subject: Misconceptions On Islamic Legacy, Arabs & Muslims in the West [print this page] Misconceptions On Islamic Legacy, Arabs & Muslims in the West
By Hasan Yahya, Ph.D, professor of sociology
Points of misunderstanding Islam as a religion in the non-Muslim nations.
1. Muslims are violent, terrorist extremists: Terrorism cannot be justified under any valid interpretation of the Islamic faith. The entire Qur'an, taken as a complete text, gives a message of hope, faith, and peace to a faith community of one billion people. The overwhelming message is that peace is to be found through faith in God, and justice among fellow human beings. Muslim leaders and scholars do speak out against terrorism in all its forms, and offer explanations of misinterpreted or twisted teachings. 1. Islam promotes "jihad" to spread Islam by the sword and kill all unbelievers. The word Jihad stems from an Arabic word which means "to strive." Other related words include "effort," "labor," and "fatigue." Essentially Jihad is an effort to practice religion in the face of oppression and persecution. The effort may come in fighting the evil in your own heart, or in standing up to a dictator. Military effort is included as an option, but as a last resort and not "to spread Islam by the sword."
2. Islam oppresses women: Most of the ill-treatment that women receive in the Muslim world is based on local culture and traditions, without any basis in the faith of Islam. In fact, practices such as forced marriage, spousal abuse, and restricted movement directly contradict Islamic law governing family behavior and personal freedom.
3. Muslims don't believe in Jesus: In the Qur'an, stories about the life and teachings of Jesus Christ (called 'Isa in Arabic) are abundant. The Qur'an recalls his miraculous birth, his teachings, and the miracles he performed by God's permission. There is even a chapter of the Qur'an named after his mother, Mary (Miriam in Arabic). However, Muslims believe that Jesus was a fully human prophet and not in any way divine himself.
4. Most Muslims are are NOT Arabs
While Islam is often associated with Arabs, they make up only 15% of the world's Muslim population. The country with the largest population of Muslims is Indonesia. Muslims make up 1/5 of the world's population, with large numbers found in Asia (69%), Africa (27%), Europe (3%) and other parts of the world.
In terms of Shi'ah and Sunni sects Shi'ah constitutes 15% and Sunni 85% of the 1.5 Billion Muslims all over the world.
5. Muslims worship a moon-god
Some non-Muslims mistakenly believe that Allah is an "Arab god," a "moon god," or some sort of idol. Allah is the proper name of the One True God, in the Arabic language. The most fundamental belief that a Muslim has is that "There is only One God," the Creator, the Sustainer -- known in the Arabic language and by Muslims as Allah. Arabic-speaking Christians use the same word for the Almighty.
The most fundamental belief that a Muslim has is that "There is only One God," the Creator, the Sustainer -- known in the Arabic language and by Muslims as Allah. Allah is not a foreign god, nor an idol. Arabic-speaking Christians use the same word for the Almighty.
6. Islam is intolerant of other faiths
Throughout the Qur'an, Muslims are reminded that they are not the only ones who worship God. Jews and Christians are called "People of the Book," meaning people who have received previous revelations from the One Almighty God that we all worship. The Qur'an also commands Muslims to protect from harm not only mosques, but also monasteries, synagogues, and churches -- because "God is worshipped therein."
7. The Quran was written by Muhammad and copied from Christian and Jewish sources
The Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad over a period of two decades, calling people to worship One Almighty God and to live their lives according to this faith. The Qur'an contains stories of Biblical prophets, because these prophets also preached the message of God. Stories are not merely copied, but the oral traditions are referred to in a way that focuses on the examples and teachings that we can learn from them.
8. Islamic prayer is just a ritualized performance with no heartfelt meaning. Prayer is a time to stand before God and express faith, give thanks for blessings, and seek guidance and forgiveness. During Islamic prayer, one is modest, submissive and respectful to God. By bowing and prostrating ourselves to the ground, we express our utmost humility before the Almighty.
9. The crescent moon is a universal symbol of Islam: The early Muslim community did not really have a symbol. During the time of the Prophet Muhammad, Islamic caravans and armies flew simple solid-colored flags (generally black, green, or white) for identification purposes. The crescent moon and star symbol actually pre-dates Islam by several thousand years, and wasn't affiliated with Islam at all until the Ottoman Empire placed it on their flag.
Religion, or belief, undoubtedly, is a basic ingredient in any group life (small or large). This book will be divided to study attitudes of certain people (intellectual or semi-intellectual-Thinkers) toward religion by leaving their own, or criticizing other religious beliefs and its grounds (Gods, Sacred books, apostles, and spiritual practices conceptual and operational interpretation, ).
In the first part, main religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) will be covered briefly, for the purpose of showing similarities rather than emphasizing differences (large or small) between them. The second part belong to God, who is He or She, and how it is developed through gods of many nations and still under disputation as The One and Only God for all. The third part includes a number of intellectuals and thinkers who raise mental abilities to discuss emotional issues related to the idea of secularization, sacred books, apostles, and God Him/ Her self. Almost all, missed the point of their rebellious behavior which is all can be easily convinced that all religions are similar to each other in terms of God, apostles, teachings, and sacred books) where all share ambiguous beginning and practices cannot be proved true or otherwise. Some however, turn to secularization as an approach to criticize the decay of nations happen to have Islam as religion. Which under any circumstances will remain forever, like any other religion on earth. It might be changed in attitudes, but the basics of each religion or faith will never change. (1098 words) www.askdryahya.com
Source: From the Author's book: Brief Arab and Muslim Ethics, amzon, USA (2008)
