SALT LAKE CITY — A day after the killings at a French satire news outlet in Paris, one Muslim leader more than 5,000 miles away was preparing the remarks he would give to the youth at his mosque.

Muslim youths Friday will participate in a two-day Seerat-un-Nabi program at the Khadeeja Mosque in West Valley to celebrate the birth of the Prophet Muhammad and also to help youth retain their Muslim identity, even as the world mourns an apparent terrorist act born at least partially by intolerance.

"The world can learn a lot from the folks in Utah, who have mastered the art of open dialogue between all, and who encourage learning about other cultures, religions and people in general," Imam Muhammed Shoyab Mehtar, religious leader of the Islamic Society of Greater Salt Lake and the Khadeeja Mosque, said he plans to tell youth Friday. "It is only through fostering such bridge building will we be able to reduce animosity, hatred as well as killings particularly under the name of a Merciful Creator."

Muslims tend to disproportionately become a key focus of media and other reports in the wake of extremist actions, he said. He has found that Utah has created an environment of understanding that allows for misconceptions of Islam to be corrected.

This may be in part because of the efforts of the Salt Lake Interfaith Roundtable, a group that fosters and promotes interfaith dialogue and understanding. The group "(reaches) out to our brothers in the Muslim faith and (lets) them know that we don't condemn them," but condemn the violence, said the Rev. Elias Koucos, chair of the roundtable.

Obama: The U.S. 'stands with' France in wake of attacks

Alexandra Jaffe, CNN
WASHINGTON (CNN) — President Barack Obama on Thursday said he wants the people of France to know the United States "stands with you today, stands with you tomorrow" in the wake of this week's terror attacks.

He made the remarks during an appearance in Knoxville, Tenn. to announce a new higher education initiative. Obama told the audience in Knoxville "we stand for freedom, and hope, and dignity of all human beings," adding, "that's what Paris stands for."

"That spirit will endure forever," he added, "long after terrorism is banished from this world." His comments follow a tumultuous few days for France, where two hostage situations and a shooting at a French satirical paper erupted in two days, resulting in numerous deaths.

Obama made a visit to the French Embassy on Thursday to offer his condolences following Wednesday's attack by three gunment on journalists at Charlie Hebdo, which resulted in 12 deaths. He signed a book of condolences for the victims of the attack shortly after returning from a trip to Arizona for a speech previewing his State of the Union address.

"On behalf of all Americans, I extend our deepest sympathy and solidarity to the people of France following the terrible terrorist attack in Paris," the President wrote.

"As allies across the centuries, we stand united with our French brothers to ensure that justice is done and our way of life is defended. We go forward together knowing that terror is no match for freedom and ideals we stand for — ideals that light the world. Vive la France!"

Obama also met with the French Ambassador, Gérard Araud, who called the visit "a moving and highly significant gesture" in a tweet.

"The French are grateful," the ambassador said.

Obama on Wednesday vowed to "hunt down" the perpetrators of the "cowardly, evil attacks," and the United States is supporting the French government in its investigation into the attack. On his flight back from Arizona, the President spoke with his national security team about the latest developments.

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For the most part, Utahns are able to separate those who belong to fringe groups from faithful adherents of Islam, the Rev. Koucos said.

"I think most of us, thank God, are aware of that. I think we realize it is an extreme faction that goes beyond," the tenets of Islam, he said.

The Seerat-un-Nabi event at the Khadeeja Mosque falls two days after attacks at Charlie Hebdo in Paris, where gunmen killed 12 people and wounded others. Some have speculated that the shootings were in retaliation to Charlie Hebdo's satirical depictions of the Prophet Muhammad, but police have yet to confirm a motive. The shooting prompted international dialogues about the sometimes contrasting roles of free speech and religious sensitivity.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, the timing of the Khadeeja event was poignant.

Imam Mehtar condemned the attacks, adding that people who fail to turn the other cheek when offended "become part of the problem."

Pew Research estimates that there are roughly 1.6 billion Muslims in the world. Of these, Imam Mehtar emphasized that terrorists are a minority and do not represent Islamic adherents as a whole.

"In a pluralistic society, when a person does wrong, regardless of their faith, individuals have to take a firm stand and say, 'A wrong is a wrong,' and that has to be shunned," he said.

Ghulam Hasnin, an officer at Alrasool Islamic Center that serves Shia Muslims, a minority in the Muslim world, agrees, but adds there are sects that embrace extreme beliefs in the Arab world. These groups do not follow the central Muslim teachings of compassion and humanity.

These individuals are not following what the Prophet Muhammad taught, he said, including a central scripture in the Quran that condemns compulsion in religion.

"To be a Muslim, you know, you need to be a humanist," he said.

Perceptions

Only 27 percent of Americans had a favorable opinion of Muslims in 2014, down from 40 percent in 2012, according to the American Attitudes Toward Arabs and Muslims survey by the Arab American Institute. Favorability went up to 36 percent when people knew someone who was Muslim.

In contrast, many Muslims in Utah meet a welcoming and curious populace.

Sunny Nisar, owner of Curry Fried Chicken in Salt Lake City, said his family has not faced discrimination for their Muslim faith since their move to Utah from New Jersey decades ago, with rare exceptions.

In 2001 a man lit a fire outside his parents' restaurant, Curry in a Hurry on State Stree, in apparent retaliation for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. In the wake of that event, the Nisar family received immense community support.

"It really let us know that we are safe in this environment," he said in his restaurant, Thursday.

A picture of the 99 names of Allah and a rug of Mecca were some of the evidences of his faith displayed in the restaurant, along with signs bearing messages such as, "Friends gather here."

Nisar tries to meet questions about his religion with respect and realism, understanding that he will not change someone's mind but might help shed light on his religion.

"It's pretty logical in Islam. If is doesn't make sense to you, it doesn't make sense to Islam," he said.

Hasnin has found Utah to be accepting and accommodating to members of his faith. Students from local universities will visit the Alrasool Center and he has a positive relationship with Brigham Young University. This is also the case for Imam Mehtar at the Khadeeja Mosque.

One factor influencing these positive relationships may be the shared beliefs between Muslims and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the majority religion in Utah. These include emphases on family, modesty and abstinence from alcohol.

Dialogue between faiths and members of a community is part of the solution to widespread hate and terror, according to Imam Mehtar.

"I think the negative comes in those environments in which dialogue is limited and individuals are purely proud of who they are with a sense of arrogance instead of, ‘I’m proud of who I am, but I have to improve much more.’”

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