moms and dads just like us".

I concede that they're moms and dads, but "just like us" needs to be stricken from the record.

They carry guns, right? Rosie says that's bad (at least that's what she told Tom Selleck).

They sacrifice themselves, their spouses and their children all in the name of their cause, right?

Well, they also sacrificed many people who didn't know about their cause in the first place.

But Al-Qaeda's movement doesn't speak for all Muslims, I don't think. If I'm wrong or right, again, let me know in the comments.

Furthermore, I think - as a Christian - it's my responsiblity to work hard in trying to separate these two groups in my head. That's just the right thing to do. If you think I'm wacked, so be it. I'm just trying to live my life, learn as I go, and judge individuals as opposed to groups.

Here's a famous Bible verse that sums it up:

”Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measurement ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote (speck) that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and them shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:1-5

I promise I'll be funny in the next post, with no Rosie reference.

Sudiegirl the (momentarily) serious.