Because of the recent events in the Muslim community, I would like to share a few points that I hope can engender a better understanding of Islam.

Belief in the Hereafter is a main pillar of Islam. Although it is our duty to be just and do right, Muslims believe ultimate justice will be meted out on a day of reckoning in front of God.

Those who seek to punish and exact revenge in the name of God are blind to this important element of faith. They hasten justice by taking it into their own hands. Unfortunately, their lack of faith leads them to betray their own beliefs.

The Prophet Muhammad commanded kindness to those of other faiths.

Belief in the Hereafter should encourage Muslims, Jews, and Christians alike to do justice in their interactions with each other. We will be accountable for how we treat each other.

Like Christianity and Judaism, Islam traces its roots to the prophet Abraham. Muslims believe in the God of Abraham. We respect and honor Moses and Jesus as callers to the way of God, although we believe that their original message of divine unity was altered through the passage of time.

The Prophet Muhammad taught that Islam means obedience to one God and is the completion of the same divine message brought by earlier prophets. The revelations he received from Gabriel were compiled in a book called the Quran. Muhammad led an ascetic life, and was an example of kindness and humility.

Muslims, too, have an American dream. We hope that we can help contribute to the moral and spiritual uplifting of society. Our tradition teaches that true success is not only in worldly accomp­lishment, but also in an afterlife that we shape by our moral choices in this world. This world will ultimately fade with our mortality, but our deeds will continue.

We hope that one day we can present a truer picture of Islam to the world, uncorrupted by poverty and politics. We hope our community will be a humble example of kindness and faith, and that we can live in peace within society.

Prophet Muhammad said, “Be in the world like a traveler.” I hope that we can do justice and forgive one another, and move on in our journey. I also hope that we can work together to foster a better understanding of Islam in the days to come.