Because the Daily reporter who wrote the story on Friday Sept. 21 about the Thursday campus conversation, “After September 11: Where Do We Go From Here?” was not present at the forum and did not ask me for my comments, I thought it would be helpful to write and give my perspective on what happened that afternoon.

I was mistakenly identified as a student, when in fact I have been a campus minister to international students for the past nine years.

I asked the representative of the Muslim community for his interpretation of Surah 9:29 from his Holy Book, the Quran, which reads as follows: “Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His messenger, nor acknowledge the Religion of Truth [Islam] from among the People of the Book [Jews and Christians], until they pay the poll tax with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.”

I also asked him if this might have been a contributing factor to why the terrorists hijacked and crashed the planes killing innocent civilians.

The representative got angry and refused to answer the question, saying he “considered it an attack on Islam and Muslims.” He made an outrageous statement that I have caused great trouble to the Muslim community and was quoted in the Daily as saying I have “made past attempts to discredit the Muslim community in Ames.” What is he referring to?

It couldn’t be that I have rejoiced with Muslim students at the birth of a child, or who have graduated or landed their first job. Is it because I have visited them in jail or sat with them in court, helped them in periods of financial difficulty or cried with them at the loss of a loved one?

It wasn’t that I offered to help the Muslim community find another piece of suitable property to build its new mosque when their future neighbors objected to them building on that location because the structure would not fit into the neighborhood’s architecture and would create parking problems.

I can only conclude that he is upset because I have tried to practice my religion and obey the command to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with all people – even the Muslim students.

The representative asks, even demands, our respect for his religion. I expect nothing less than the same from him.

David Eggert

Campus minister

Ames