5 Debunked myths about Islam

Binqi Chen and Aseal Saed|December 9, 2015

President+Thomas+Jeffersons+copy+of+the+Koran

President Thomas Jefferson’s copy of the Koran

  • Islam is intolerant of other religions: The Islamic attitude towards the followers of other religions is not only to show tolerance towards their beliefs, but also to affirm a non-negotiable Islamic principle of tolerance and religious responsibility.

 

  • Islam does not promote women’s rights: In the Quran, men and women are both addressed equally and are seen as equal in the eyes of God. Most people do not believe in this because of the 49 predominately Muslim states, most of them have rules that hold women back , but Islam does not hold women back. Muslim men in those countries make these laws.

 

  • Jihad is a violent cause: Jihad means “holy war”, and simply in Arabic “struggling”. Many believe that Jihad is a concept that allows Muslims to create war on other religions. In reality it refers to an internal and external effort to inform and protect the faith. Jihad is used to protect the faith in any form whether through legal. diplomatic, economic, or political ways. Islam does allow the use of force, but there are many rules of engagement. Military action is only one use of jihad and also very rare.

 

  • All Muslims are Arabs and all Arabs are Muslims: Although Islam is a predominate religion among Arabs, there are many that are Christians and Jewish.  The term Arab represents many different backgrounds and countries, but there still remains are distinctions between those that call themselves “Arab”.  With this, it is important to remember that religion does not define Arabs, and the same goes for the other way around.

 

  • Muslims worship a moon-god: Some people mistake Allah with a “mood-god” or idol. When in reality, Allah is the Arabic name for God. The most belief a Muslim has is in this one true God.