Muslim: 'No place for hate'

The following Letter to the Editor was published in this Sunday's edition of the Houston Chronicle. It was sent in reference to the article "Quanell X seeks to make amends" which made front page headlines. You can read the article by clicking here.

Making amends with the Jewish Community is a step in the right direction for Quanell X. It will be through consistent acts and a public reform of his views that will help embolden this change. But what about the reference to racism in the Houston Muslim community?

The previous president of the Houston chapter of the Islamic Circle of North America was an African-American. The president of the Islamic Society of Greater Houston, the largest Islamic organization in our city, is a Sudanese-American. Muslims didn't look at the color of their skin and say, "They're black; we don't want them!" Both were elected for two terms.

I don't see the racism. When I go to pray at my local mosque, I am surrounded by people of all colors and ethnicities, including Anglos, African-Americans, Hispanics and more. In fact, this is representative of most of the mosques in Houston. The Muslim community here is one of the most diverse in the nation, and this is something we're very proud of.

There are people of every race and religion who will have prejudice. Unfortunately, Quannel had experience with some of those people in the Muslim community. Islam has no place for racism. The Muslim community in Houston has "no place for hate," and we will work together to drive out this seed of racism from everyone's hearts, no matter their religion.

SHARIQ ABDUL GHANI
Director, Council on American-Islamic Relations, Houston office

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