Support For Church
By: Anwer Mahmood Khan

I have learned that Chino Hills residents would like to build a church and they are facing opposition in this regard. I am a Muslim but would like to urge the Planning Commission to approve the building plan for the following reasons:

1. The First Amendment of our Constitution along with the Bill of Rights provide for every citizen to practice their faith in their own way. If our fellow residents would like to build a church, this is their fundamental right and must be honored by all.

2. Being a Muslim it is my moral duty to support all the churches as the Founder of Islam, Muhammad (may peace be upon him), made a covenant with all the Christians of the world, in a letter to St. Catherine Monastery in 628 AD. Thus:

"This is a message from Muhammad son of Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them. Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything that displeases them ... No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims' houses .... Their churches are to be respected.

"They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants. No one of the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end of the world)."

3. A church will bring residents back to God and this would promote peace in the area as the worshippers would abide by the teaching of Jesus, "Love thy neighbor."

More power to you, my fellow Christian brothers; may you succeed in getting your church built. Amen