Democratic Party Ninth District
Spencer Maddox

Fighting Terrorism: The Right Way - No one that I know of is dismissing the threat posed by international terrorism. On the contrary, it may be that we are overly fearful of a long list of possible catastrophes. So we must be both vigilant and reasonable. And while we struggle against those who wish us harm, I think we could do better than declaring a "War on Terror". That name brings with it a strong reliance on military force, and military force is a power in which we have no peer. Indeed, if the might and courage of our men and women of our Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines and their many technological advantages were the solution to this fight, we would have long since prevailed. Perhaps there is a better way.

A good friend who is a retired Presbyterian minister called the other day and wanted to know if I would be interested in joining him and his wife in a visit to one of Atlanta's three mosques, the Masjid Of Al-Islam. My wife and I leapt at the chance.

My friend who has traveled widely and often in Africa and the Middle East asked a couple of his Muslim acquaintances, one, a physician working at the Center for Disease Control and the other, a doctorate in Biology, to meet with us prior to our visit to the mosque to answer questions and explain the routine of the service we were about to encounter. They were both very happy to oblige us and receptive to our objective of a first-hand learning experience. And learn we did.

The members of the Muslim community we were visiting were either openly friendly and appreciative of our desire to be with them, or behaved as if there were nothing remarkable in our presence. Whenever one of them saw our bewilderment as to what was next expected of us, some cheerful member would come to our rescue. I sat on the floor and was surprised to hear the Imam give one of the most ecumenical sermons I can remember.

My friend and I and our wives were four of only five Caucasians in the "Community" attending. Many of the female members were Africans dressed in the colorful dresses and turbans of their homelands. After the sermon, everyone stood in line for prayers. (This is the part of the service that is invariably shown on western television.) The young man on my left helped me stand correctly, feet touching, hands properly folded. The preparation for prayer left me with a strong feeling of fellowship, similar to the time for greeting or "Peace" in the Episcopal Church.

As the service ended, many of the members came to introduce themselves to us. To a man they all expressed their happiness regarding our visit. The Imam even came and sought us out, asking if we had any questions or if we would like to sit and speak further with him. We did so, and then accepted the invitation to visit the home of one of the Muslim friends we had met with prior to the service. There we were treated to delicious food and coffee, and thoughtful conversation.

I have described this adventure to illustrate the start of a new way to approach the struggle against terrorism. This is the way of understanding and respect, the way of tolerance and forgiveness, and the way of confidence rather than fear. This way must be led by the moderates among us who in our humanity understand that the things we have in common are many and important while our differences are few.

Spencer Maddux of Big Canoe, is a former U.S. Air Force officer and West Point graduate, retired airline pilot, serving as the Chairman of the Dawson County Democratic Committee, and Vice-Chair of the Ninth Congressional District.