Seeking Islamic Information

I received a comment the other day which gave me pause.

A person said that he had posted an innocuous comment on the IslamiCity site, and as result received some fairly harsh responses - along the lines of "you'd better hope we don't find you". My first reaction to that was "Well, sure, what do you expect from those people." But then I wondered: Is that fair? (And my mind whispered: Are they?) Like a lot of Americans, I suspect, my view of Islam is pretty narrow, and its not at all impossible that its pretty far off base. So I decided to go check out the site myself.

It's pretty well done -- well laid out, with the clearly stated intention of propagating information about Islam, and to encourage members in the application of their faith across all spectra of their lives. It wasn't speaking to me, but I could see it being a strong force in the lives of people who believe as they do.

That being my perception, I didn't understand how an innocuous comment could spawn such a response. I wondered if the person(s) who had responded weren't Islamic at all, but rather agents provocateurs, making the kind of responses that Americans might expect -- responses that would trigger the reaction that I had. Or perhaps they are Islamic, but on the fringe -- the fiery-eyed radicals that many religions have (though this one more than others, my mind whispered). Or even: perhaps they are Islamic, and they represent the true face of Islam, the one that will not be satisfied until it achieves dominance in the world and subjugation of all other forms of religion.

This was more than a little disquieting, and what was worse, I had no way -- and have no way -- to get a sense of which is right, or which is closest to being right. All I know of Islam is what I see in the papers, as they say, and what I see in the papers is usually pretty bad. You cannot judge a religion by everyone who says they are acting in its name, but if everyone you see acting in one way says it, you begin to wonder if it might actually be true. How would you know?

I wish I had an answer, or even a hint of one. One answer seems to be reading, but even there: reading what? Reading the Koran (and there: not in the original? Then surely you are getting interpretations, not the actual original) might be an answer, but perhaps modern Islamic believers don't want to be held to each sura (is that right? I think so) any more than a modern Christian wants to be held to each verse of the Bible. Though perhaps there are intent Islamic who feel that you damn well should be held to each, just as there are intent Christians who feel the same. Or perhaps I should read one of those many books that purposes to explain Islam to Christians -- but what's their slant? Are they proselytizing or apologizing? Or just making a buck?

Or I could go to the local mosque -- I actually know where there is one, near my home -- but would that be like the well meaning liberals going to a black church in the sixties? (Oh, no, here comes another Christian seeking truth and friendship, the mullahs would mutter.)

So where do you even start?