Editor's Note:  The First Baptist Church in Charlottesville does not reflect the views of all Christians or Baptists in America. America promotes diversity and harmony among all faiths.  An example of this is the ongoing Interfaith Dialogues between Jews, Christians, and Muslims.         

            

           The First Baptist Church 

            Charlottesville, VA 

            

             Dear Dr. Lindsay Sadler, Jr., 

            Senior Pastor

            

             I  feel obligated to write to you given your position of Senior Pastor at  the Baptist Church in Charlottesville, about my recent and unforgettable  very first visit to your Church. Regretfully, visiting the First Baptist  Church was the worst experience I have ever faced or imagined facing at  a place of worship in my entire life.

            

            On Saturday May 1st, 2010, I  visited the First Baptist Church on 735 Park Street after hearing about  a presentation by an Egyptian-American woman who converted to  Christianity from Islam. As part of my Muslim/Christian interfaith  group, I decided to attend in order to share my experience to the group.  I was particularly interested since I am a Muslim and have not  encountered many such converts.

             

             The presenter described her  harsh upbringing in a family without a father; her mother let her at the  age of 13. Later in life, she was abused by her husband. I felt sorry  for her and sympathized with her experience. However, then she blamed  her misery in the past on her old religion that she did not practice;  she concluded that Islam promotes abusing women. She went on to verbally  attack my prophet Mohammed and the prophet of Muslims worldwide under  the watch of some of the Church's leadership and congregation.

              

             This came as a real shock to me!  I did not expect that at a place of worship, a presenter would blatantly  attack the principles and figures of another religion. I thought that  when one presents on a holy altar, she would do so with honesty and  integrity rather than twisting truths to spread hate and fear. I assumed  your Church would try to reach people through love instead of demonizing  the religion of 1.6 Billion Muslims, world's second largest and fastest  growing, at a time when mutual understanding and acceptance is of utter  importance.

             What is the logic behind  inviting such a speaker whose sole aim is to stir people's emotions  against another religion? Is it the intention of your church to arouse  the hatred of your congregation towards Islam and Muslims? I requested a  chance to say a few words after the questions and answers period and  after the congregation prayed for the speaker. I wanted to introduce the  audience to the true concepts of Islam and introduce them to my  experience as a Muslim woman, and share how Islam portrays Mary and  Jesus. However, before I could say much, the speaker ordered the  microphone be disconnected. Why did a visiting speaker command authority  in your Church?

              

             I  started my small discourse by thanking everybody for receive me among  them. Them, I told them who I am: I am the daughter of a man who has  five daughters and one son: all with college degrees, including: a  Ph.D., M.S., and M.D. I come from a middle class family with a loving  mother and a wise father who instilled faith in us and the love of  education as commanded by Islam. I have five successful children, two  daughters who will be receiving degrees in Medicine and Chemical  engineering this year. I never felt abused neither as a daughter nor as  a wife. I felt respected, loved and endowed with the freedom to pursue  my dreams. I am here in the United States as a Fulbright scholar from a  country in the Middle East, Oman. I never felt discriminated against as  a female by my government or culture. I have a loving husband who helped  me finish my education and a Ph.D., in spite of my early marriage which  was my very own choice. I have the freedom to learn and earn.

              

             However, I could not continue to  speak because the microphone was disconnected per the speaker's order.  She interrupted and asked me to answer her question by saying either  "yes" or "no" or she would disconnect the microphone. I refused by  saying "there is no black and white". She asked me again, "Can you  become a Christian? Yes or no?"

              

             I  said: "I will not choose to be a Christian because I already believe in  Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Mohammad, may peace be upon them. I already  believe in Jesus as a prophet." And your Church disconnected the  microphone. They came and got the microphone from me and an old man  escorted me out, while yelling horrible words at me. It was such an  unbelievable experience, where, despite hearing talk about the LOVE of  Jesus numerous times, I did not see any evidence of love.

              

             I  must say I feel bad for your congregation who I hope were not deceived  by the speaker's words: presenting domestic violence as Islamic  violence. She is a product of an unhealthy family and was unable to  distinguish between her own experience as an abused child and later an  abused adult, and her rights as a woman in Islam. The rights Islam  entitles women and men are the basis used to establish the Human Rights  code in the UN.

              

             It is frustrating to see people  holding double standards. When a problem arises in the Middle East or  the Arab world, Islam is the culprit. A similar problem in the United  States is viewed as domestic abuse. In the Arab world, whatever happens  is the fault of Islam. In the West where the many forms of domestic  abuse present from a father abusing his daughter, an unfaithful  president, even bishops and priests abusing children, and church  scandals, yet the cause of all of these are not attributed to religion.  However, when an ordinary person such as your speaker is abused in a  Muslim county, Islam is to blame! I reject blaming of either Islam or  Christianity because these are divine religions that strictly reproach  all evil.

              

             I  send you this letter in the hopes you would take steps to stop hatred  from emanating from your Church and instead carry the message of peace  and love as revealed by Jesus. I hope your Church will build bridges of  love with the religiously diverse Charlottesville community and reach  out to those of different beliefs in a peaceful way. I would be glad to  have the opportunity to speak at your Church and introduce the true  concepts of Islam that enrich my life.

              

             Finally I want to point you to a  quote from the Quran that narrates the story of Jesus. I hope it will  serve as a good first step to emphasize the similarities between Islam  and Christianity in their shared love and respect for Mary and Jesus in  the hope of promoting peace and understanding.

              

             He spoke: Lo! I am the slave of  Allah(GOD). He hath given me the Scripture and hath appointed me a Prophet,  (30) And hath made me blessed wheresoever I may be, and hath enjoined  upon me prayer and almsgiving so long as I remain alive, (31)And (hath  made me) dutiful toward her who bore me, and hath not made me arrogant,  unblest. (32) Peace on me the day I was born, and the day I die, and the  day I shall be raised alive! (33) Such was Jesus, son of Mary: (this is)  a statement of the truth concerning which they doubt (34) It befitteth  not (the Majesty of) Allah(GOD) that He should take unto Himself a son. Glory  be to Him! When He decreeth a thing, He saith unto it only: Be! and it  is. (35). (Qura'n, 16-19)

             www.quranexplorer.com

             Thank you and peace be upon you, 

               Fatma Al-Lawati, PhD;

               Fulbright Scholar

              May 7th 2010