Article raises questions of tolerance under Islam

I read the March 7 “Faith and Values” page with great interest. The article entitled, “Hendi travels world preaching tolerance” especially. The title says that Hendi, a Muslim, is traveling the world preaching tolerance. But I wondered how this could be seeing that Muhammad, “Allah's prophet,” himself proclaimed, “Allah has commanded me to fight against all people until all people confess there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet.” It doesn't sound to me that you could have this philosophy yet still try to advance Jewish-Muslim and Christian-Muslim dialogue and have “room around the table.”

Also in this article, it said that Hendi was a leading Muslim proponent of interfaith dialogue in the U.S. Again, I ask why? Since Muslims that followed Muhammad would want all people converted or dead.

Mr. Hendi is in search of common ground. What common ground? The Christian faith has nothing to do with Islam. Islam says Allah is the only true god. Yet 16 times the Quran says that Allah is not a father and has no son. The Christian faith is partially based on the fact that “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) And I could list many more differences but will decline because of lack of space.

Mr. Hendi also says that “he sees in his adopted nation a truer expression of Islamic principles of tolerance, justice and equality.” In Muslim-controlled Saudi Arabia you can't build a non-Muslim place of worship, carry a Bible, worship God in your own home, or be a citizen without being a Muslim. If this is Islamic principle of tolerance, justice and equality, I want no part of it.

RICHARD SAUNDERS

Sagle