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In my immediate family we have many religions represented from around the world including Islam.

The evil perpetrated by Islamic extremists in the world today is decidedly UN-Islamic... but because Muslims are so often concerned about casting a bad light on Islam I hear a lot of parsing of words, caviats, and micro-hair splitting of issues.

To American ears the fine parsing of arguments sounds like making excuses for killers. I know you are not, so I would like to hear you all agree in extremely direct, unapologetic, and in un-qualified terms with the following:

1. Violence in the name of Allah is un-Islamic
2. The Quran respects religious beliefs of others - espcially those of "the book" - and killing those who would convert is un-Islamic.
3. Suicide bombing, kidnapping, and murdering is evil and against the teaching of Islam.
4. Muslims must respect the laws and customs of the countries they live in - Even if it means a Muslim cab driver giving a cab ride to a person carrying alcohol with their luggage.

So - I challenge you to show in clear words that you are modern Muslims. I challenge you to proclaim the murder we see in the muslim world perpetrated by those would-be Muslims claiming holy justfication to kill other Muslims - or anyone else for that matter - is evil and un-Islamic.

I hope you take this challenge of frank-speech and show the world there are leading Muslims who will speak in clear, unequivocal voices about the evils that should be rejected by all Muslims around the world.

I fully believe you agree with the statements - I'm just not sure you can make them without voicing caviat upon caviat.

Won't you please?