Local Muslim Author Defends Islam Following California Shooting
by David Spunt
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Not even three weeks after the attacks in Paris and just days after a man shot up a Planned Parenthood in Colorado, many watched in horror as the scene in Southern California unfolded.
When officials announced Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife Tashfeen Malik were the shooters who killed 14 in San Bernardino, many Muslims felt they were once again in the spotlight for the wrong reason.
Philadelphia resident Qasim Rashid is proud to be Muslim.
He's dedicated his adult life to the religion and says his religion is a peaceful one.
"Hold people individually accountable for their actions. You can't blanket brush all people for the acts of a few," Rashid told Eyewitness News.
Rashid wrote two books on Islam and currently serves as the national spokesman for the Ahmadiyya sect of Islam, a mainstream sect that's one of the oldest in the United States. He insists what happened Wednesday in San Bernardino and a few weeks ago in Paris is not a fair representation of Islam.
"It's interesting to see how differently all Muslims are suddenly portrayed when a Muslim commits an act of terrorism, which I will call an act of terrorism whether he (Farook) was inspired by terrorists or not," Rashid said.
Rashid told Eyewitness News being Muslim in America is not always easy. He says he fights stereotypes every day, and when Muslims commit criminal acts, it hurts, just like it would for any member of any religion.
Rashid has a motto: "Love for all, hatred for none."
He says the majority of Muslims live by that motto and he hopes non-Muslims will soon identify that motto with Islam.
"I can't tell you how many people I've met that flat-out told me, 'I hate Muslims, but now that I've actually met one, I see that we're not so different after all,'" Rashid told Eyewitness News.
Rashid is also an attorney. For more information visit www.qasimrashid.com