Pittsburgh area Muslims are challenging the message of extremists involved in the Charlie Hebdo killings in Paris. We spoke with Sheikh Atef Mahgoub, from the Islamic Center of Pittsburgh in Oakland.
He says the killers were not defending the honor of Islam, and that they have done nothing but destroy the reputation of the Muslim religion. Mahgoub says he thinks it is fair to criticize any idea, including religion, but to do it in a civilized manner.
"Terrorist groups do not represent Islam or Muslims, not now, not before, not ever" @ImamAtef on @esspgh on #charliehebdo
— Islamic Center of PGH (@ICPCommunity) January 26, 2015
He explains how exhausting it is to try to convince people that these violent actions are not the religion and wants to have Muslims educate the world in what the religion stands for.
People don’t know that allah means god. They think it is some sort of thing that Muslims have in their house.
Other misconceptions deal with the prophet himself with thoughts that he was a violent person and that the Koran promotes violence in its text. Do not try to interpret text from the Koran that you are unfamiliar with, rather go to someone with more knowledge, Mahgoub suggests.
