Just wanted to let you all know that the speaker came this evening, Robert Spencer, and he was a foolish man, but we expected that. What was excellent and worth sharing was the fact that at least 60% of the audience, or maybe even more, was either a Muslim or a non-Muslim supporting Muslims....during the question period we had some good representation from the community.....and by the end we had Spencer's business card and asked him to come back for a more intensive debate and discussion....
He didn't talk about much that we don't already see in media channels today....in fact the irony of the whole thing is that he is calling people to "peace" yet he sat in front of us tonight perpetuating hate towards Muslims.....and this was brought to his attention during the Q/A perido by Muslims and Non-Muslims alike, mash'Allah.
I really believe that he was surprised by the crowd.....I think he wanted people to fight him more, and he didn't really know how to react to calmness.......he was not very credible in his speech and responses, but he presented himself with confidence which would lead an innocent person who knows nothing of Islam to believe what he was saying....he cited from the Qu'ran and hadith, but of course chose his own interpretation and political agenda...
For those American sisters and converts, the reaction of people in the audience to us (converts) being there was worth a million bucks....the looks on their faces and the surprise in their eyes when they heard us talk or learned we are Americans raised as Christians or Jew(s)...wow, it was so gratifying, alhoumdulilah! It was a wonderful reminder for us to say alhoumdulilah...
Sorry I don't mean to exclude other sisters, but us newbies are, well, new to this stuff.....for the most part.
Its fun to see Americans reactions when you see you are a convert/revert to Islam.
What else....OH! The Qu'rans.....they told us that we couldn't hand out any materials anywhere on the 3rd floor where the lecture was because that was the "Republicans turf for the night." Soooooo we went to the first floor....mash'Allah we had a young gentleman who seemed very sincere (insha'Allah) ask for the Qu'ran......after he got his copy and others learned of its availability we were out within minutes, mash'Allah.....insha'Allah the people do good with these Qu'rans (take care of them) and insha'Allah Allah's guidance reaches them. We didn't give any copies to those who didn't approach us and ask and say "we heard you have copies of the Qu'ran..."
Some of us stayed behind to discuss questions with people and it was a great experience.....I will say I am still extremely disappointed in the Republican party for sponsoring such an event, but this is the life we lead being in America.... "freedom of speech" it has its benefits and its downsides
.......we as Muslims will just have to exercise the same right and do something better.....and maybe knock this Spencer character off his pedestal......
