Posted on 11/14/2004 4:32:15 AM PST by MidTown_Doc
Shedding light on Islam Although welcomed in Memphis, the faith is misunderstood
By Bima Said Special to Viewpoint November 14, 2004
When foreigners talk about the United States, they all know about New York. They all know about Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.
I'm sure they also know about Elvis Presley and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But not all foreigners know that Elvis was from Memphis and that rock and roll was born here.
Perhaps not all foreigners are aware that King was assassinated in Memphis, and that the National Civil Rights Museum was built on the site of the Lorraine Motel, where King was shot.
I was really delighted during my three weeks in Memphis. Participating in an International Journalism Exchange program sponsored by American Society of Newspaper Editors and International Center for Journalists, I felt lucky to have a newspaper attachment with The Commercial Appeal.
Being able to look at an American newsroom's practices was an amazing experience. But what fascinated me the most was the overall religious scene of this city.
I felt a lot of peace here; everyone was tolerant of other faiths. There are several churches, Jewish synagogues, Hindu temples and Islamic mosques. I visited the Muslim Society of Memphis (MSM) and was surprised to learn that four other mosques are in the city.
I was even more surprised when Nabil Bayakly, community relations director for MSM, told me that Muslims here were never victims of harassment as a result of the atrocities of Sept. 11, 2001.
By contrast, he told me that as many as four people convert to Islam every month, and more people are becoming interested in learning about Islam after 9/11.
Still, Americans hold numerous misconceptions about Islam. Since many Americans have asked me questions about my religion, it has come to my attention to straighten this out. Here is my list of the top 10 misconceptions about Islam.
Misconception No. 10: Muslims don't believe in Jesus or any other prophets.
Jesus is considered as one of the greatest of God's messengers to mankind. Muslims respect and revere Jesus, upon Him be peace, and await His Second Coming.
A Muslim never refers to Him simply as Jesus, but always adds the phrase "upon him be peace." The Koran confirms his virgin birth (a chapter of the Koran is titled "Mary"), and Mary is considered the purest woman in all creation.
Misconception No. 9: Muhammad was the founder of Islam, and Muslims worship him.
Muhammad (peace be upon him) was born in Mecca in the year 570. Because his father died before his birth and his mother shortly afterward, he was raised by his uncle from the respected tribe of Quraysh.
As he grew up, he became known for his truthfulness, generosity and sincerity, so that he was sought after for his ability to arbitrate in disputes. Historians describe him as calm and meditative.
Muhammad (peace be upon him) was of a deeply religious nature, and had long detested the decadence of his society.
It became his habit to meditate from time to time in the Cave of Hira near Mecca.
At the age of 40, while engaged in a meditative retreat, Muhammad (peace be upon him) received his first revelation from God through the Angel Gabriel. This revelation, which continued for 23 years, is known as the Koran.
As soon as he began to recite the words he heard from Gabriel and to preach the truth God had revealed to him, he and his small group of followers suffered bitter persecution. The persecution grew so fierce that in 622 God gave them the command to emigrate.
This event, the Hijrah or "migration" in which they left Mecca for the city of Medina, marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar.
After several years, the Prophet and his followers were able to return to Mecca, where they forgave their enemies and established Islam definitively. Before the death of the Prophet at the age of 63, the greater part of Arabia was Muslim, and within a century of his death Islam had spread to Spain in the west and as far east as China.
He died with fewer than five possessions to his name.
While Muhammad (peace be upon him) was chosen to deliver the message, he is not considered the "founder" of Islam, since Muslims consider Islam to be the same divine guidance sent to all peoples before.
Muslims believe all the prophets, from Adam, Noah, Moses, Jesus, etc., were all sent with divine guidance for their peoples. Every prophet was sent to his own people, but Muhammad (peace be upon him) was sent to all of mankind.
Muhammad is the last and final messenger sent to deliver the message of Islam. Muslims revere and honor him for all he went through and his dedication, but they do not worship him.
Misconception No. 8: Muslims are a barbaric, backward people.
Among the reasons for the rapid and peaceful spread of Islam is the simplicity of its doctrine -- Islam calls for faith in only one God worthy of worship. It also repeatedly instructs man to use his powers of intelligence and observation.
Within a few years, great civilizations and universities were flourishing, for according to the Prophet (peace be upon him), "seeking knowledge is an obligation for every Muslim man and woman."
The synthesis of Eastern and Western ideas and of new thought with old brought about great advances in medicine, mathematics, physics, astronomy, geography, architecture, art, literature and history.
Many crucial systems such as algebra, Arabic numerals and the concept of the zero (vital to the advancement of mathematics) were transmitted to medieval Europe from Islam.
Sophisticated instruments that made possible the European voyages of discovery were developed, including the astrolabe, the quadrant and good navigational maps.
Misconception No. 7: All Muslim men marry four wives.
The religion of Islam was revealed for all societies and all times, and so it accommodates widely differing social requirements. Circumstances may warrant the taking of another wife but the right is granted, according to the Koran, only on condition that the husband is scrupulously fair.
No women can be forced into this kind of marriage if they do not wish it, and they have the right to exclude it in their marriage contract.
Polygamy is neither mandatory nor encouraged, but merely permitted. A man is only allowed at most four wives only if he can fulfill the stringent conditions of treating each fairly.
Permission to practice polygamy is not associated with mere satisfaction of passion. It is rather associated with compassion toward widows and orphans. It was the Koran that limited and put conditions on the practice of polygamy among the Arabs, who had as many as 10 or more wives and considered them "property."
It is honest and accurate to say that it is Islam that regulated this practice, limited it, made it more humane and instituted equal rights and status for all wives. It is also evident that the general rule in Islam is monogamy and not polygamy. A very tiny percentage of Muslims throughout the world practice it.
Misconception No. 6: The Nation of Islam is a Muslim group.
Islam and the so-called Nation of Islam (NOI) are two different religions. NOI is more of a political organization because its members are not limited to a single faith. Muslims consider this group to be just one of many cults using the name of Islam for their own gain.
The only thing common between them is the jargon, the language used by both. NOI is a misnomer; this religion should be called Farrakhanism, after its propagator, Louis Farrakhan.
Islam and Farrakhanism differ in many fundamental ways. For example, Farrakhan followers believe in racism and that the black man was the original man and is therefore superior. In Islam, there is no racism and everyone is considered equal in the sight of God, the only difference being in one's piety.
There are many other theological examples that show the NOI's teachings have little to do with true Islam. There are many groups in America that claim to represent Islam and call their adherents Muslims.
Any serious student of Islam has a duty to investigate and find the true Islam. Malcolm X is an example of an NOI member who later found the true Islam, realizing that it is much different than NOI. After finding the true Islam, Malcolm X changed his name to Al-Hajj Malik al-Shabazz.
Misconception No. 5: All Arabs are Muslims.
Not all Muslims are Arabs, and not all Arabs are Muslims. The Muslim population of the world is around 1.2 billion. One out of five people in the world is a Muslim.
Muslims are a vast range of races, nationalities and cultures from around the globe -- from the Philippines to Nigeria -- and are united by their common Islamic faith. Only about 18 percent live in the Arab world; the largest Muslim community is in Indonesia. Most Muslims live east of Pakistan. Thirty percent of Muslims live in the Indian subcontinent, 20 percent in sub-Saharan Africa, 17 percent in Southeast Asia, 18 percent in the Arab world, and 10 perent in the Soviet Union and China.
Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan make up 10 percent of the non-Arab Middle East. Although Muslim minorities are in almost every area, including Latin America and Australia, they are most numerous in Russia and its newly independent states, and in India and central Africa. There are about 6 million Muslims in the United States.
Misconception No. 4: Islam was spread by the sword and is intolerant of other faiths.
Many social studies textbooks for students show the image of an Arab horseman carrying a sword in one hand and the Koran in the other, conquering and forcibly converting. That is not a correct portrayal of history.
Islam has always given respect and freedom of religion to all faiths. The Koran says: "God forbids 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 loves those who are just (Koran 60:8)."
Freedom of religion is laid down in the Koran itself: "There is no compulsion (or coercion) in the religion (Islam).The right direction is distinctly clear from error (Koran 2:256)."
It is a function of Islamic law to protect the privileged status of minorities, and this is why non-Muslim places of worship have flourished all over the Islamic world. History provides many examples of Muslim tolerance toward other faiths, such as when the caliph Omar entered Jerusalem in the year 634, Islam granted freedom of worship to all religious communities in the city.
Proclaiming to the inhabitants that their lives and property were safe and that their places of worship would never be taken from them, he asked the Christian patriarch Sophronius to accompany him on a visit to all the holy places.
Islamic law also permits non-Muslim minorities to set up their own courts, which implement family laws drawn up by the minorities themselves. The life and property of all citizens in an Islamic state are considered sacred whether the person is Muslim or not.
Racism is not a part of Islam; the Koran speaks only of human equality and how all peoples are equal in the sight of God. "O mankind! We created you from a single soul, male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may come to know one another. Truly, the most honored of you in God's sight is the greatest of you in piety. God is All-Knowing, All-Aware (Koran 49:13)."
Misconception No. 3: Muslims worship a different God.
Allah is simply the Arabic word for God. Allah for Muslims is the greatest and most inclusive of the names of God. It is an Arabic word of rich meaning, denoting the one and only God and ascribing no partners to Him.
It is exactly the same word the Jews, in Hebrew, use for God (eloh), the word Jesus Christ used in Aramaic when he prayed to God. God has an identical name in Judaism, Christianity and Islam; Allah is the same God worshiped by Muslims, Christians and Jews.
Muslims believe Allah's sovereignty is to be acknowledged in worship and in the pledge to obey His teaching and commandments, conveyed through His messengers and prophets who were sent at various times and in many places throughout history.
However, it should be noted that God in Islam is One and Only. He, the Exalted, does not get tired, does not have a son or have associates, nor does He have human-like attributions as found in other faiths.
Misconception No. 2: Islam oppresses women.
The image of the typical Muslim woman wearing the veil and forced to stay home and forbidden to drive is all too common in most people's thoughts. Although some Muslim countries may have laws that oppress women, this should not be seen as coming from Islam.
Many of these countries do not rule by any kind of Shari'ah (Islamic law), and introduce their own cultural standpoints on the issue of gender equity.
Islam, on the other hand, gives men and women different roles, and equity between the two is laid down in the Koran and the example of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Islam sees a woman, whether single or married, as an individual in her own right, with the right to own and dispose of her property and earnings. A marriage gift is given by the groom to the bride for her own personal use, and she keeps her family name rather than taking her husband's.
Both men and women are expected to dress in a way that is modest and dignified. The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) said: "The most perfect in faith amongst believers is he who is best in manner and kindest to his wife."
Violence of any kind toward women and forcing them against their will for anything is not allowed. A Muslim marriage is a simple, legal agreement in which either partner is free to include conditions.
Marriage customs thus vary widely from country to country. Divorce is not common, although it is acceptable as a last resort. According to Islam, a Muslim girl cannot be forced to marry against her will.
Misconception No. 1: Muslims are violent, terrorists and/or extremists.
Even before the 9/11 attacks, this was already the biggest misconception in Islam. It no doubt resulted from the constant stereotyping and bashing the media give Islam.
When a gunman attacks a mosque in the name of Judaism, a Catholic IRA guerrilla sets off a bomb in an urban area, or Serbian Orthodox militiamen rape and kill innocent Muslim civilians, these acts are not used to stereotype an entire faith. Never are these acts attributed to the religion of the perpetrators. Yet how many times have we heard the words "Islamic fundamentalist" linked with violence?
Politics in so-called Muslim countries may or may not have any Islamic basis. Often dictators and politicians will use the name of Islam for their own purposes. One should go to the source of Islam and separate what the true religion of Islam says from what is portrayed in the media.
Islam literally means "submission to God," and is derived from a root word meaning peace.
Islam may seem exotic or even extreme in the modern world. Perhaps this is because religion doesn't dominate everyday life in the West, whereas Islam is considered a way of life for Muslims, and they make no division between secular and sacred in their lives.
Like Christianity, Islam permits fighting in self-defense, in defense of religion, or on the part of those who have been expelled forcibly from their homes. It lays down strict rules of combat, which include prohibitions against harming civilians and against destroying crops, trees and livestock.
The Koran says: "Fight in the cause of God against those who fight you, but do not transgress limits. God does not love transgressors (Koran 2:190)."
War, therefore, is the last resort, and is subject to the rigorous conditions laid down by the sacred law.
The term "jihad" literally means struggle. Muslims believe there are two kinds of jihad. The other jihad is the inner struggle of the soul that everyone wages against egotistic desires for the sake of attaining inner peace.
Contact Bima Said at bima.prameswara@waspada.co.id
You posted my first thought.
Sorry :(
It will take 100+ years for Islam to recover from this time in history. They are being mis-trusted by more and more people, rightly so, because of their evil side and lack of outrage. I see nothing in this article that address's the current situation of islam and how to fix it.
In nations where Muslims are in complete control they govern by Sharia law...and any other laws they dream up...they enslave Christians, rape torture and murder their little children, hold them as sex slaves and sell them as same, they bomb their churches and kill their pastors...
As long as Americans are armed and Muslims do not yet control the police force...they cant get away with what they get away with in England ,the rest of Europe, Canada, Australia, New Zealand,Asia, Africa and the Middle East...they would very much like to make over America as they have the other nations and fully intend to and their immams and mullahs have stated as much...
Muslims do NOT revere Jesus or Christians...
Jesus said of Himself that HE IS GOD....Muslims deny that Jesus said this about Himself and that He is God...God the Son.
Jesus said that 'If you have seen Him you Have seen The Father" and that "I and My Father are One"
Muslims deny the triune God ... God the Father God the Son and God the Holy Spirit
Muslims also deny Christ crucified and that Salvation is only through the substitutional death of Jesus Christ
Basically Muslims deny Christ and what He told them and all of us about Himself...
When they do this they call Christ LIAR and deny the faith...
They pretend to honor Christ and Christians in order to pacify dissent during the invasion phase...and the takeover phase of their operations
Make no mistake....even though our leaders try to assure us that Islam is a religion of peace... history and and even a cursory study of current events denies this as does their current behavior in other nations they have taken over and are taking over.
We are being sold out on our own soil....mosques after mosque Islamic center after Islamic center large tracts of US rural property bought up by Muslims...and millions of illegal aliens
about to be made 'legal'
Americans are being force fed a destructive culture that in the end we will trade away our freedom
for safety...that the govt. can not and will not provide anyway...
God is not tolerant...they are tolerant in Holland and look what 'tolerance' hath wrought..
Moderate Islam is the "Trojan Horse" of the real deal....
But our biggest danger is our own politicans who have been bought off...and who have sold us out
Being tolerant of rapists, thieves and murderers in your neighborhood or those who sponsor them is not tolerance it is insanity
Basically what the author states is that he found America asleep and in denial of reality of a Muslim takeover....and he likes it that way..
IMO
Among the reasons for the rapid and peaceful spread of Islam...
29. Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued. (Quran, Surah 9)
http://web.umr.edu/~msaumr/Quran/9.html
A radical muslim will kill you on sight.
A "moderate" muslim is one who won't kill you - today.
But the concept of even one person converting to barbarism and paganism in a month in the middle of a formerly Christian nation is sad beyond words. To choose to pursue 72 ephemeral 'virgins' in hell over life eternal in the Lord Jesus Christ gives new meaning to the word 'gullible.'
Ol' Mo was a pedophile who made it up as he went along. A 23-year long 'vision'? And we know this because the old pedophile said so? Yup. Now, step over here and look at the bridge which I have for sale.
And who is the father of lies and hatred and violence? That person is the god of Islam.
Allah should bless the webmaster at SacredCowBurgers!
Think deeper indeed...I think what you mean is pretend to think so deeply that you submit...think deeply but don't think critically...
Where is the evidence that followers of this religion are thinking? Where are the products of that thought? Where are the great universities and hospitals? Where are the open minds...and where is the peace?
Islam is demonic. But of course Muslin can't consider that because that kind of thinking is blasphemy.
Muslims who kill infidels.
Muslims who support (financially or spiritually) the killing of infidels.
Moderate Islam is a myth.
Would you say they respect innocence?
Look at how they treat women and young girls?
Submit or die, you say...I would rather die with dignity that live in shame as a Muslim.
In Mohammed's own words, as related by Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ismail bin Ibrahim bin al-Mughira al-Ja'fai, AKA Bukhari:
“Allah’s Apostle said, ‘Who is willing to kill Ka’b bin Ashraf who has hurt Allah and His Apostle?’ Thereupon Muhammad bin Maslamah got up saying, ‘O Allah’s Apostle! Would you like me to kill him?’ The Prophet said, ‘Yes,’ Maslamah said, ‘Then allow me to say false things in order to deceive him.’ The Prophet said, ‘You may say such things.’”
Let's get the Islamic terminology straight, once and for all:
Mosque = Terrorist Barracks
Red Crescent Ambulance = Munitions Supply Truck
Radical Muslim = REAL Muslim who follows the Koran
Moderate Muslim = A Trojan horse who quietly smiles and nods his head at the terrorists
Koran = a call to terror, murder, oppression, slavery, misogyny and backward culture
Infidel = all non Muslims and Muslims who are not on jihad (all doomed to die)
Holy Lands = all lands unfortunate enough to be or ever have been under the heavy yoke of Muslim terror, murder, oppression, slavery, misogyny
Islamic Pride = an insanely jealous hatred for every other culture that has left Islam groveling in its own seventh-century dust.
CAIR = Crying Arabic Islamic Retrogrades
Minaret = Satan's Jukebox - or - Howling Hell Tower
Burkha = Misogynistic Mobile Women's Prison
Muslim Chaplin (U.S. Armed Forces) = Turncoat Brigade Recruiter
Rape = something the guys get to do, especially to those hottie infidel chicks! (nudge, nudge, wink, wink)
Modern Technology = "Huh? Oh yes, that stuff the evil infidels make and maintain for us to use for to kill them."
Allah = the Moon God, whose most important representative here on earth is that meteorite worshiped in Mecca
Little Boys = a man's pleasure machines
Paradise = a giant rape orgy for you - if you die while ruthlessly murdering innocent unsuspecting infidel women and children
U.S. Armed Forces = things to run away from or kill with booby-traps, unless you can take a cheap shot at them and then hide behind women and children or hide in a Mosque.
Christian Church = firewood
Synagogue = firewood
Buddhist Temple = firewood
Hindu Temple = firewood
Confucian Church = firewood
Jewish Restaurant = Bomb Demolition Depot
Holy site = anything Muslim, unlike those giant Buddhist statues in Afghanistan that were precious to Buddhists. “We blew those up real good! Heh, heh!”
Truce = a chance to regroup and kill more infidels later
Liberalism = the societal AIDS virus that stops the infidels from fighting Islam off
The American Democratic Party = The Islamonazi’s best hope to destroy America, the great Satan!
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