Muslim+Misconceptions

Group Members: Andrew H., Allison, Kevin P

Muslim Misconceptions



Common American Misconceptions: 1) Muslims are either violent, terrorists and/or extremists: Religion does not dominate everyday life in the Western Hemisphere; on the other hand, Muslims see Islam as a way of life with no division between secular and sacred in their lives. Islam is like Christianity, it does not promote fighting in self-defense, defense of religion, or for those who have been expelled forcibly from their home. Islam is actually derived from the word "peace". Quran never talks about the killing of innocents, often misconceived as the source for Muslim terrorists beliefs 2) Islam oppresses women: Many Muslim countries have laws that have oppressed women (regarding property rights, clothing, appearance in public, etc. ), but these countries do not fully follow the Sharia Law (Islamic code) but instead, introduce their own principles and laws regarding gender equity. Islam grants men and women different roles. women, whether single or married, are their own individual with rights to own and dispose of their property and earnings. Women are to keep their own family name in marriage rather than take their husband's. Any violence towards women and forcing them against their will is not allowed.
 * * "Fight in the cause of God against those who fight you, but do not transgress limits. God does not love transgressors." (Quran 2:190) ||


 * The Messenger of God (Mohammad) stated "Most perfect in faith among believers is he who is best in manner and kindest to his wife". Often seen as an oppressor towards women, Muslims actually cherish the rights of women among men.

3) Muslims worship a different God: Allah is simply a word for God. Allah is the same word used by Jews, in Hebrew, and the same word Jesus Christ used in Aramaic when he prayed to God. The only difference in the Muslin faith of their perception of God is that he does not have a son (Jesus Christ), nor does he have human-like attributes.

4) Islam was spread by through war and intolerance of other faiths: Many American social studies textbooks show an image of an Arab horseman carrying a sword in one hand and the Quran in the other (the spread of Islam through violence and war). Islam has always given respect and freedom of religions to all faiths. Freedom of religion and minorities is considered sacred and must be protected by the Quran in Islamic law. The life and property of all citizens in an Islamic state are considered sacred whether Muslim or not. The Quran reads that individuals should stand up for their own faiths under the scrutiny of others


 * "God forbid you not, with regards to those who fight you not for your faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them; for God loveth those who are just."


 * 5) All Muslims are Arabs: The Muslim population is about 1.2 billion or one out of every five people in the world. Only 18% of this population lives in the Arab world.

6) All Muslim men marry four wives: According to the Quran, a man can only marry up to four wives if he will be fair to all of them and provide separate housing. No women can forced into this kind of marriage if they do not wish (right to exclude it in their marriage contract). Polygamy is neither mandatory, encourages, but only permitted.

7) Muslims are a barbaric, backwards group of people: Many poor people in the world who are Muslim because it is very easy to become Muslim. To become Muslim, one only needs to believe in one God and the messenger, Mohammad. Muslims have contributed to the Western world in technology, medicine, art, geography, mathematics, and literature (to name a few).

8) Muslims don't believe in Jesus or any other prophets: The Islamic faith reveres Jesus, and await his second coming. The consider him one the greatest of God's messengers in all time, and they see Mary as the purest women in all creation. ||

Muslim Discrimination:

Islamophobia- By the definition, the word means the prejudice against, hatred or fear of Muslims. The word became popular after the September 11th attacks. The number of hate crimes against Muslims increased from 354 attacks in 2000 to 1,501 attacks in 2001.

Islamophobia in Video Games: Muslim Massacre: The Game of Modern Religious Genocide, is a game aimed to kill all Muslims that appear on the screen. The game's creator took down the game's download site with a statement of apology on his personal website, claiming his original intention in releasing the game, to "mock the foreign policy of the United States and the commonly held belief in the United States that Muslims are a hostile people to be held with suspicion", had backfired and not been understood by the public.



Islamophobia around the world: __ Hasan v. Foley & Lardner- __ Zafar Hasan, a business law worker and Muslim, received hour cuts and insults on his work performance shortly after the terrorist attack on the World Trade Centers in 2001. He was fired shortly after with "poor performance" as his reason for termination. Hasan believed that his company fired him purely based on his religious practice and he took Foley & Lardner to court on accounts of discrimination in 2004.

-The terrorist attacks on 9/11 are frequently called attacks of jihad because of their relation to Islam. However, the terrorists that committed these crimes were radical Muslims who were not following true Shari'ah law. As dictated by Muslim Misconception #1, Shari'ah law states that war and violence should be the "last resort" and only under serious conditions "laid down by sacred law". Hasan was targeted by his employer because of his religion but just because he was Muslim does not mean that he was a radical jihadist. There are radical catholics and jews all over the world but we do not persecute their religions as a whole for their extreme behavior. We only persecute people like Hasan because the radical attacks on September 11th were on our soil and against our people.

__ Muslim man v. Sweden- __ A Muslim man was applying for a job interview with a company and at the end of the interview he declined a hand shake with a female interviewer because Islam forbid him to. The company did not select this Muslim man and actually claimed that their decision was based on his "refusal" to shake hands. The case was taken to court and the man received a compensation of 8,000 dollars for his damages.

-Even in Sweden, a "multi cultural nation" who does not experience many radical Islam attacks, we see Islamophobia. It all stems down to Islams dedication to a lack of separation in spiritual and secular life. Other, non Muslim people, often have trouble accepting the Islam way of life.

__ Webb v. City of Philadelphia- __ A police officer was denied her right to wear an Islamic veil during working and patrolling hours. She filed her court case on religious discrimination and lost to the City of Philadelphia because her right "created an undue burden on the City." Another Islamic Police Officer was denied his right to wear a beard because of the City of Newark's guidelines for Police officers to keep a clean face. In this case, Fraternal Order of Police Lodge Number 12 v. City of Newark, the Police officer won his case.

-These cases show that although there are regulations on Muslim women, there are also ones on men. The female police officer was required by Shari'ah law to wear a veil while the male police officer was required to have a beard. Muslim misconception #2 states that women are oppressed but in reality, Islamic men and women are relatively equal.



Anti-Islamic Groups: The Banning of Shari'ah Law in Tennessee- Senator Bill Ketron (R) of Tennessee proposed a state bill banning the practicing of Islamic Shari'ah law just two weeks ago. This bill states that all forms of Shari'ah law including prayer and feet washing, should be a punishable FELONY requiring up to 15 years in prison. Senator Ketron says that the "Shari'ah based jihad" is a danger to our homeland security. The passing of this bill would exile all Islamic people, who desired to continue their practice, from the state of Tennessee.

-It is hard to believe that Anti-Islam has gone this far. This totalitarian act of government not only discriminates against Islamic people, but takes away their right to freedom of religion. It all comes from misconception that all Muslims are radicals.

References to Muslim Misconceptions within the Book:

" His (Assef's) blue eyes flicked to Hassan. " Afghanistan is the land of the Pashtuns. It always has been, always will be. we are the true Afghans, the pure Afghans, not this flat nose here. His people pollute our homeland, our watan. They dirty our blood." (pg 40) - This shows how diffreneces between the Hazaras and the Pashtuns create violence. the readers views the violent actions as harsh.

"They dragged me out and he started kicking me. He had knee-high boots with steel toes that he wore every night for his little kicking game, and he used them on me. I was screaming and screaming and he kept kicking me and then, suddenly, he kicked me on the left kidney and the stone passed. Just like that! Oh, the relief!" Assef laughed. "And I yelled 'Allah-u akbar' and he kicked me even harder and I started laughing. He got mad and hit me harder, and the harder he kicked me, the harder I laughed. They threw me back in the cell laughing. I kept laughing and laughing because suddenly I knew that had been a message from God: He was on my side. He wanted me to live for a reason." (pg 283- 284)

-This quote in the book shows how Assef has an epiphany and believes that God wants him to get rid of the Hazaras in Afghanistan. The passage also shows how the readers might look at Muslims in a bad way.


 * "Assef's brow twitched. "Like pride in your people, your customs, your language. Afghanistan is like a beautiful mansion littered with garbage, and someone has to take out the garbage."

[Amir:] "That's what you were doing in Mazar, going door-to-door? Taking out the garbage?"

[Assef:] "Precisely." (pg 284)

- The killings that the Pahtuns are involved with shows the readers that Afghanistan is nothing but racist Muslims. That their is only one kind of religion. If you are a Hazara you will be tormented or even killed.

- The Taliban.

-__//The Taliban seize control of Afghanistan//__ || [] [|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|s] [] []