(03.28.2017) By Rachel Potter — Morningside College hosted a Jewish and Muslim Life in America discussion panel for students, where panelists discussed their religion and faith to the student body and community members who attended.
The panelists were Radwan Kouatli and Eena Colwell, who are Muslim, and Frank Baron and Marilyn Cohen, who are Jewish.
All four panelists began the panel by debunking the most misunderstood ideas about their religions.
Colwell stated, “Islam is a peaceful religion, Islam comes from a word meaning peace. The violence we see does not represent Islam. Those creating the violence are not true Muslims.”
Baron and Cohen touched on what Judaism really is, noting that it is a unique religion that should not be viewed as a predecessor to Christianity. Members of the Jewish faith do not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, but they believe in what Jesus was teaching because he was teaching Jewish law.
Baron said, “Jesus was born Jewish, Jesus lived Jewish, and Jesus died Jewish.”
While Muslims do not believe Jesus was the Messiah, Colwell believes he will come back.
Kouatli and Colwell were asked if they think the view of Islam is getting better or worse. They both agreed that they do not think it is getting worse, but there is still a lot of work to be done.
Jesus is very important in the Islamic faith. Colwell said, “If I do not believe in Jesus I can not be a true Muslim.”
Kouatli summed up both the Jewish and Muslim views on Jesus as, “Our views of “Him” and your views of “Him” are much different.”
It is important to remember not to see someone as a Christian, Jew, or Muslim, but to see them as a human being.
Leave a Reply