Islam and Reality Check Imagine

As of 2012, there were over 1.6 billion muslims around the world. The religion started from a prophet named Muhammad. An angel came to him and squeezed him so hard that words came out of his mouth saying, “Allah the one God.” Allah is the one God that Muslims believe in. The religion called Islam spread around the middle east quickly. It started in Mecca in 610 and took 120 years to completely spread. “Why did Islam spread so quickly?” Islam is a religion greatly influenced by trade, war, and rules.

Due to the Anti-Muslim sentiments rising around the United States, many American Muslims have been killed, or severely wounded in hate crimes. Asma Jama, a Muslim woman, was having dinner with her family in an Applebee's restaurant as she was approached by a woman who was upset over the fact that Asma was not speaking English. The situation escalated, and “As Jama waited for her pasta Alfredo, a woman at a nearby booth smashed a beer mug in her face” (Ibrahim). Asma was left heartbroken and confused as blood poured out of the deep cuts on her lip. Amidst the increasing Islamophobia, it is the women who faced the most hate, and are more likely to become victims of Islamophobic attacks. Women who wear the burqa, a popular type of clothing in

Khan said she feels proud and “protected” when wearing her niqab. “This is the only way I can practice my religion the way I believe it’s meant to be practiced,” she said.

In Dalia Mogahed’s ted talk she explains what it’s like to be Muslim in America. Not only is it hard for her, but it’s also very hard for her family to be going through a situation that she went through on September 11, 2001. Dalia remembers every detail of what she went through on this horrific event. People saw her religion as a threat on this day and she will never forget the fear she went through.

First some information about the person I interviewed. She grew up in the Middle East in Muscat, Oman. She grew up speaking Arabic and learned English in school so she could come to America and learn. She had two younger sisters and a younger brother. She also practices Islam and follows the religion very well. She has also traveled around the Middle East with her family for vacations.

We had the interview on Craven Community College campus in her office. We spoke for approximately one hour and twenty minutes. I asked the questions that are in the syllabus and we spoke of other things about her religion. The site study and interview that I have chosen is that of the Muslim religion.

2. Before I encountered her, I had reservations about mingling with any Muslim because I was scared of them; I thought they were all involved with terrorists somehow. I also thought and strongly believed that their faith was wrong. As an educated person, I felt really embarrassed admitting my ideology about Muslims because it made me feel shallow minded.

The cultural structures portray Islam as a violent religion. In multiple surveys done by Gallup, one in five Americans believes that Muslims aren’t accepting of other religions (Gallup). This false notion draws the wrong image of Islam as a religion that believes it is the be-all and end-all, and not willing to integrate in multicultural societies. This is completely wrong and most people who are educated about Islam know that, however for the uneducated citizen this sounds true and brews more hatred. The hate of Muslims in America, mostly in NY, is apparent. One of the reasons for the mass hatred of Islam is specific media sources such as Fox News, that primarily shows cases of Islamic extremist attacks as much as possible, rather than the attacks on innocent Muslims that occur daily. The number of Islamophobic hate crimes have been an all time high since 9/11, but yet that isn’t shown in those outlets of media (Ali). Another survey by Gallup states that 48% of Muslims and 52% of Arabs have faced racial discrimination (Gallup). This is more than any demographic in the U.S.. Muslims and Arabs are being targeted, and mostly in NY. They were even targeted by the cops. The NYPD had secret agents that dressed and look like a traditional Arab Muslim and followed Muslims everywhere - mosques, neighborhoods, and common shops and places to get food (Apuzzo). Muslims in NY

For instance, she brings up the fact that she can not read the Qur’an, because she believed it was interpreted wrong. “I have since heard impartial Christians speak of it in the same manner; And I don’t doubt that but all our translations are from copies got from the Greek priests, who would not fail to falsify it with the extremity of malice.” (290) With this new awareness of the religion, she complains of how European society view and interpret Islam and actually wants to get a better understanding of the religion. But she realizes that there is a difference between Islam and Christianity, but she gains an appreciation for. She also realizes that in the Christian/ European world that having kids before marriage is a bad thing, however for the Turks being married without kids is the bad

Islamic reformation can have a variety of meanings to a wide range of people. To some, those words could be viewed as a vicious attack on traditional morals and values. To someone like Irshad Manji, those words appear as hope. Irshad Manji is an author and activist that calls upon those of Islamic faith to reform their beliefs and ways of thinking. She commonly uses the word, ijtihad, which she defines as a tool for independent thinking within a religion that allows for a more progressive and tolerant mindset. Irshad Manji penned several books to share her beliefs, with her most notable novel, The Trouble with Islam: A Wake-Up Call for Honesty and Change, having been published in dozens of countries as well as downloaded over 500, 000 times

Muslim women are as colorful as pico de gallo and just as fresh. We can be crunchy like peppers, sour like limes, as pungent as onions can be sweet, or kick like a chili pepper. Taken together and in the right proportions, she can enliven a meal but do not assume familiarity because she can be as unpredictable as recipes are variable. The curious have often asked why I converted to Islam. Their inquests often masked an ulterior motive. It is presumptuous, but in my defense and to their chagrin, the questioners departed from our encounters deflated, unenthused, or sometimes questioned why my answers are incompatible with their predetermined set of ideas. This observation applies equally to Muslims and non-Muslims.

I was born into a family of mixed cultures and religions. My father was Christian and my mother was of an Islamic descent. I was always respectful to any religion, regardless of it’s beliefs, because it is a symbol of devotion and peace. When I grew up, I was fascinated to see how quickly Islam started to spread in Western parts of the world. My fascination was also followed by disbelief of how ignorant and cruel anti-islamic activists were, blaming every single act of terror and violence onto a religious group. I could believe it on a global scale, but I never knew it was something that could wait for anyone wearing hijab, right around the corner. In my first semester at Hawaii Pacific University, I decided to wear hijab to school, just

It’s time to have an honest talk about Islam. Before I begin in the bulk of this narrative, I feel the need to just acknowledge the over encumbrance of sensitivity that is essentially expected of me when speaking on this topic. This narrative is directed specifically towards the ones who charge me for this sensitivity; and anyone who knows me, knows I won’t adhere. As an atheist if I were to say “religion must be defeated” I am making regular atheist noises, business as usual. But if I were to assert Islamism must be defeated, I am immediately charged as a bigot or racist, even by other atheists. What these people need to understand is that this statement, which I stand by, is not demonizing or attacking “all Muslims”. Also these

During the interview she explained to me her culture and what the Hijab meant to her. She also explained some of the challenges she still faces in our society. She says that when people see her and how she dresses, they tend to put a wall up and stay away from her. One of the hardest challenges she faces in our society is making friends. She explained to me that she is a normal person with a different culture than the rest of her peers. Just because she 's different doesn 't mean she 's dangerous. She likes to go shopping, watch movies, and go to school events just like everyone else. I asked her if she’s ever had a crush on a male peer. She reminded me that she is human, meaning just like many other women around the world she may find a man other than her husband attractive.

I started wearing the hijab to school in grade four. I was lucky enough to grow up in a diverse community, where Muslims were the norm. There were times though, when I would notice tiny hints here and there. Sometimes, whenever my mother and I would go on the bus, people would stare. Being an innocent, young child, I would not notice this of course. As time went on, little things would happen; the stares, the slow shuffle, “the usual”. I never used to notice this, because I thought racism had ended years ago. But then I started taking the TTC to school, and I noticed. Suddenly the “stares” became more prominent; the slow shuffle seemed awkward; even the worried glances towards me