I have just been reading (again, for the 10th or 12th time) an article from USATODAY.com, dated 09/30/2001- Updated 03:30 PM ET. And REMEMBER- this was only 19 days after 9/11!

If it were not so serious, their "Questions and Answers" about Islamic Beliefs are so deceptive, dangerous, and ignorant that it would be laughable to the point of hysteria.

They "asked and answered" various questions, carefully chosen, and their "answers" were what one would expect from a liberal publication.

Everywhere possible they worded their answers in such a way as to deceitfully claim that Islamic and Christian beliefs are very closely related or similar.

To state that Christianity and Islam are similar is a barefaced and deliberate lie. To really believe such idiocy one would have to be deaf, dumb, blind, stupid, and ignorant of all history since Christ, or in other words, completely illiterate.

About the Koran or Qu'ran

The Koran, or Qu'ran, is the holiest book of the Muslims. Muslims believe the Qu'ran is a verbatim record of words revealed by God to the Prophet Muhammad. Many agree that Muhammad was illiterate, unable to either read or write, and that the "message from Allah" was memorized by Muhammad and then dictated to his companions who wrote it down.

The Arabic word "Islam" translates roughly as "submission," and is derived from a word meaning "peace." In a religious context it means submission to the will of "Allah". Allah is the Arabic word for God, which is used by Arab Muslims and Christians alike. (However, one must note that when an Arab Christian says "Allah" he is NOT referring to the same God as the Arab Muslim. See "Editorial On Islamic Beliefs - Part 1" for more details on this statement).

The Muslims have a series of special teachings called the 'Five Pillars' of Islam.

They are required as the general framework for Muslim life:

1. • The declaration of faith: "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his (final) prophet."
2. • Prayer: Muslims perform five obligatory prayers each day.
3. • Zakat: One important principle of Islamic teaching is that all things belong to Allah and wealth is held in trust by humans. Zakat (charitable giving) "purifies" wealth by setting aside a portion for those in need.
4. • Fasting: Each year in the Islamic lunar month of Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. The fast is considered a method of self-purification.
5. • Pilgrimage: A pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, or Hajj as it is called in Arabic, is an obligation for those who are physically and financially able to make the journey.

In future editorials I plan to deal with some more of the false statements from this "explanation" about Islamic beliefs from the liberal media PR machine the Muslims are using extensively. In the next editorial I will deal with more of this USATODAY puff piece for Muslims, published only 19 days after 9/11! Read Part 3, now posted!