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Local Muslims firmly denounce bin Laden's distortion of Islam By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune Speakers at a Middle East Forum sponsored by Rogue Community College denounced Osama bin Laden Wednesday for doing more damage to the Islamic faith by linking all Muslims with terrorism. Pete Seda Ghaty, representing the Rogue Valley Muslim community, said, "How much he (bin Laden) has destroyed the name of Islam." Seda Ghaty supports the American campaign in Afghanistan to get rid of the Taliban and al-Qaida terrorist network, but he believes bin Laden should be tried by Muslims. "The best way to deal with bin Laden is to refute him through Islam, ideologically," he said. Seda Ghaty and four RCC sociology and humanities instructors fielded questions from 116 students who turned up for the forum, held at the Ginger Rogers Craterian Theater. The forum, the first of its kind by the Associated Students of RCC, examined the history of Islam and other issues surrounding recent world events. Teacher James Dunn said, "We Americans, the majority of us, are very comfortable with the globalization of the world economy. That is normal to us." But this idea of globalization is revolutionary for many cultures. Teacher Kay Aldrich said many nations view American intrusion on their cultural values as offensive. While all the panel members condemned the terrorist attacks, they said the United States needs to be more sensitive in how it treats other countries and needs to have more understanding about how they perceive us. Students asked a variety of questions during the forum. One wondered about the Islamic dress code, particularly why women have to wear veils. Dunn responded that women in American society also have a dress code. "A woman could not undress to the waist," he cited as an example. A question was asked about the word "jihad," normally translated as "holy war" in the press. Seda Ghaty said, "First of all, holy war doesn't exist in Islam." A complete discussion of the word, he said, would require hours. In general, though, it means a struggle against evil or injustice. "Sometimes not fighting is jihad," he said. Most of the panelists agreed that the Islamic community is as varied as America, or even as varied as Christianity. Dunn said, "We may go to church on Sunday to pray and spend the next six days preying on our neighbors." Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.