BY ALTAF ALI
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4 December 2008
Over the past several years, the image of Islam and Muslims has plummeted to the deepest depths of misunderstanding. The Muslims who have hijacked our faith and taken front and center stage do not demonstrate the desire for peace shared by most believers, and for the most part have offended and harmed not only people of other faiths but also followers of Islam.
This trend continues unabated and those who truly adhere to Islam and try to speak out against terrorism have been sidelined. Their voices, although loud and clear, were not covered in the mainstream press.
Last week's terrorist attacks in
It is high time that Muslim Americans make sure our voices are heard and define our faith for ourselves. As Muslims and as Americans, we should never let terrorist groups falsely claim to represent us or Islam. In addition to repudiating and condemning all forms of terrorism and religious extremism, we have to take a proactive stance in accurately portraying our faith.
We Muslim Americans owe it to our fellow Americans to put their fears at ease. It is our moral and ethical obligation to let our friends, neighbors and colleagues know the truth. We can no longer afford to be sidelined.
Two years ago, the fear-inducing documentary Obsession infiltrated the synagogues in South Florida, and just before this year's presidential election they were distributed to newspaper subscribers in swing states in an attempt to prey on fear and foster guilt by association.
Responding to the stereotyping and misunderstanding fostered by such initiatives, on Nov. 25 the Muslim community in
For eight weeks, the Miami-Dade and Broward counties' transit systems will display colorful banners about Islam on the sides of 120 local buses. Floridians of all faiths are invited to call 1-888-ISLAM-55 or visit www.CallingIslam.com to discover accurate information about Islam and Muslims.
Even though we have been speaking out, many of our fellow Americans have not heard us; now they can. This project creates an avenue for dialogue and friendship. Through a direct line of communication, all Americans will be able to make an informed decision about Muslims and Islam.
Already on the second day of the campaign, an upset individual, whose call ended up in my queue, asked why Muslims wanted to dominate the world by converting everyone to Islam. After a 20-minute discussion we parted as friends: a Christian and a Muslim who found we had more in common than differences. Stereotypes were dispelled and the truth was told.
With all good things come challenges. Not only will there be success stories but also difficult stories. For example, the first caller I talked to was so livid about the campaign that his language was littered with profanity.
We will not change the mind of every caller, but we will create bridges with those interesting in exchanging views.
We hope that Floridians will gain exposure to the true essence of Islam and better understand their Muslim neighbors through this campaign, setting the foundation for a more harmonious society and fostering respect and understanding. Most important, our fellow Americans will know that the voices of extremism run contrary to the sentiments of the hundreds of thousands of Muslim Americans and the millions of Muslims worldwide.
Ninety-nine percent of the funds used for this campaign came directly from donations from Muslims in
The Quran is the holy book which Muslims recite and turn to for guidence in all aspects of their life. It is the last testament in a series of divine revelations from God. 
Every language has one or more terms that are used in reference to God and sometimes to lesser deities. This is not the case with...