Bro. Jed Smock told the Gazette reporter that he was going to speak at Colorado College on Friday, September 10, 2004 (see Gazette article by Paul Asay on Monday, Sep 6).  In fact,  he ranted from the public sidewalk and was not invited nor allowed onto CC property.   This tells you a lot about the integrity and credibility of a person who misrepresents even in little things.

 

The freedom of speech protects telling lies, slander and misrepresentations but they remain lies, slander and misrepresentations, and telling them often and loudly does not turn them into the truth.

Jed Smock claims that Muslims are either ignorant or lying about jihad and Islam.  In fact, it is Jed Smock who is ignorant and lying about jihad and Islam.  Jed Smock has a very limited, superficial  knowledge of Islam.  If he is qualified to make pronouncements on Islam, I am qualified to be the Archbishop of Canterbury.  (My apologies to the Anglicans, no disrespect intended)

 

He presents misrepresentations of Islam and misinterpretations of verses of the Quran that the majority of Muslims would not accept as correct, except one group.  Jed will be pleased to know that there is one group of Muslims that agrees with his misinterpretations:  the terrorists and suicide bombers have similar misrepresentations of Islam and misinterpretations of verses of the Quran. 

 

He is trying to get Americans to be suspicious of and to hate fellow American citizens who happen to be Muslim, based on his ignorant misinterpretations of Islam.  His agenda, to scare people, and get them to hate others, which then leads them to harm others, is similar to the agenda of terrorists.

 

Muslims respect Jesus as a prophet, and have high expectations of his true followers, as mentioned in the Quran.  Jed Smock is both un-Christian and un-American.

 

I am really disappointed with the pastor of Victory Outreach Church.  If his congregation really wanted to know the truth about Islam, we would have been glad to talk to them about the basics, and also about jihad, war and terrorism.

 

You don’t have to agree with Islamic beliefs and practices, but at least know the truth about it, not misrepresentations and propaganda.  We invite any church or organization that would like to know more about Islam to call us or write to us.