In response to some ignorant notions of "Islam hates America" and "Muslims seek the destruction of this nation", as an America Muslim who teaches Islam in Mosques and universities, I can unequivocally say that Islam does not hate America and Muslims do not seek the destruction of this nation.

Islam is a universal faith based on the Quran that Muslims believe is a Divinely revealed text from the seventh century, about 860 years before America was discovered. The essence of Islam is the unity of humanity with one Omnipotent and Transcendent God as the creator of the entire universe:  "VERILY, this community of yours is one single community, since I am the Sustainer of you all: worship, then, Me [alone]! Quran- 21:92

To hurt the creation of God physically, emotionally, socially or spiritually is considered an act against God. Islam demands from its followers total respect of others regardless of what they say about the faith. It admonishes Muslims to not speak ill of others, let alone show hatred towards them: "But do not revile those [beings] whom they invoke instead of God, lest they revile God out of spite, and in ignorance: for, goodly indeed have We made their own doings appear unto every community.  In time, [however,] unto their Sustainer they must return: and then He will make them [truly] understand all that they were doing. (Quran: 6:108)

A universal religion that claims to seek the welfare of all has no place of hatred in its teachings. The moment a faith starts showing hatred to others, it loses its universality and it becomes a faith of we and them; we being the privileged and chosen. Islam seeks the welfare of all. It does not tell its followers to discriminate against others on the basis of their faith or ideologies. It believes in the freedom of opinion.

If individual Muslims have neglected this message of unity and respect of human life, they are the ones responsible for it and not the faith. If they have divided themselves into sects, they should be held accountable for that and not God, the source of divine teachings. The Problem lies with those who divide God into a God of Christians, Muslims or Jews or Hindus. God does not have a denomination. He is God of all. To say Islam hates America or Americans is to say God hates Americans. Many of clerics from all religions have fallen into the trap of speaking on behalf of God in times of calamities and they define the occurrence of natural disasters in terms of the deviation of a nation or a group of people from the divine guidance. But Islam assures people that the day of reckoning would come once each one of us would be revived again and each one of us would be shown his or her life sketch.

God is not in the business of cursing a region or a land or even a people. The Arabic word La'an  means depriving oneself of the benefit of the divine guidance on the basis of one's own deviation.

God certainly dislikes those who violate their covenant with him, but he says that the day of judgement would be the day when each one of us would bear the consequences of what we did. Before that day, the judgment cannot be passed especially by mortal beings. Those who commit acts of violence or hatred in His name are not worthy of His name. They in fact use His name to serve their own interests no matter what label they don.

Islam would not be a divine faith, if it taught hatred against America or any other nation because all of us, regardless of our attitude towards Him came from Him and He cannot make us fight against each other. He is the one who reminds Muslims in particular in His divine book "For, [true] servants of the Most Gracious are [only] they who walk gently on earth, and who, whenever the foolish address them, reply with [words of] peace; Quran- 25:63.

Hatred is not part of Islam. In fact, Islam does not hate those who show hatred against it including all the politicians and other hate mongers in USA who routinely cross all limits in anti-Islam rhetoric.