9/11 -- 13 Ways to See If You Learned Your Lesson

1. Does your institution have any relationship (financial or otherwise) with the Council of American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)? In light of continually exposed ties between CAIR leadership/money and extremist Muslim groups overseas, would you advise Muslims in America to be represented by CAIR and similar organizations?

2. It has been found that 70-80% of all mosques in the US are funded by Saudi money, and therefore preach Saudi hatred of non-Muslim peoples, customs, and governments. What have you done to combat the spread of Wahhabi (Saudi) Islamic extremism?

3. The hadith of Bukhari and Muslim are often taken to be reliable accounts of Mohammed's actions and words. Regardless of time, circumstance, custom, or any other mitigating factor, as a believing Muslim you must regard the sayings of Mohammed as somehow uniquely inspired or holy. In light of many exhortations for CONTINUED, UNENDING, PERPETUAL hatred and war against non-Muslims in general, and Christians and Jews in particular, how do you justify acceptance of Mohammed's guidance while claiming to be generally compatible with Western (and other non-Islamic) civilizations?

4. In Arabic, there is often the phrase "First on Saturday, then on Sunday". What does it refer to, and is it popular throughout the Arab-Islamic world?

5. In the Israeli-Islam conflict, a proposed solution is Jerusalem split between Jewish control and that of a Palestinian state. Seeing as how Jerusalem (all of it) is to Judaism what Mecca is to Islam, would this proposal justify the splitting of Mecca between being a Muslim holy site and a non-Muslim entertainment center that observed none of the Islamic rules and regulations? Why/Why not?

6. Along the same lines of discussion, Muslims often talk of a compromise regarding Israel and Muslim Arabs with the 1967 borders between the two regions being reinstated. This would account for a significant decrease in land under Jewish sovereignty. Why was there no proposal for such a compromise prior to 1967, when the goal of Islamic Arabs was to destroy all of Israel? Has that goal changed?

7. As allies of Hitler's Germany in WW2, on what basis do Arab Muslims claim "innocent-victim" status upon loss of their land to sovereign Jews under instruction of Allied victors?

8. If Muslims in the US, and non-Muslim lands in general claim to be just as patriotic to their non-Muslim homelands as the rest of the citizenry, could the rest of the citizenry count on your support if a war against Islam, much as a war against Nazism and Communism, was declared?

9. If, in medieval Europe, Muslim civilization inspired the European Renaissance and Enlightenment that led to the "modern world", then why have Islamic cultures never participated in such intellectual movements? Moreso, on what basis is such a claim made considering that Renaissance and Enlightenment ideals focus on this life as opposed to after-death metaphysics? Likewise, said intellectual movements encourage such things as depicting the human form, capitalism & interest rates, and rejection of dogma and religious taboos (and according to some, religion in general). All of the above qualities are quite antithetical to Islamic theology, rules, and overriding mentality of focusing on the "next life" more than on this one. What is your response regarding Islamic history in light of these facts?

10. Muslims invaded Byzantine and Persian empires in the early days because of their refusal to accept Islam by invitation. Seeing as how this was very early in the history of Islam, the chance for "misunderstanding" and "hijacking" the religion by its followers was slim. Do you approve of such aggression on the part of early Muslims on the basis that Byzantines and Persians rejected Islam by invitation?

11. In light of Mohammed's being a political as well as a spiritual leader, Islam must of necessity be a political as well as spiritual system. One that conflicts with Western (and most other) political systems on very basic principles. Seeing as how freedom of faith does not extend to freedom of political movements being "protected" or "respected" (see: political campaign mud-slinging) and in fact are often cause of wars, for example communism v. capitalism, on what basis is Islam to be respected as "just another religion" in non-Muslim countries?

12. Recently in Turkey (99% Muslim), there was a popular soap-opera called Noor. The primary appeal of the show to Islamic female audiences throughout the Mideast-Maghreb regions is the husband's egalitarian, respectful, and very stereotypically "Western nice-guy" treatment of his wife. While insanely popular, the show is universally condemned by Islamic religious leaders as "against the religion/god/prophet" and so on. How do you explain this in light of Islam's allegedly humane treatment of women when the character is depicted as very humane and affectionate and understanding to his spouse?

13. There are deserters of every faith who deride the absurdity of their former beliefs. However, it is only with ex-Muslims that there is a mission of warning other non-Muslims of the dangerously deceptive and evil nature of Islam. Going beyond logical contradictions and cultural baggage other ex-religionists find in their former creeds, ex-Muslims are very unique in their singularly harsh descriptions of Islam and their insistence of its evil and fallacies far beyond that of other religions. How do you explain this widespread and unique-to-Islam phenomenon?