I read with great interest the news story that the mosque founded by Hakeem Olajuwon, the former center for the Houston Rockets, donated money to Islamic charities that are fronts for terrorist organizations. As with the earlier flap about Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens), the question quickly arises: How does someone so truly moderate in every way get so involved in terror organizations?

I'll tell you how. It's not as hard as you think.

When I became a Christian, I was very zealous for my faith. While I would never do any harm to another individual intentionally, I sought out Christians that exhibited an equal level of zeal to match the euphoria that I felt as a new convert. While I was very sincere in my faith, I was also very vulnerable, as I was spiritually immature. The groups that one finds that match that level of zeal are often either con artists, or militants, or both.

And so, firmly believing I was doing the work of God, I donated as much as I could to various groups promoting the faith I held so dear. Unfortunately, some of my donations went to prolife groups that funded Operation Rescue, Missionaries to the Preborn, and other radical "prolife" groups that advocate for militant means in opposing abortion (if not publicly, they certainly do in some discussion groups that form among these groups, as anybody who has been "on the inside" can tell you). I did not oppose my money going to "prolife" groups, in fact, I rather encouraged it. I made a regular customer when our oldest children were young for a mother who sold educational books, and committed much of her "extra giving" (giving past what she had committed to the church) to Missionaries to the Preborn.

In doing so, I did, in fact, contribute to terror groups. These "prolife" groups have been associated in some way with every abortion clinic bombing or the shootings of abortion clinic doctors and nurses. Although they have never officially condoned such actions, individuals who were exposed to their climate and teachings DID go out and perform such actions. Although I remain staunchly prolife, I now divert my money to organizations that provide REALISTIC ALTERNATIVES for unwed mothers (adoption services, homes for unwed mothers, etc), and NOT to groups that focus on political action.

I feel it very reasonable considering all of the good works that Mr. Olajuwan has done, that his intentions were very honorable. His response was the apologetic response one would expect from a person who had made donations in good faith to Muslim charities, only to discover later they were terror fronts, and it is the response that, sadly, was lacking from Yusuf Islam when he was confronted with the same. In short, both were at one time, if not presently, very zealous new converts and acted irrationally.

I can accept that. I understand the feeling.

And I hope the American public can understand it as well.