Interpretations of Quran that urge violence against innocents, he argues, require poorly informed, out of context readings of a line here/ a line there in my view, not unlike practice of many Christian Fundamentalists. To show that, he cites ambiguous verses by which Muslim extremists justify their acts, and their deceitful disregard of everything Quranic that prohibits their acts. He insists that any valid Quranic interpretation must square with holy book's "general moral imperatives such as mercy, justice, kindness." "If reader is intolerant, hateful, or oppressive," he concludes, "so will be interpretation."

Far from sanctioning "holy war," Abou El Fadl reports, Quran does not even contain phrase. The entire concept of jihad as holy war was a later development rooted more in political and economic conflict than in religious difference. Moreover, far from supporting "get even" (for Israel, for economic imperialism, etc) justification for terrorism, Quran warns Muslims that injustice of others does not permit them to be unjust in return. Furthermore, warriors who attacked innocent civilians were regarded by classic Muslim jurists to be "corrupters of earth and criminals" -- guilty of "especially heinous crimes."

The eleven reactions to Abou El Fadl's essay add further depth to debate. Milton Viorst, Middle East correspondent for The New Yorker, praises it as a "brilliant" explanation of why Muslims are "on brink of becoming a permanent global underclass." Sohail Hashmi, who teaches international relations at Mount Holyoke College, agrees that politically motivated Quranic interpreters, not Quran itself, feed us-against-them mentality of violent Muslims. British culture critic Tariq Ali laments that "there was more dissent and skepticism in Islam during 11th and 12th centuries than there is today." On other hand, Abid Ullah Jan, a political analyst from Pakistan, blames all debates about Islam on "efforts by United States and its allies to achieve economic and cultural hegemony by dominating or destroying all opposition." He denounces essay as "an attempt to please Islam-bashers."

Abou El Fadl's response to commentaries asserts that extremists false fundamentalism threatens to turn Islam into "an idiosyncracy -- a moral and social oddity that is incapable of finding common ground with rest of human society." His motivation for engaging in debate against extremists, he says, is "to deny such groups their Islamic banner." In his view, ultimate issue for all Muslims ought to be extremists degradation of "the moral integrity of Islamic tradition."

Khaled Abou El Fadl, Tariq Ali, Milton Viorst and John Esposito. The Place of Tolerance in Islam. Boston, Beacon Press, 2002.

"Your kingdom comes" points to a future event every generation of believers longs for, and it is our hope. Some of us know this kingdom is both at hand and within us. We know it is one of justice, tempered by mercy, without cruelty.

"Your will is done". It doesn't seem so to many of us and many are critical of this will and its possessor. Never-the-less, form demands this identification in our address. "On earth as in heaven" or even in heavens, if you prefer. This completes opening address or identification of One we wish to hear our prayer. It is attention getter. What is point in writing a letter and sending it to wrong address? Should we then expect any good result?

I realized this prayer works equally well as a daily request or a thanksgiving. I prefer it as a thanksgiving, morning and evening. I will treat it as a thanksgiving here: "We thank you for this day and our daily bread". Even without bread, another day is a wonderful thing to be thankful about. Our daily bread can extend far beyond our food to all our material needs. It is worth noting it is first thing we ask for or give thanks for because air, water and food are critical to our life.

"And forgiving our offences as we forgive those who offend us". Forgiveness is conditional. We can expect it in way we practice it. The blessing I began with implies forgiveness in act of blessing all. I can bless those I despise and I can just as easily forgive them if I so choose, and receive it myself, as needed. Forgiveness brings peace in a way nothing else does. Is there little peace in your world? Then there is little forgiveness in your world.

"Lead us not into testing, (for this we do ourselves) but deliver us from trouble". Many confuse word evil with idea of wicked. Wicked is always trouble but trouble is not necessarily wicked and in other Scripture, Father claims to create evil. We could say flood was evil but it was not especially scheming and calculated trouble for someone's personal gain, which we know as wicked.

In Scripture formal close comes next and I decided this was point at which I would personalize this simple prayer, I had recited so often as a boy. "Thank you for helping us become instruments of your peace; blessing those we bless and those who bless us". This is an acknowledgement that my blessing may help no one at all, except it is backed by superior power. I paraphrased a small part of Prayer of Saint Francis because he was praying for himself and I am still praying for us.

"Thank you for daily increasing our wisdom, love, gratitude, reverence, healing, peace, joy, happiness, laughter and prosperity, especially leaders and authorities of this world, a world transforming from one of fear to one of love." This is gratitude I have for increased power, as I see it, behind my personal blessing. I see it as a power multiplier. You might see it differently.

"Thank you for granting us wealth, prosperity and abundance, that our light so shines before others, they will see our good works and glorify you." Although this repeats last blessing, it is very thing secular society teaches us to want and is worth repeating. It also reminds us there is one proper purpose for wealth and to pervert this purpose is asking for trouble. Just ask a few lottery winners.

"For yours is kingdom and power and glory, forever. Amen." The close, in proper form, is confirming addressee and equivalent of our Respectfully Yours, on a business letter. I never fully understood why Roman Catholic Church rejected this close, except some Pope decided it was understood and unnecessary. I will always feel it is an important part of form and properly closes prayer.

When American children discontinued this prayer in school, one disaster followed another; not that we were free from them in earlier years. I think it is safe to say that some families may have recited prayer before breakfast each day, but majority did not and this precipitated much negative change in America and rest of world. I did not continue with it on my "own time" once it stopped in school. This was about same time I left church and became agnostic, suspicious and resentful of all assumed authority.

My point is that if a great good to whole world could come from millions upon millions of Christians, Jews and Muslims, asking for and receiving these wonderful, magical blessings, through a few minutes of daily prayer and blessing, why don't we all do it? A unity opportunity. I can think of two reasons. We don't believe it makes a difference and we don't care if it does.

In Napoleon Hill's book, "Think and Grow Rich", he devotes at least a chapter to mastermind alliance. He says there is great power in many people working in common cause. An Aquarian idea for sure. I believe it. What if purpose of each and every one of us is only to bless earth, in word and deed? What might be effect of each of us fulfilling this purpose every day of our lives? It costs us so little to test idea and result could just prove we can do something right after all. Surely deeds will follow words. Who can bless and remain fearful?

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