To my Muslim community, no matter how you interpret or live out your Islam, I appeal to you for us all to work together. We've been complacent and all of humanity is suffering for it. Not just us in America, but look at the mayhem radicalism have spawned.

Opponents of Islam claim it denies freedom of speech and censors those who insult Islam. This is factually incorrect. After all, the Prophet Muhammad called differences of opinion a blessing in society and never sought to censor or threaten those who verbally attacked him.

Every Islamic ritual and practice is an invitation for the believers to commit themselves to a process of increasing purity, tranquility and peace in their internal and external world.

In this articulation of Muhammad, Muslims find their deep commitment to the universal human values such as sacredness of life and property, equality, justice, peace and more. Upon these high universal values, this religion of Islam was built.

This close connection between God and humanity goes back to the very foundation of Islam. The Quran records the creation of humanity as a conversation between God and the angels.

Al-Ghazali was a Persian theologian, philosopher, jurist and mystic, acclaimed as the most influential Muslim after the Prophet Muhammad. His works shaped how generations of Muslims would understand their religion.