The chairman of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy's board of directors said "radical Islamism" is a threat to everyone, including the Muslim community, in a Monday night speech on UF's campus.
Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, a retired decorated U.S. Navy officer and physician, highlighted the importance of working toward moderate Islam by separating politics from religion within government in a lecture in Carleton Auditorium in front of a crowd of about 50.
"Islamism," or extreme political idealogies stemming from the Islam religion, became a hot topic of discussion at UF in December after campus organizations publicized a screening of the documentary "Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West." An advertisement for the documentary featured the slogan, "Radical Islam Wants You Dead."
The UF administration called for a formal apology to be issued to the Muslim community, but retracted its request after the attorney general of Florida, Bill McCollum, contacted the university concerning students' freedom of speech rights. Tom Jensen, director of the Florida Security Council, gave a synopsis of the events.
The film was shown for the second time on campus at the forum, which was sponsored by the Law School Republicans and College Republicans. Following the film, Jasser and David Rutherford, a retired Navy SEAL, presented their viewpoints on radical Islamism and its effects on the U.S.
"If Islam was synonymous with terror, the world would have perished a long time ago," Jasser said. "At the core of terrorism is corruption."
Jasser's emphasized that Muslim leaders must confront the epidemic of radicalism. He compared religious extremism to a cancer eating away at his community.
Islamic governments dominated and influenced by religious radicals are at the source of corruption and acts of terrorism, Jasser said.
Rutherford, who served as a Navy SEAL for eight years, agreed with Jasser, saying that church and state need to operate separately in order to eliminate radical fundamentalism.
"This is a war that is going to continue as long as Muslims are dedicated to their cause," Rutherford said.
Muslims must take a stance by challenging the extremists and students must take a stance against terrorism by learning more about the issue, he added.
Asghar Syed, a second-year law student, attended the presentation. He expected it to be antagonistic since he felt "Obsession" was inflammatory in its portrayal of Islam.
But after the discussion, Syed said he left feeling "satisfied."
"What Dr. Jasser is doing is exactly what is needed to confront biased perspectives," Syed said. "I think he is opening a forum for more critical discussion of the issues."
