Ad criticizes the way in which some Oklahoma lawmakers reacted to gift Qurans

A group that includes Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson and Secretary of State Susan Savage has bought half-page advertisements in the state's two largest Sunday newspapers condemning the manner in which some state legislators refused copies of a commemorative edition Quran.

Retired Oklahoma Baptist University professor Mack Roark, who drafted the letter that appears in the ad, said the group was also motivated by public reaction to the incident.

"My initial (reaction) to this came from a strong sense that we need to pull away from the things that polarize us," Roark said Friday.

The controversy began three weeks ago when state Rep. Rex Duncan, R-Sand Springs, wrote fellow legislators that he had turned down a commemorative edition Quran because "most Oklahomans do not endorse the idea of killing innocent women and children in the name of ideology."

The Quran was offered to House and Senate members by the Governor's Ethnic American Advisory Council, which is chaired by a Muslim.

About three dozen other legislators ultimately refused copies of the Quran, most of them without comment.

The incident elicited numerous electronic posts to the Tulsa World's online edition and many letters to the editor, both in support and opposition to Duncan.

Vincent LaVoi, a Tulsa investment advisor who signed the letter appearing Sunday, said he objected to the way Duncan handled the situation.

"Anyone is free to turn something down, absolutely," LaVoi said. "But the inflammatory remarks (and) the aggressive way he did it aren't good Oklahoma manners."

Headed "A Letter to Oklahomans," the advertisement is signed by more than 100 individuals, including Edmondson and his wife Linda, and Savage, a former Tulsa mayor.

Others signing the letter include former state Treasurer Robert Butkin, now a University of Tulsa law professor; state Energy Secretary David Fleischaker; former state Senate President Pro Tem Cal Hobson; Pulitzer Prize-winning author N. Scott Momaday; Norman Mayor Cindy Rosenthal; state Secretary of Environment Miles Tolbert; former state Attorney General Mike Turpen; and former Tulsa lawmaker Penny Williams.

Roark said those signing the letter belong to no formal organization, although many of them met through the Oklahoma Symposium, a three-day event held every year at Quartz Mountain State Park.

The decision to take out the ads, Roark said, was "very ad hoc" and made through a series of e-mails passed from one person to another.

"There are names on there I don't know," said Roark, who still teaches a few OBU classes in Greek and the New Testament despite his retirement.

For him, Roark said, the issue is a matter of religious liberty and tolerance.

"I know many people in the Muslim community, some of them for 20 years or more," he said. "All the ones I know are very peace-loving, open-minded citizens."

Several faith groups condemn Oklahoma lawmakers who arrogantly turned down copies of Quran

The Rev. Marlin Lavanhar, president of Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry Board of Trustees, speaks in front of a photo of Mecca during a press conference Friday at the Al-Salaam Mosque. Lavanhar criticized a Sand Springs lawmaker for his comments this week about the Quran.

In a show of solidarity with the Muslim community, representatives of the Jewish Federation of Tulsa and several interfaith organizations held a press conference Friday condemning Oklahoma lawmakers who turned down a copy of the Quran. Rep. Rex Duncan, R-Sand Springs, refused a gift of Islam's holy book earlier this week, saying, "Most Oklahomans do not endorse the idea of killing innocent women and children in the name of ideology." Other lawmakers joined him in refusing the gift, which was offered by the Governor's Ethnic American Advisory Council as part of the state's centennial celebration. "Today, I'm an American Muslim, speaking for our brothers," said David Bernstein, executive director of the Jewish Federation. "Hateful words inevitably lead to hateful actions," he said at the press conference held at the Al-Salaam Mosque, 4620 S. Irvington Ave. "Sometimes they set in motion a chain of events that turn them into self-fulfilling prophesy." He said hateful words often have an effect that the speaker did not desire or anticipate. Oliver Howard, president of the Oklahoma Conference for Community and Justice, said religious intolerance has no place in Oklahoma. "All religious communities have or have had zealots who exploit sacred scriptures for their own ends, including violent and inhumane acts," he said. The Rev. Marlin Lavanhar, president of Tulsa Metropolitan Ministry Board of Trustees, said Duncan's words were disrespectful of his fellow Americans and promoted religious bigotry. "We are one nation, under God, indivisible -- and we will not be divided by politicians who use religious and ethnic rhetoric to enflame bigotry," he said. Keith McArtor, president of the Tulsa Interfaith Alliance, said he hoped the lawmakers who refused the Quran would become "better acquainted with the true tenets of Islam, which are based on brotherhood, love, respect and dignity." Justice Waidner, with the Say No to Hate Coalition, said the lawmakers' refusal to accept the Quran "throws a dark shadow of misunderstanding and bigotry on a segment of our state's diverse population and their religious heritage." Allison Moore, speaking for the Islamic Society of Tulsa, said Islam clearly denounces all forms of terrorism. "Our religion teaches us to be peaceful, tolerant, loving and respectful of neighbors and friends, and to uphold justice for all people," she said. "We are deeply concerned about the rise in Islamophobic rhetoric," she said. "And we are very troubled by individuals who disrespect our holy book, the Quran, and quote verses out of context." Razi Hashmi, executive director of the Oklahoma chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said he found Duncan's statement Islamophobic and disturbing, coming from someone who should represent his pluralistic constituency regardless of faith.

Oklahoma's Koran issue: A reply to Rep. Rex Duncan arrogant statement on Quran

"A massive bomb inside a rental truck exploded, blowing half of the nine-story building into oblivion. A stunned nation watched as the bodies of men, women, and children were pulled from the rubble for nearly two weeks. When the smoke cleared and the exhausted rescue workers packed up and left, 168 people were dead in the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil."


What happened?

Where?

Who did that?

In case the horrific explosion has caused Rep. Rex Duncan to suffer memory loss:

The Oklahoma City bombing was a terrorist attack on April 19, 1995 aimed at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, a U.S. government office complex in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma......(Rep. Rex Duncan own backyard!).

The terrorist is Timothy McVeigh.......he was not a Muslim and nobody called him a Christian terrorist either. Not a single person in his/her right mind (Muslim or non-Muslim) agree with what he did....killing the innocence people. Nodody threw a party or dance on the streets to celebrate.

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The feeling of every Muslim is deeply hurt when Rep. Rex Duncan wrote to his colleagues that he rejected the gift of a copy of Koran from the Governor's Ethnic American Advisory Council because:

"most Oklahomans do not endorse the idea of killing innocent women and children in the name of ideology".

His statement and action is just a blatant act of religious bigotry. He could has said "No, thanks" or even better "No, thanks. Eid Mubarak!" (Muslims just celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr).

He said that he had researched the Quran on the Internet and believed it supports such killing.....By the way that was how George Bush decided to attack Iraq, he searched the Google Earth on Iraq and saw 4 very tall minarets and told his generals he saw 4 nuclear reactors.....attack now!

Search no more, please watch the series of 7 video clips on Commonly Misunderstood Qur'anic Texts- Dr Jamal Badawi. In the video clips Dr. Jamal Badawi explain the commonly misunderstood Quranic texts particularly on the issues of jihad and Muslim-non Muslim relationship. With true understanding of Quranic message, anyone Muslim and non Muslim should realise that Islam and Quran promote peace and harmony among mankind.

The wise thing to do, Rep. Rex Duncan should aplogise like the wise Pope did.

Editor - QuranForever (http://www.quranforever.blogspot.com/)