Hawaii Muslims Condemn The Cold-Blooded Murder Of Mr. Paul Johnson

The murder of the American engineer Paul Johnson is a depraved, barbaric, brutal, un-Islamic and Un-human act, which is outside the purview of Islamic practice and teachings. Muslims, Arab and Western specialists on Islam, unanimously condemn such crimes as totally out of line from the Islamic tradition.
Mr. Johnson was an innocent American contractor who strived to support his family and who used his skills to benefit the country of Saudi Arabia. He came to appreciate their country, its people, and the religion of Islam.

We share the grief of the Johnson’s family, who have suffered so much and send our sincere condolences.

Hawaii Muslims join Muslim Americans and Muslims around the world in condemning this act of senseless violence in the strongest possible terms and repudiates all those who believe such murderous behavior benefits the faith of Islam or the Muslim people or their cause.

We equally reject those who commit any act of terror, murder and cruelty in the name of Islam as they are not only destroying innocent lives, but are also betraying the values of the faith they claim to represent. No amount of previous animosity or injustice done to Muslims can ever justify the massacre of innocent people, and no act of terror will ever serve the cause of Islam.

Those who kidnapped and murdered Mr. Johnson in this most gruesome manner, supposedly in the name of Islam whose basic tenants stand for peace, love and forgiveness, have borne upon themselves the unforgivable crime of murdering an innocent person, which in Islam is akin to killing the whole of humanity.

We maintain that these terrorists are not only our enemies as Americans, they are also enemies of Islam, civilization and humanity as a whole and whatever their agenda is, it certainly includes defaming Muslims and Islam and instigate hate towards Muslims by ignorant people that are waiting for the opportunity to do harm to Islam and Muslims.

The Muslim Association of Hawaii thanks all those who have made the distinction between Islam and such acts of terrorism, and for reporting the outrage of the American Muslim community in response to this terrible event. We pray that sanity may prevail and call on people of all faiths and cultures to work together for peace and reconciliation, not war and destruction.

For more information, contact Hakim Ouansafi, President of the Muslim Association of Hawaii at hakim@iio.org