Unite this season to fight violence and hatred

The horrific terrorist attacks in Paris, in San Bernardino, California, and globally by supporters of a fanatic, religious extremist group calling itself after a major world religion claiming statehood spread fear and hate among us right here in America. We must defeat them and address their ideology together, not apart. We should not allow them to divide us as a nation or as a people since this is precisely what they aim for.

Calls to ban Muslims from entering the USA, closing some Mosques, spying on law abiding citizens, and violently attacking ordinary Muslims, their children, and their houses of worship, strengthen the terrorist allegations that Muslims and Islam are the enemy. That is how they recruit and spread their evil message of hate and fear. Religious freedom is the core of our Constitution.

At this holiest season of Christmas celebrating the birth of the beloved Jesus - God's Peace and Blessings be upon him - it is a time to honor his message, and what our nation stands for. Jesus teachings are centered on love, community, and inclusion of all humanity. 'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” This Golden Rule seems to predate both Judaism and Christianity and thus it is a universal principle and the core of every major religion. Jesus taught that the greatest commandments were to: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind.”

Mahatma Gandhi said about love, 'Like the bee gathering honey from the different flowers, the wise person accepts the essence of the different scriptures and sees only the good in all religions,” and 'When in despair I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won; there have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. The tragedy is that the so-called civilized men and nations conduct themselves as if the basis of society was violence. Through the Heart we may come to know the Love of God; through the Heart we may become the Love of God.”

The Qur'an says (2:136): 'We believe in God, and in that which has been bestowed from on high upon us, and that which has been bestowed upon Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and, their descendants, and that which has been vouchsafed to Moses and Jesus; and that which has been vouchsafed to all prophets by their Sustainer: we make no distinction between any of them. And it is unto Him that we surrender ourselves.”

As we approach Christmas and a brand-new year, let us all across this great nation heed these timeless messages of brotherhood and Sisterhood to fight hate and violence in all its shapes and forms.

' Shams Ghoneim, is coordinator of the Iowa chapter of the Muslim Public Affairs Council. Comments: shamsghoneim@mchsi.com