Muslim America By Nousheen Yousuf-Sadiq, And Rasheed

Historically, “Women and Gender in Islam” discusses the social, political, legal, and religious discourses and structures that have shaped the experience of Muslim women

Islam, a religion of people submitting to one God, seeking peace and a way of life without sin, is always misunderstood throughout the world. What some consider act of bigotry, others believe it to be the lack of education and wrong portrayal of events in media; however, one cannot not justify the so little knowledge that America and Americans have about Islam and Muslims. Historically there are have been myths, many attacks on Islam and much confusion between Islam as a religion and Middle Easter culture that is always associated with it. This paper is meant to dispel, or rather educate about the big issues that plague people’s minds with false ideas and this will only be touching the surface.

Growing up as a first generation Pakistani American Muslim not only came with the benefits of being exposed to different cultures, but it also came with a continuing challenge to incorporate the two cultures and my religion into the society we lived in. There was always a need to be more American, more Pakistani, while respecting the boundaries of religion. When we went to school, we weren’t American enough, when visiting Pakistan we were often labeled with the acronym ABCD- American Born Confused Desi. We were neither here, nor there. No matter how hard we tried to assimilate into the two societies, we could feel the absence of understanding and acceptance. This search for an identity not only allowed me to easily interact with people facing similar dilemmas, but it allowed me to embrace culture, religion, and people that were different.

David Eggers, in Zeitoun, shows a story of a Muslim American family living through many challenges. After 9/11 Muslim families, like the Zeitouns, face many problems living in America. Eggers wants to inform other Americans on the situation of Muslim living in the United States, present day. People who are uneducated about the Muslim religion need to be informed on how similar lives are of other people all around the United States. These people throw out stereotypes and aim judgments wrongly at the Zeitoun family. Unjust treatment of the Zeitoun family is a cause of assuming and stereotypes. In this biography, Eggers helps inform his readers about

If a caucasian person is involved in a shooting, it is not made a big deal, but if a Muslim person is involved in a shooting, they must be a terrorist. Ever since the crusades, there has always been hard feeling between Christians and Muslims. But after various terrorist attacks in the name of Muslim religion, it seems that there are hard feeling between the whole world and Muslims. Muslims are vilified, hated, and even called terrorists. But, is it justified to profile Muslims as terrorists? No, it is not justified to profile muslims as terrorists. Those on both sides all have their own opinion and reasons, being justified or not. Those who say yes are forgetting that not all terrorists are muslims, the muslim religion is not about terrorism, and Islam is actually very similar to Christianity. Common sense tells us that a few terrorists do not define a religion, and Muslims are just as angered at terrorists as everyone else. Profiling all Muslims as terrorists, as natural as it is for some, is contrary to the very basics of the freedom of religion in this country, along with what most consider common sense.

Today, Islam is seen as a violent religion, the mention of Muslims anywhere strike fear into people. But yet there are more Muslim doctors, writers, engineers, scientist, thriving in first world countries than anyone else. Muslim people lack the ability to have their own identity due to the medias interpretation of them. It’s even more for Muslim women because they will forever be painted as Oppressed. In American Muslim Women by Jamillah Karim, the author gathers information about barriers Muslim women face living in Chicago and Atlanta, either through segregations, discrimination, and gender roles. The author mentions how people of the same ethnic background tend to stay together, instead of branching outside or their race, and how Muslim women are treated like underdogs when they interact with Muslim men in the mosque, at work, and etc. People that normally identify with the same race, religion, and ethnicity tend to stay together. This reading discussed “boundaries” that women face in the mosque and how they are bound to the back, while men are privileged with front row seats, closer to the Unman. The reason could be that these women that

The Muslim women were meeting at an old warehouse in Chicago that was being used for a makeshift mosque on a night to do their daily prayers. On this night Dr.Ingrid Mattson was there and the women were talking about their experiences living here in the United States. She noticed on the way here there was a Muslim school located in an industrial zone. This school was located in this zone because of zoning laws and how the city won't allow the buildings to be built or where they are built. In this zone, it was allowed to be built in an industrial zone. The background of this woman is that they are all immigrants so the majority of this community is made up of immigrants. They are mostly from the Middle East or North Africa, the jobs of these ladies are that they either teach at a religious school but most of them are homemakers (housewives).

This book was written by a few professors from a university press which increases its credibility. I plan on using much of this source to inform my audience of the wrongful acts that society has done against Middle Eastern-Americans and prove that there are solutions; Americans just don’t want to see

Islam is the world's fastest growing faith. It all began in 610 C.E. when the Prophet Muhammad received revelations of the Quran in Mecca. Islam's reputation of promoting a strict and controlling government, female oppression, civil war, and terrorism is not completely correct. Islam is a rich and complex religion that is often misunderstood in the modern world. There have been many obstacles that have been faced. Islam wouldn't exist today with its leaders, the Crusades, and their empires.

Today, word of “Islam” connected with more terrorism and violence. Here, article “Islam” by Vincent J O’Malley explains about what is Islam in real sense. According to O’Malley, connection between world second largest religion Islam and terrorism makes very different and negative scenario towards Islam religion in the world population. He explained Islam through different question related religion and philosophy in the article. He started with Muhammad’s life and his background with first question. According to O’Malley, Muhammad was born in 570 in the area of Arabian Peninsula at Mecca. Muhammad was raised by grandfather in the begging and, after he was taken by his paternal uncle. He also describe about Muhammad personal life that he was married with Khadija while he was 25 years old. After first question about Muhammad’s personal life, he moved to the next question of Muhammad’s religious insight. In the begging Muhammad was believed in polytheism but latter on changed with monotheism. According to O’Malley, monotheism means “there is no god but God”. He also explain, Muhammad was borrowed some stuff from the Christianity and Judaism to develop his own religion. Muhammad included some old and New Testament from the Christianity regarding Jesus, Mary and John. After discussing about Muhammad’s religion, Writer O’Malley moved to next question about begin of Muslims calendar. So, the whole idea about beginning of Muslim calendar has explain about beginning of Islam religion.

the government and media. I believe that people running this country are Anti Islamic due to there view on things. Also this is a Zionist country, which is another reason that makes the media discriminate against the Muslim’s, due to the conflict with Palestine and other Muslim countries. The media has always portrayed Islam in a negative way. The reason the media is biased when it comes to Islam because they hate the Islamic structure and the beliefs. The majority of media conglomerate ownership is of people who

The book written by Ayaan Hirisi Ali, Nomad, Growing up in a tribal and a very secluded join Islamic Somalian clan, Ayaan Hirsi Ali was exposed to more violent, traditional views and strict religious views. At the age of 22 when she relocated to a very western society, Holland, she was exposed to a completely new ideology, accepting and freedom that has led to her better life. The differences in values that has many caused the main sources of conflict between Islamic Civilization and Western society.

Ever wonder what that word “Muslim” means? Who is Classified as a Muslim? Most, ignorant people consider them a “terrorist.” I don’t categorize every Muslim as a terrorist, an abominable person, or a threat to our society. Muslims are just like every other human in the world, they just possess their own culture. They have their own religion which they follow with much devotion: Islam. I specifically chose the Islamic culture because it is the one of the closest to my own religion, which it is Christianity. I immersed myself in the Islamic culture by doing a field project on a Friday, which is considered to be the most important day of the week for Muslims to pray with other Muslims in congregation by attending the Darul Uloom Mosque (important religious site) on Friday. My purpose was to learn and have clear, concise of their daily religious, social practices, norms, social practices, values and beliefs. I want to be able to teach people the main values and ideas of Islam in our current society, mostly because the general population possesses a highly misconstrued message about it. Establishing the fundamental ethical percepts, such as justice, freedom, trust, and dignity of human life exist.

In the first chapter of his book The Justice of Islam, Lawrence Rosen focuses on explaining the role of the qadi under an Islamic justice system in Morocco. He explains that the qadi essentially acts as a mediator between both parties of a dispute and attempts to establish a momentary peace before an agreement can be reached. Although this description could be applied to a judge or an arbitrator in the American judicial system, the qadi’s role differs in that they must take into consideration the divine law as laid out in the quran, the value system of the society they live in, what is in the best interest of the community, in addition to applying his or her judgment and discretion in coming to a decision. In Rosen’s example, people in Morocco are bound together tightly by a “web of indebtedness” and “mutual obligations” which pervades into all aspects of life. Relationships between neighbors, coworkers, and even family are negotiated in an attempt for both parties to solidify their bond with one another. Thus, in coming to a decision, a qadi in Morocco should strongly consider the relationship between both parties and any existing informal agreements they may have.

In Olivier Roy’s book, Globalized Islam, he writes about “propaganda targets individuals, not groups” as the strategy used “Islamists, when elaborating a political program, targets groups, and more precisely social groups (impoverished neo-urbanites, students from the lower and middle classes, and so on).” Roy continues on to share their reasoning for the method of targeting individuals, not groups [author’s italicization]. “This remains congruent with their strategy of going to the polls; an electorate is always a collective and anonymous entity.” Roy goes on to state why the new preachers use another method. “But the new preachers target individuals, for the simple reason that they do not have a global political and social project, except implementation of sharia.” In contrast he goes on to explain how the Taliban’s agenda differs. “Even the Taliban, who were ruling a ‘real country, never cared about implementing any economic or social program, but were exclusively concerned with sharia.” Consequently, individual Muslims that relocate from their own culture to migrate to the western world still remain well rooted in their religion despite the fact that no special accommodations are made for their religion. “No allowances are made for Muslims to abide naturally and easily by the tenets of their religion.” “Hence the implementation of binding religious obligations rests on the good goodwill of the believer, not on any external cultural pressure or a state’s legal