President Tricia Bunten began the meeting by leading us in the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by the Four-Way Test.  She then acknowledged invocator Dan Mundt’s 90^th birthday on Friday and noted that he’ll be joining just two other 90-year olds in our club, Kate Molinaro and Gordon Butler.  Dan’s beautifully stated blessing called on the importance of using short, one syllable words to best express oneself in speech and in writing.  “The word for today is ‘civil,’ not only in how we conduct ourselves toward others, but also in how we conduct our lives.”

Fellowship Reporter Past President Phil Strom then introduced guests, visiting Rotarians, and began with just one fine.  Marc Seigar, the club’s only astrophysicist, was fined for determining how to measure and weigh the Black Hole.  Ask Marc for details!  Phil also referenced the anticipated solar eclipse on August 21.  It will be an 80% eclipse in Duluth, while other areas south and west of here will experience the full 100% eclipse.  Phil then concluded his report by quizzing attendees on Rotary’s core values (service, fellowship, diversity, integrity and leadership); its five avenues of service (club, vocational, community, international and new generations); and its six areas of focus (promoting peace, fighting disease, providing clean water, saving mothers and children, supporting basic education, and growing local communities and their economies.)  As Rotarians, we come together to subscribe to these statements and give life to their meaning through our motto, Service Above Self.  Rose Sale chair Matt Rosendahl announced that we need four team captains for the upcoming Rose Sale to make this sale our best ever.  Contact Matt if you have questions or would like to be considered.  Harbortown Rotarian Karl Everett presented our club with a certificate of appreciation honoring our support of a road project in Bolivia.  Under the auspices of Mano a Mano International Partners in Bolivia, a medical clinic is in the works for 2018-19.  President Tricia announced that Bri is on vacation July 28 through August 6 and will be unable to answer calls or emails.   However, Mckenzie will be in the office on Tuesday, August 1 and Thursday, August 3. 

Bob Reichert is a long-time participant with UMD’s University for Seniors.  It was there that he met today’s speaker, Imran Hayee, Ph.D, a practicing Muslim who is a professor in UMD’s electrical engineering department.  Dr. Hayee is also an occasional DNT editorial writer and has spoken nationally on this particular topic, “Does Islam Promote Terrorism?”  He explained how one word, “jihad,” is misunderstood and regularly misused and “cherry-picked” to make it appear as though terrorism is part of and endorsed by Islam.  The fact is that Islam promotes peace; it does not promote the terrorism we are seeing today.  Dr. Hayee explained the three levels of jihad, the greatest, the great and the lesser.  The greatest level of jihad refers to one’s striving to overcome one’s own ego or evil desires, and to spiritually strengthen oneself, as stated by the Prophet Muhammad in the Quran.  The second level of jihad, the great jihad, emphasizes one’s striving to spread God’s word and defend false allegations against Islam with logic and reasoning.  The third level of jihad, the lesser jihad, refers to one’s own physical struggle that Islam permits under very strict guidelines.  Like Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, those who believe in the Prophet Muhammad have also been persecuted over the centuries.  Today, ISIS has destroyed places of worship for all religions,            murdered any who are against its views.  The vast majority of those who have lost their lives are Muslims, people who refuse to acknowledge ISIS means of destruction and death.  And like Christians, Jews, Hindus, the ultimate purpose of Islam is to promote peace at all costs.  Dr. Hayee noted that terrorist groups (ISIS, Boko Haram, al-Qaeda, the Taliban) do not read the Quran.  They do not follow the daily practice that true Muslims follow (prayer, giving to charity, fasting during Ramadan, an annual pilgrimage to Mecca).   Islamic principles center on service to God and service to humanity…not on terrorism, waging war on innocent people and creating havoc in the name of God.  As Mahatma Gandhi stated, “it was not the sword that won a place for Islam…it was the rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the Prophet, the scrupulous regard for pledges, his intense devotion to his friends and followers, his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission.  These, not the sword, carried everything before them and surmounted every obstacle.”