For Jake

I guess I need to have a nice long talk with Jake but this will have to suffice for the time being...he lives about 1200 miles away from me.

Jake, I suppose I've either told you, intimated, or wrote something you read that I have a distrust of Muslims.  I actually have a distrust of many people but my mistrust of Muslims comes from the simple fact that I've read their religion teaches them to hate anyone who is not a Muslim.  Believe me, I've researched this on the internet and keep finding indisputable references to this so no wonder I don't completely trust them.

Despite my distrust, I would never act on it by being rude to a Muslim...I'm not deliberately rude to anyone, come to think of it.  I'm in a state of not quite knowing how to take it when I come upon Muslims here in Canada and they are polite, friendly, hard working, and actually just like any other Canadian you might meet.  When an immigrant returns my smile, I feel as though I've made a good connection by welcoming them to their new home.  I hope that my friendliness (which is almost always returned) will help us all bridge this gap of acceptance regardless of religious or ethnic differences.

I've read newspaper reports of Muslims here in Canada killing their own children because they fear the children are drifting away from their Muslim teachings.  This is frightening but, then, they are not the only people here who commit horrendous crimes like this.  Evil is evil, no matter who commits the crime.

I intensely dislike seeing Muslim women in burkas, not because I dislike the woman but because I dislike how she has been brainwashed to hide herself like this.  It's a symbol of male control over the female and it's wrong, wrong, wrong.

As much as I dislike many Muslim customs, I believe they feel the same way about many of ours.  But they chose to come to this country so the onus is on them to adjust to our ways and not the other way around.  Muslim customs should be respected as long as they don't conflict with the laws and customs of the country where they choose to immigrate.  

I love the diversity of cultures we have here and it makes it easier for us to understand each other if the immigrants will only join us and not keep themselves segregated.  If we can learn from each other we'll find that there's always a meeting of the minds in many areas of our lives.  I doubt there's an ethnic or religious group that doesn't sanctify family, home, and friendship.  We can sort out the rest in time.

I'm educating myself and keeping my mind open, Jake, so you don't have to worry.