Facts About Islam: My Message to the World

DumbandDumbber

Hello big old world, before I begin I just wanna say, thanks for taking the time to read this myTake. I know I will get a decent backlash from speaking out loud to you but all I ask of you oh world is, hear me out and read with an open mind. I got an issue and today I wanna address that issue, so YOU hopefully will learn from it and apply it. It's about Muslim’s and Arab’s, I know what you are thinking now. Not this again! I know, I know, I am sick and tired of the discussion 2 but I wanna show you why it's bothering me.

Facts About Islam: My Message to the World

Let me begin with giving you some quick background info about myself, I am European with Moroccan blood, a Muslim and someone who had the privilege to experience the world from different perspectives. I was born and raised in the Netherlands, we the Dutch people are known for our down-to-earth attitude and liberal take on society. On the other hand, my parents are from Morocco, a Muslim country from North-Africa and are not so liberal and educated as me. I am a practicing Muslim with gets along with everything and everybody, I have a great life here, lots of friends from all corners of the world and I am grateful to be living in the west. Now that I have told you about me let's get into the issues I have with what I see in society.

Arab vs. Muslim

Muslims are followers of the religion of Islam, like me. Arabs are an ethnic group of people from a certain area. Most of whom are Muslim but also Christian and Jewish. Their origins lie in the Arabian Peninsula (present day Saudi Arabia). When people think of an Muslim, they automatically see an Arab in their imagination and when they think of an Arab, they automatically assume they are Muslim.

I can see why you would think that way, I am not pointing a finger at you and shaming you or anything. I just wanna show where a lot of today’s confusion comes from when talking about topics on either subject. While yes, the Arab’s were the first Muslim’s today Arab’s are a minority when it comes to ehtnic-islamic groups. The biggest are actually: Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Egypt, Iran, Turkey and Morocco. None of them are actually Arab’s but still when we think of a Muslim our image portrays an Arab man or woman. All I want to say is there is a big difference between an 'Arab' and a 'Muslim' and you, world, should take note of it to battle the confusion so we can focus on the problems.

Facts About Islam: My Message to the World

Middle Eastern problems are Muslim problems

Before I say anything on this subject, I just wanna state that the common people in the Arab world are very nice and loving people, contrary to what we get to see on the news. The 'not so nice' people are the ones in power. These are the dictators, the governments and the different militia groups. They do not in any way represent the Arab people, they do not in any way represent Islam and they do not in any way act for the greater good. All they are looking for, and won't shy away from anything to achieve it, is power, land and wealth. They kill their own people, they purposefully keep their people uneducated, keep their lands in the dark-ages in the process and do this all in the name of Islam while Islam actually teaches us the opposite. So just because there is some chaos in the middle east doesn’t mean the almost 2 billion Muslim’s are a source or contributor to the problem, that's what I want you to take with you.

Misconceptions about Islam

Facts About Islam: My Message to the World

Women's rights

The image of a woman wearing a veil from head to toe, a woman who gets unfair justice or a woman who is not allowed to drive is an all too familiar notion when it comes to women treatment in Islam. And while there are 'muslim' countries in the world that do implement many harsh rulings against women, this should not be portrayed as Islamic law. Many of these countries have cultural differences that go against the teachings of Islam. It should be noted that during pre-Islam Arabia women were used for fornication only and had no independence. The birth of a daughter in a family was considered humiliating and the practice of female infanticide was uncontrolled. When Islam came to being, verses in the Quran condemned the practice of female infanticide. Islam gave back many human rights to the woman and Muhammad(s) was even reported saying that “women are the twin halves of men.” A Muslim woman is allowed to reject and accept any suitor for marriage and has the right to seek divorce. There is nothing in Islam that forbids a Muslim woman from exiting her house and is allowed to drive. Also in regards to education, a woman is obligated to seek knowledge and it is considered a sin if she refuses.

Facts About Islam: My Message to the World

ISIS is Islam

Isis members blatantly ignore the Qur’an, as an example, surah (49:13) says, “O Mankind. We created you from a single pair of a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes that you may know each other. Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of God is the most righteous of you.” Islam mandates the collaboration with persons of different faiths, cultures and races. Yet Isis and other extremist groups take verses of the Qur’an out of context to allow killing innocent people. Ignoring the solid Quranic dictate in surah (5:32) which says, “If anyone kills a person, it is as if he kills all mankind while if anyone saves a life it is as if he saves the lives of all mankind.” And surah (2:256) says “There shall be no compulsion in religion.”

Facts About Islam: My Message to the World

Islam was spread by the sword

Historian De lacey O’Leary states “History makes it clear however, that the legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping through the world and forcing Islam at the point of the sword upon conquered races is one of the most fantastically absurd myths that historians have ever repeated.” There is no record in history that shows people being forced by sword point to convert to Islam. When Islam spread through countries they would set up private churches and synagogues for the non-Muslims they were governing and because of the good treatment they had received they themselves would convert. If one considers the small number of Muslims who initially spread Islam to the west all the way from Spain and Morocco and into east from India and China one would realize that such a small group of people could not force others to be members of a religion against their will. It is also interesting to note that when the Mongols invaded and conquered large portions of the Islamic empire, instead of destroying the religion they adopted it!

#world #islam

Facts About Islam: My Message to the World
37 Opinion