Selling Islam
: I took my son to the mall to see Dickie Roberts (pretty darned good, once it gets moving) and as we wandered around, I was surprised to see a table set up selling — no, not chiropractic exams — but Islam.
Two young guys were sitting stacked with Qur’ans and brochures: “Islam Explained… Who Was Jesus (Peace Be Upon Him)… What They Say About Prophet Muhammad? (Peace Be Upon Him)… The Status of Women in Islam…” All this came from an outfit called WhyIslam, whose website has a piece by the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens, profiles of “new Muslims,” and handy one-minute guides to Islam (“how to end racism” in one easy minute).
I didn’t get to talk to the guys because some cat with a backpack and a notebook and a sincere look was monoplizing them. So I’m not sure what their goal is. If it’s proselytizing, well, good luck, guys. If it’s building understanding and tolerance, well, this probably is a pretty good idea, whether or not people stop to pick up the pamphlets and talk; it says, “we are your neighbors.”
