“Let there be no compulsion in religion.” Surah al-Baqarah (2):256

Islamic beliefs certainly do not preclude freedom of speech. The Qur’an is replete with verses denouncing, for example, the use of force to compel belief, and the Prophet Muhammad is consistently told that an individual’s faith is a matter between him/her and God. Not surprisingly, Muslim history is full of believers challenging mainstream thought and practice. Of course, as in the context of other faiths, many of these individuals were persecuted; others, however, thrived and made an enormous impact on their communities and the Islamic faith as a whole.

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By now, most Americans are aware of Rod Parsley and his brand of hate-preaching, but for whatever reason, Senator John McCain has not been pressured to explain his relationship with Parsley or condemn Parsley’s highly aggressive comments on Islam.

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Presidential leadership extends far beyond honesty alone. All societies, in fact, expect their leaders to embody certain virtues like honesty, courage, justice, compassion, and wisdom.

As an American, I look to our rich history of virtuous leadership: George Washington, Susan B. Anthony, Woodrow Wilson, and Martin Luther King Jr., just to name a few. Within the Muslim tradition, we define the virtue of leaders – and humans in general – according to a code of honorable conduct of chivalry known as the futuwwah, which includes such characteristics as mercy, generosity, fairness, knowledge, humility, loyalty, and bravery.

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