Interweaving humor, frequent audience polls and biblical and quranic lessons, a former Christian minister argued Friday night that the world's religions should be united in common struggles and interests.
Sheikh Yusuf Estes, who spoke to a packed Woodward Hall about his religious beliefs, greeted the audience with "Asalam Aulakum, y'all!" from behind his laptop as a small camera aired the event over the Internet.
The talk, sponsored by UNM's Muslim Student Association and the Islamic Center of New Mexico, highlighted areas of doctrinal agreement between Jews, Christians and Muslims.
Estes argued with quotes that believers of the Abrahamic traditions have different means of worshipping the same god.
"We're not here to try and square off against each other," Estes said. "What we need to do is square off against the devil."
He said Islam should not be regarded as entirely separate from Christianity and Judaism.
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"The Quran is the last testament, and Muhammad is the last prophet," he said. "The places where the Quran agrees with the Bible exactly are perfect. The only place the Bible disagrees with the Quran is the same place it also disagrees with itself. These two religions are the most alike. There's no reason for Muslims and Christians to do anything but work together for a better understanding."
Estes urged the crowd to unite under the commonalities in the Abrahamic traditions and to act as one political force in American Democracy.
"Did you know that half the humans walking the earth today are either Christian or Muslim?" he asked. "When we see something we don't like why don't we send e-mails to these congressmen and these senators and these mayors and these judges and say, 'Guess what guys? We don't like that.'"
He said everyone should take a greater role in politics and be aware that differences can be made in two ways.
"The first one is raise your hands and ask God," he said. "No. 2 is pull that ballot lever. Say what you've got to say - go and vote."
He also advised believers to unite against secular culture.
"Half of the people in the world today know what the truth is, but we're all standing by silently while those who don't believe in God, don't believe in any scripture and don't believe in any prophet are trying to take the world away from the believers, and sell us down the toilet like a bunch of trash," he said shouting.
David Johnson, a member of UNM Campus Crusade for Christ, said he agreed with Estes that Islam and Christianity agree on many points, but notably on moral codes of behavior. "If you read the Quran, it calls for peace," he said.
On other matters, Johnson said, the two belief systems differ sharply.
Estes closed with a reminder of a sacred relationship between Muslims and Christians.
"Muhammad told us that in the last days, in the very last days, when Jesus is coming back, the Christians and the Muslims will be together, fighting against the antichrist," he said, joining his hands symbolically.
