Nashville activists warn churchgoers of violent threats to America; Muslims call campaign unfair

A belief that Muslims are out to destroy the American way of life is gaining a foothold in some Christian and Jewish circles in Nashville. The movement spreads its message through films, books and the Internet. Its sentiment: Islam is an evil religion rooted in hatred and nurtured by violence. Some churches have gotten involved, hosting viewings of movies that alert Jews and Christians of the perceived dangers worldwide.

One film, produced by a local filmmaker, warns that a second Holocaust is imminent if Americans do not stand united politically with Israel.

Muslims say the messages are an unfair characterization of their beliefs that began with the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and are perpetuated whenever someone professing to be a Muslim commits an act of violence, such as the recent shooting deaths at the Fort Hood Army post in Texas.

“We have become the bogeyman of the world,” said Amir Arain, spokesman for the Islamic Center of Nashville, the city’s oldest mosque, founded in 1979.

“Fringe fundamentalists they are talking about, that they think defines Islam, is only 1 to 2 percent, and we do agree that there is a problem. It’s a very small quantity or small group of the whole Muslim ummah, or nation, that has somehow hijacked our faith.”

In a recent survey, the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found that 52 percent of those polled admit they are extremely concerned about Islamic extremism.

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