Media distorts truth about Muslims, student says

As a Muslim living in America, I am often amazed at the widespread ignorance people have about the Muslim communities and the Islamic faith in general. Negative views about Muslims in movies, the news, as well as TV shows such as Lost and 24 (in which every terrorist is a Muslim) don’t seem to make matters better. In reality, Islam is a peaceful religion, striving to make its followers warm, honest, caring individuals, which to the most part it has succeeded in doing. I feel that there are many malicious misconceptions about Islam.

The common widespread view of Islam is that it is a religion based solely on waging war. Besides the actions of a minority, this accusation is completely unfounded. Islam stresses peace and harmony, in addition to promoting goodwill in men and women. Hate-filled statements saying the Quran promotes the destruction of America have no merit whatsoever. In fact, Islam preaches to know and abide by the laws of your country and never to betray it under any circumstances.

I am always flabbergasted at the discrimination I receive in airports. Last summer when I traveled to Canada, I received massive amounts of bigotry from DFW personnel. My bags were thoroughly searched, plus my camcorder was tested for bomb or gunpowder residue. All the while I felt like saying, “I bought it from Circuit City for three hundred dollars; you won’t find any cyanide or uranium in it.”

Another malicious statement was made against Prophet Mohammad. A statement made by a talk show radio host saying the  “Prophet Mohammad was a terrorist,” sent the entire Muslim community in an uproar. Eventually, he had to publicly apologize for what he said.

Our beloved Prophet Mohammad was not a terrorist or warrior. He was a kind, generous, peace-loving gentleman, not only to Muslims but to Jews, Christians, and followers of other faiths and denominations as well.

It is stated that Prophet Mohammad used to travel upon a road, which crossed an elderly Jewish woman’s house. Whenever Prophet Mohammad used to pass by, she would throw garbage at him. Regardless of this abuse, the Holy Prophet never used to take an alternate route. One day, however, the Jewish lady did not throw garbage at him, nor was she anywhere to be seen. Prophet Mohammad inquired as to her whereabouts and was informed that she was ill. Upon hearing this, Prophet Mohammad went to see the old lady and wished her health. Seeing the kindness of Prophet Mohammad, she gained a tremendous amount of respect toward him.

It is true that the Holy Prophet did fight some battles, but only because he had no other alternative. Furthermore, like the Crusades, these battles were fought to defend Islam and the Muslim people. However, please note that the Holy Prophet never started a war by “charging” first, he would only fight when the enemy began to “charge.”

This brings us to the widely misinterpreted and misunderstood topic of Jihad. Contrary to Al-Qaeda’s version, the actual meaning of Jihad is “dil ne marwanu,” or “war with oneself.” This means that Muslims should stay devoted to the path of Islam and away from the temptations of Iblees (Satan).

My final point is the role of women in Islam. Unlike what many people believe, women have played an extensive role in Islam’s history and are given enormous amounts of rights. For example, Moulatena Huratul-Maleka was the queen and sole ruler of Yemen for sixty years. Moulatena Zainab, the daughter of Ali ibne Talib (Prophet Mohammad’s successor) and Imam Husein’s sister, greatly impacted Islam.

She witnessed Imam Husein’s martyrdom in the dry heat of Karbala and related every detail of what happened. Furthermore, she was the very last person who gave service to Imam Husein before he was tragically and brutally martyred.

Moulatena Khadija, Prophet Mohammad’s wife, was an important advisor to him and used her wealth to support Prophet Mohammad so he could spread Islam further. Women also took place in battles. They wouldn’t fight, but they would cook and clean.

Another misconception is that Muslim husbands beat their wives.  This is totally false. In Islam, it is forbidden to hit any woman or raise your voice at a woman. Islam preaches that husbands take proper care of their wives and shower them with love, kindness and affection. Women can own land, file for divorce, wear jewelry, work, go outside, travel, enjoy get-togethers with friends, attend school and much more. A woman’s life in Islam is practically the same as a man’s, with a few exceptions, most notably the veil.

Allow me to explain why it is compulsory for Muslim women to wear a veil. The reason is very simple: to protect them from “Kharab Nazr.” In English, this translates to: “lustful looks from men.”

Islam is a widely misunderstood religion. The media portrays all Muslims as bad and has never showed the actual truth about Islam. This negativity only fuels more ignorance and anti-Muslim attitudes.

— Student’s name withheld upon request