Florida Pastor Terry Jones, who is widely known for
threatening to burn the Qur’an last year on the anniversary of 9/11, has
announced he will visit Dearborn on April 22.  A spokeswoman for Jones says he plans on protesting outside
the Islamic Center of America against radical Islam. The Center is the largest
mosque in North America.

Leaders of the mosque aren’t commenting to the media in an
effort to avoid validating Jones or giving him the attention they believe he’s
after. 

But we think this is the wrong approach. We are proud of the
Islamic Center of America, proud of our community and proud of Islam. And
Jones’ visit is an opportunity to show that pride.  Terry Jones and his supporters are wrong about Islam and the
Qur’an. We know it and we should show it. We welcome the opportunity to meet
this man with a strong interfaith coalition and show of support for the Muslim
community in Southeast Michigan. Let’s meet hate with love and show Americans
of other faiths what Islam is really about. Cowering in fear or attempting to
ignore someone who has proven he can get the attention of the world are not
tactics of courage or effectiveness.

We should welcome this challenge and the opportunity to turn
it to our advantage. A committee of clerical, media, education and community
leaders should put together a program that will show Jones in the proper light
and educate the masses about the beauty and peace of Islam.

There is an inexplicable fear and ignorance of Islam and
Muslims in this country – some innocent and some intentional – which must be
righted. Here we have the opportunity to portray the faith for what it is
against the backdrop of the ignorance and flaming madness of someone like Terry
Jones. Let’s run with this, let’s make the most of it, let’s show why we are
proud of our faith, our mosques, our city and our community.

The media in this country and yes, even in this city, do a
very poor job of portraying Islam and the community accurately. More than half
the journalists we are subjected to can’t even pronounce related terms
correctly.

But we have our own media, and we are strong. Let’s show America and the
world that we know how to handle the Terry Jones of this world and put them to
shame.