When speaking on his fight against a Muslim Somali warlord, Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin said this summer, "I knew my God was bigger than his. I knew that my God was a real God and his was an idol."

Boykin also told a Christian group that Islamic extremists hate America "because we're a Christian nation, because our foundation and our roots are Judeo-Christian ... and the enemy is a guy named Satan." He went on to explain that the "spiritual enemy will only be defeated if we come against them in the name of Jesus."

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld refused to criticize the general or comments at first, saying "he is an officer that has an outstanding record in the United States armed forces."

Boylin is the new deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence and is responsible for finding Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden, among others. Unfortunately, the ignorance of Boykin's remarks is not unusual.

Congressman Cass Ballenger (R-N.C.) blamed his divorce partially on the fact the office for the Council on American-Islamic Relations is so close to the Capitol Building that "they could blow the place up." His wife, he said, was uncomfortable because she saw women in hoods around the building and people carrying boxes.

Just this month, a man in Florida pleaded guilty to providing weapons to Robert Goldstein to attack mosques in retaliation for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

A female student at a Wisconsin public school was suspended twice after wearing the hijab, or headscarf, after her principal insisted the dress was not religious.

Although most American Muslims probably have not been the subject of a hate crime or of discrimination, it is safe to say many Americans are ignorant about what Islam is and what Muslims believe.

Islam is a religion that believes in one God (or Allah, which is the Arabic word for God). Muslims believe that God revealed the Quran — the Muslim holy book — to the Prophet Mohammad. The word Islam is derived from the Arabic word for peace and means submission. In the religious context, Islam means submission to God.

Muslims also believe in angels, a Day of Judgment, accountability, God's complete control over people's lives and prophets such as Moses, Noah, Jesus, Solomon and David.

And there's a lot of ignorance about jihad. The word literally means struggle — not holy war. Jihad, which isn't one of the central tenents of Islam, refers to any struggle one faces, from school to family problems, but it might also include war.

The term has been taken by some Muslim extremists to mean a war on America or a war on the West. However, this is not representative of most Muslims, and this interpretation of the word is not in the Quran.

The world's Muslims view the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks as terrorist acts, not acts of jihad. In the months following the plane hijackings, mosques throughout the country, including the Central Illinois Mosque and Islamic Center in Urbana, held open houses and condemned the attacks.

Despite the inaccurate information often given about Islam, there are ways to learn about Islam. Local libraries and Islamic centers are a great place to start.

On our campus, the Muslim Students Association is sponsoring Islam Awareness Week this week. Events include Islamic Jeopardy on the Quad, interfaith religious panels and a tour of the local mosque. For more information, check www.uiuc.edu/ro/msa.

But know that comments like Boykin's will continue unless everyone makes an effort to learn about Islam. Continuing to walk in ignorance will only fuel the fire of intolerance.