Re: "Mustafa Ali to Blame, not Islam" by Dave Gibson
By Letters To The Editor Justin L. Peyton (10/08/07)
Yes, Mustafa Ali is a Muslim and had a long criminal history. To conclude, however, Ali’s recent horrendous criminal activity was caused by religious identity is as despicable a stereotype as concluding his criminal activity was caused by racial identity. Unfortunately, there are within all groups of people, individuals who do not respect the rule of law and are willing to debase human life in pursuit of their personal goals.
Mr. Gibson suggests that Islam is to blame for Ali’s criminal activity without providing any evidence that Ali was motivated by religious ideology. In fact, Mr. Gibson notes in his article that Mustafa Ali "never said a word throughout the ordeal." Without any verbal indication during the commission of the crime or during his subsequent confession that his actions were motivated by religious ideology, on what basis does Mr. Gibson presume to know Mustafa Ali’s internal motivations?
Nor did Mr. Gibson offer any evidence to back his assertion that Mustafa Ali was indoctrinated with the same type of radical ideology found in Chauncey Bailey’s case. Mr. Gibson simply makes this assumption because Mustafa Ali is Muslim and previously served time in prison. At the same time, he completely ignores the motivation that drives many potential bank robbers: economic hardship.
Finally, if we were to accept Mr. Gibson’s flimsy assertion that the presence of a few obnoxious strains of Islam brewing in America’s prisons, and the actions inspired in their misguided followers, invalidate the entire religion of Islam, then we would have to similarly invalidate Christianity, based on the actions of groups like the Aryan Nation, which hijack Christianity and use it as the base of their foul beliefs. Truthfully, both types of ideologies should be seen as fringe movements, rather than mainstream beliefs.
Justin L. Peyton
Director of Civil Rights
Council on American-Islamic Relations
Pennsylvania Chapter
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