ISLAM IS A SYNONYM FOR TERRORISM

Islam = Terrorism, Hate & Oppression. Ladies and gentlemen, let’s first start with the obvious; that equation is completely wrong. But, sadly, when the word Muslim or Islam shows up in front of us, those are the first words that we have learned to associate with it. This is the first and probably the biggest misconception about the religion, yet this dominant discourse that is suggested throughout most social mediums. Have you noticed lately, that the word terrorism is now suddenly the partner of Muslim? They almost go hand in hand, according to our media, that is. Acts of racism, violence and public massacres, when committed by a Muslim or a self-proclaimed Islamic group, are acts of terrorism. Take those same acts, but done by say an African American, a Caucasian, an Asian or a European person, who isn’t Muslim, and suddenly the term is no longer terrorism, but rather it’s referred to as a “Hate Crime” or “Act of Violence.” Let’s stop for a moment here and mention one of the more obvious problems with this notion. It would be unfair to proclaim that all Muslims are good people, because that’s simply not true. The same can be said and expected from any religion/race found in this world. Not all followers of one faith are good, they aren’t all bad either. But then why are Muslims always placed under a negative light? Why isn’t terrorism used to describe the massacre of twenty children at Sandy Hook Elementary or twelve federal employees in Virginia?

It may come as a shock, but the word “Islam” means “peace.” It is the religion that first united the otherwise known savage and barbaric Arabs, and taught them to be a civilized, organized, well mannered group of people, known for their trade etiquette and their strong sense of faith and belief in their peaceful religion. Islam is a promoter of well mannered individuals who do not cheat, lie or betray anyone. It is a promoter of equality and justice and condemns racism and oppression. One of the first things that Islam did was to ban the notion of enslavement, and called on equality among all individuals regardless of race. It teaches that everyone is equal, and the only things that make one person better than another, is his good deeds. What a surprise, right? In addition to this, Islam was one of the first religions that supported women’s rights, including divorce, the right to own land, and the right to work independently to make a decent individual income or business. One of the more famous sayings by Prophet Muhammad (A messenger of Allah) states that, “The most perfect amongst the believers in faith is one who has the best manners and best of you are those who are best to their wives.” This is really where things get interesting. By now you’re probably thinking, well it doesn’t promote lying or stealing, it doesn’t oppress its women and it teaches its followers peace and manners, where’s the evil in that? It must be the part that talks about killing innocent people? *Caution of Buzz Kill* Islam also teaches its followers that, “To save one life is like saving all of humanity" (Quran 5:32). This might be one of the more shocking teachings of Islam, right? All that talk about “jihad” and killing innocent people seems to be the mainstream notion that consumes the ideas and thoughts of society. What’s even more important to mention here is that Islam doesn’t support these crimes. These monsters who commit these crimes against innocent people, well they’re just monsters, they are criminals, they are murderers – and we don’t respect them or in any way agree with what they do. They call themselves “Muslims”, but they certainly do not follow Islam. These people try to mold Islam, and reshape it to make it fit their needs. They pick and choose from it what they want, and leave out and disregard what they don’t want.

Let’s be clear here; hate crimes, violence, terrorism, whatever you want to call it, they’re all the same thing, regardless of the religion of the person who does it. They all leave innocent people dead, families torn apart and fear that never quite leaves. But that is not Islam. I mean, I could go on here trying to point out all of the many misconceptions that surround my amazing religion that is Islam. But I don’t think that will change much. In the Quran (13:11) it states that, “Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves” which Gandhi echoed later when he said, “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” I think this is true. I think we need to change the way we consume information from the media and change the way we want to understand and view Islam. We shouldn’t so easily believe everything we hear on the news, on the internet or social media sites. We need to learn to deconstruct different ideas that are suggested in media texts, and question how these ideas were formed and based on what background. I love my religion. Therefore, I’m changing the equation. It is now amended to Islam ≠ terrorism, hate and oppression.

Some questions for thought:

1  1.  Do you think the dominant discourse about Islam will ever change?

2  2. What goes through your mind when you hear Muslim or Islam? Has this blog changed your thoughts at all? (Be honest!)

3  3. After reading this blog, are there any topics in Islam that you might want to learn more about?

    4. Are there any features of Islam that you think or know are similar in any other religion(s)?