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Respect All Cultures, Do Not Discriminate
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Abu Sufyan: “No.”
Emperor Heraclius: “And does he break his pledges?”
Abu Sufyan: “No.”
Emperor Heraclius: “If he does not lie to man, then how will he lie to God Almighty?”
other sourceWords of another person or source
This dialogue shows the sheer strength of a person’s character. Indeed, you are known to your neighbours by your character and not by anything else.
God Almighty sent more than one hundred thousand prophets or messengers to every group of people. All the messengers of God enjoy the same equal status. There is a verse in the Quran to this effect. In the chapter Al-Baqarah (The Heifer), the Quran, referring to these messengers, says:
original + quoteOriginal text with a quotation or mention inside it
The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and [so do] believers. They all believe in God and His angels, His scriptures, and His messengers. They say, ‘We do not differentiate between any of His messengers. We hear and obey. Grant us Your forgiveness, Lord, to You we shall all return!’ (2:285)
Qur'anQuotes the Qur'an
This Quranic verse relates directly to the messengers or the prophets of God, but it also has a broader application, according to which everyone is worthy of respect, regardless of his creed or culture.
Such belief promotes a culture of equal respect among mankind. Difference in belief is necessarily subject to discussion, but it is not a reason for discrimination. If your belief system is different from that of others, you have every right to engage in discussion and dialogue on the subject, but in the process you have no right to show disrespect to others. This holds true, even if you feel that your personal ideology enshrines the supreme truth. The culture of discrimination is, after all, quite alien to the divine religion.