...Refining the Misconception of Apostasy in Islam Dr. Zulkifli Hasan Deputy Chairman, International Affairs Bureau of ABIM Introduction Freedom of religion is frequently misunderstood by many and this includes the issue on apostasy. The misunderstanding of public and even Muslims community on the concept and legal position of apostasy has negated the image of Islam as a religion of peace. This is not surprising as there are numerous negative allegations upon the religion of Islam such as condemning it as barbaric and incompatible with modernity and human rights. This serious misconception should be rectified and in fact, it is a religious duty for every Muslim to portray a true picture of Islam and to response on any allegation and negative arguments upon this issue. In view of this negative phenomenon, this article aims to refine the misconception of apostasy in Islam and attempts to response the previous two articles published by the New Mandala entitled ‘An Exploration of the Concept of Apostasy in Islam’ by Joshua Woo Sze Zeng and ‘Malaysian Muslims Responses to Conversion’ by Norani Bakar whereby the former heavily relies on the essay written by Abdullah Saeed entitled ‘Freedom of Religion, Apostasy, and Islam’ and the online resources and the latter highlights the Malaysian Muslims response to apostasy with reference to HIMPUN initiative by several non-governmental organizations. Before presenting my arguments on the issue of apostasy in Islam, it is important to note that...
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...Table of Contents Introduction....................................................................................................................................3 Allah is Only the God of Islam.........................................................................................................3 The Holy War of Jihad.....................................................................................................................3 Slavery is Acceptable......................................................................................................................4 72 Virgins in Paradise for a Martyr.................................................................................................4 ISIS Members are Muslims..........................................................................................................4-5 Jesus is Unrelated to Islam.............................................................................................................5 Sharia Law is Cruel.......................................................................................................................5-6 Islam Oppresses Muslim Women...................................................................................................6 Islam Promotes Polygamy...........................................................................................................6-7 Hijab is a Form of Oppression....................................................................
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...Is Islam a religion of violence or non-violence? An examination of misconceptions in the Western World? The world is full of acts of violence and acts of peace and non violence. We as people try to comprehend these acts by establishing whys. The why that we will examine is one of consistent misunderstanding and misrepresentation specifically in the Western world. When a suicide bombing occurs why is it if you asked most individuals in the west what the offending individual’s religion was their almost instant response is they were a Muslim. Does Islam automatically mean every Muslim is willing to attack peoples who do not believe as they do. Does it mean they espouse killing all Jews? Or is the truth that a majority of all Muslims would consider themselves peace loving individuals, that you would more likely see them working alongside Jews and Christians in a nature of acceptance and love for them. But yet when we look at history we see Islam in wars against Arab peoples, in the Crusades, and in the more recent conflicts in the Middle East. So does the Quran allow for wars against others or are they more of the outcome of societal problems and conflicts in the region. We will most likely see that circumstances beyond their control contribute to the rise and the necessity to defend themselves in these various conflicts through out history. Overall it will probably be a surprise to most Westerners the...
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...Understanding Islam Christy A. Goff Dr. Thornton REL 212 September 8, 2012 In this paper, I will be reporting on my religious field research of Islam. The research that I have conducted has afforded me the opportunity to speak with, listen, and develop a stronger understanding of the Islamic faith. My research has also helped to dissolve some of the misconceptions that surround Islam. I will cover four major points throughout this paper. First, I will discuss preexisting misconceptions held against Islam. Second, I will analyze how my prior understanding of Islam was altered, or not, upon completion of my field research. Third, I will discuss whether or not I believe misconceptions of other people’s religions are common and explain in detail why or why not. Fourth, I will recommend at least one step that could be taken to help minimize misconceptions that people have in regards to other religions. I hope, through the reading of my field research report, to provide a stronger sense of understanding and receptiveness that I now have for other religions to the reader. Misconceptions of Islam In order to discuss the misconceptions that surround Islam, we must first delve into understanding what the word “Islam” actually means. “The word "Islam" means peace and submission. Peace means to be at peace with yourself and your surroundings. Submission means to submit to the Will of God. A broader meaning of the word "Islam," is to achieve peace by submitting to the...
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...of features. This is why often misconceptions of some religions are formed. Normally through observations and research some of the misconceptions may be corrected. Recently, I interviewed two Muslims that are married they were both converted into the Islam religion. They both have been living as Muslims for over 20 years. After our interview, I had a better understanding of the Islam religion. The religion is Islam. A person that consciously follows Islam is called a Muslim. One major misconception that I had about the Islam followers is that they were confrontational. I have always viewed the Muslims as a group of aggressive people that communicated with their fist. I also thought that they only socialized amongst each other. However, I was wrong. Islam comes from the Arabic root word meaning “peace” and submission”. Islam teaches that an Islam follower can only find peace by submitting to Allah through the heart and soul. Allah is the Almighty God, God the Creator, the Compassionate and the Sustainer. “Salaam Alaykum” a term that is used amongst Muslims which means peace be with you. The Islam religion guides towards practical ways of achieving righteousness and eliminating evil from individual/s lives. Human nature and the complexities of human society are also considered by the followers of Islam. Another huge misconception about Islam, as regards to their followers. Arabs of the Middle East are usually associated with Islam. In the Middle East only 10% of...
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...Religious Field Research: Islam April Erique Dr. Keyes REL 212 12/11/11 Even though, it’s one of the most popular religions throughout the world, I believe that Islam is difficult to understand. People have their opinions about Islam and its followers. Especially, after September 11, 2001, many Americans became either fearful or angry towards Muslims and assumed that the Islamic religion and entire community was to blame. It’s a bit like the discrimination that Japanese Americans felt after Pearl Harbor but there wasn’t really blame on their religious views and morals. Well, before I actually had Muslim friends and acquaintances, I didn’t know much about the religion either. The good thing is that I wasn’t raised to be stereotypical but I did have a few ideas of the Islamic faith but I didn’t have any type of proof or reason behind it. One of the biggest misconceptions I had was that Muslims were against the belief of Jesus. Another big misconception I had with Islam was that all believers were Arab and was really only practiced in the Middle East. I also believed all Muslim women must stay covered up while in public and are believed to be beneath the men in their lives. Besides, women having limitations, I felt that it was a very strict religion in which the followers can’t drink, smoke, or partake in any type of promiscuous activities. As an outsider trying to catch a peek inside, I honestly had plenty of misconceptions of this religion, like...
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...very particular with the questions I chose because I did not want to offend her during the interview. Anaan assured me that she was open to any and all questions. I also interviewed a Muslim brother by the name of Abdullah which means servant of God in Arabic. I wanted to interview a male and a female from the Islamic faith so that I could get a view from both sides. I have always had this misconception that Muslim women had no rights, or they had to obey their husband. After speaking to Anaan, a lot of my misconceptions were proven wrong. Can a religion that considers morality to be a part of faith clearly define the equality of men and women and their rights and responsibilities? The answer is a resounding “yes.” In a day and age when the basic tenets of Islam are being questioned by Muslim and non-Muslim alike, we must be cautious when evaluating Islam. The general picture that is painted by the media is biased and unsubstantiated. The impression that some Muslims give to the world is often not a true reflection of the religion, one that is the completion of all religions. Islam takes the equality of men and women very seriously. It sees the liberation of women as vital and considers modesty, good character, and manners to be the way to achieve such liberation. Women actually receive the up most respect. They are only doing what the Quran says to do. They live by the Quran. Women are considered the twin halves of men. Too often, the image of a covered woman is used...
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...Islam Religion Stephanie Scott Professor Carmen Pai Daschke REL 212 World Religions 12/16/12 Islam Religion Today I am doing my paper over the Islamic Religion. Earlier in the semester I had some misunderstanding about the religion because I didn’t really know the religion and parts of me didn’t want to know. I knew going into this class I had to be opened minded but I wasn’t. I think it took me the whole class to build myself to where I could be open minded. The first thing I did in researching for this paper was to figure out how I wanted to get my information. I felt that I wasn’t quite to the point of actually going to a foreign service so I researched and found a man that goes by the name Yaser Birjas. Instead of emailing we spoke over the phone and it was quite an experience. I realized that I was being judgmental about the Islam Religion because I didn’t know really anything about it. During our discussion we talked about the history of the Islam Religion, the Six Articles of Faith, the 5 Pillars of Islam, and misconceptions. In speaking with Mr. Birjas about the Islam Religion he started out with a small history lesson about what the Islam Religion is about. He states that Islam is a sequel of previous religions and that there are similarities because all religions are born from Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Ishmael. This was new to me, I didn’t know this about the Islam religion and I sure didn’t realize this was the beginning of learning something new. Islam...
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...Running head: THE RELIGION OF ISLAM The Religion of Islam the Contrasts and Parallels of Christianity Richard Bucher September 9, 2012 THE RELIGION OF ISLAM The Religion of Islam the Contrasts and Parallels of Christianity Numerous individuals define religion as a belief or faith. By practicing a specific religion one agrees to exist in life by a certain creed. Thus, religion is employed as a guide for practitioners’ lives. This is one component that is similar amongst all religions. Furthermore, there is an abundance of religions located everywhere in the world. One of the most commonly practiced religions is Christianity. In the United States alone, 79.5 percent of its citizens claim to be Christian (Fairchild, Christianity). I am apart of this statistic. A person who deems themselves Christian is one who concurs with the teachings of Jesus Christ, and accepts him as man’s savior. Moreover, there is another religion that has a much smaller percentage, but it is growing exponentially, and it is known as Islam. Individuals whom are practitioners of Islam are called Muslims. Islam is a monotheistic belief where they believe that Allah (God) is the creator of all things. Ultimately, before properly educating myself on the religion of Islam, by going to the mosque, through extensive research, and by interviewing an individual from the Muslim community, I had my own notions about this religion. Consequently...
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...face selling bean pies and various kinds of fruit. I later learned that these people were of the Islamic faith and commonly referred to as Muslims. At the time this is all I knew of the faith other than the fact that Muslims were not permitted to eat swine. Later, I learned that the Muslims selling The Final Call were Muslims in the Nation of Islam which is a sect of the Islamic faith. The Nation of Islam was considered a more radical group of Black Muslim which had gained more celebrity during the sixties and the Civil Rights Movement due to the teachings of Malcolm X. In this assignment, I chose to interview a member of the Islamic faith to get a personal point of view of understanding of the Muslim experience. This person is not a member of the Nation of Islam, but only a devout Muslim born of African heritage. His name is Mousa Adamou born in Karma Koira, Niger and was raised in Lome, Togo Africa. In preparing for our sit-down, I thought of what I already had known about the Muslim faith which was not as much as I thought prior to studying it in chapter 10 of our textbook. I did know of the ignorant and bigoted misconceptions that have plagued the Islamic religion especially after the September 11th attacks from Muslim extremists. Since then more people have educated themselves about the Islamic faith to become more aware of the beliefs, customs, and to also get a better understanding of the Muslim culture. I have met a number...
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...Misconceptions about Islam – A personal perspective Islam may be the most misunderstood religion in the United States. The impression that majority of non-Muslim Americans have is usually obtained through the media which typically represent Islamic countries or groups in the middle of a Holy War. These wars are usually waged by Islamic Fundamentalist who use terrorism and other violent acts to get their messages across giving Islam a negative reputation. Because of the lack of understanding of this highly visible religion, many conflicts arise between non-Muslim Americans and the people who live in Muslim worlds. Consequently, this causes problems among our different cultures by creating various political and religious battles that result from these misconceptions. In order to decrease the U.S. populace agita regarding the various Muslim cultures, it is important for Americans to have a better understanding of other religions including Islam. I believe three of larger misconceptions are: Islam condones violent acts, Islam is intolerant of other religions and that Muslims worship a different God. One of most misunderstood beliefs is that Islam condones violent acts and supports various types of “Jihad”. Karen Armstrong notes that Islam means “submission” or the total surrender of oneself to God, while the word Jihad in Arabic, means "struggle.” Jihad appears frequently in the Qur'an and, in Armstrong’s text; its common usage implies the "striving in the way of Allah"...
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...is through the researching from different sources, academic research, traveling, knowing what is going on around you, and reading – accepted books or journals that talks about Islam. Gale says the meaning of Islam as the submission to God. He also talks about the history of Islam that the founder/restorer of Islam is Prophet Muhammad. Newberg misconception of belief towards Islam is that Muhammad is God fearing but Muhammad did not know how to escape the future vengeance for the Muslims. Malik argues the Islam cultural diversity and thinks there is no democracy in Muslim societies, but still Islam societies are modernizing and developing economically and their literacy rates are increasing steadily which makes the democratic movements in Islam societies to be picking up at different speeds in different countries. Teachings about Muslims teaches by Gale when he said there are two main branches of Islam; Sunni and Shia, there will be further clarification of the two main branches. Islam is one of the types of religion that the worshippers are very good believers, very submissive, and there are some words in Islam that really means a lot to the worshippers of Islam. Islam means submission to God. Muslims express their submission to their God by following the five pillars of Islam. The five pillars of Islam are; Shahada, formally is by witnessing the unity of God; Salat, formally is by praying five times daily; zakat, is by providing/helping the needy; Saram, is by fasting during...
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...The Islam Religion Rel/134 The Islam Religion “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God” is the basic core belief in the Islamic religion. Islam means “submission (to God)” in Arabic. Islam is a monothetic religion whose followers are known as Muslims. This paper will be clearing common myths in the Islamic religion, explaining the sacred texts, and giving descriptions of common symbolism in Islamic text and religious practices. Also to be found in the paper is the historical foundation of the religion and some of the similarities and differences between Islam and Christianity. Islam traces its roots back to Abraham and his son Ishmael. In 570 AD, a descendant of Abraham named Mohammed was born. He began his life working as a shepherd for his uncle. In 610 AD, the Qur’an begins to be revealed to Mohammed by God. By 650 AD, the complete written text of the Qur’an is established. Only one hundred years after Muhammad’s death, Islam had spread around the Mediterranean. The Golden Age of Islam (750-1258 AD) saw new legal, philosophical, and religious developments. The major Hadith collections were compiled and the four modern Sunni Madh'habs, or schools of law were established. As the Caliphate, or Islamic Empire expanded, the Muslim culture became enriched by the scholars, poets, and scientists that they conquered. For example, many Muslim thinkers pursued humanistic, rational and scientific discourses in seeking knowledge, meaning and values...
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...faiths are still experiencing prejudice around the world. Islamophobia is an unfounded fear of the Islamic faith and, while it has existed for thousands of years, has recently become a major problem in our society. Common Facts about Islamophobia The list below, provided by the Council of American-Islamic Relations, details many of the misconceptions commonly held by Islamophobic people: * Islam is unchanging and refuses to adapt to new realities or changing times. * Islam shares no common values with any of the other major religions. * Islam is no longer relevant and their ideals are irrational. * Islam is tied to terrorism. * Islam promotes violence. * None of these items are true by any means, but are still commonly held by many people suffering from Islamophobia. While these unfortunate misconceptions have been held for centuries, Islamophobia has been on the rise in recent times. Since the September 11th attacks in the U.S., many uninformed Americans have started viewing followers of the Islamic faith as an “enemy” of the United States. This sentiment is absolutely untrue. There is no link between Islam and terrorism and this type of incorrect information is a leading cause of Islamophobia. Causes of Islamophobia The leading cause for Islamophobia is usually misinformation or total lack of information based on the religion. Unfortunately, Islamophobic people are not likely to be willing to educate themselves about their fears or spend...
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...Stereotypes about the Islamic faith and Muslim culture in the United States range from the idea that Muslims do not value education, to the even more offensive notion that they are all violent terrorists. Despite the idea that college campuses are viewed as more enlightened and progressive settings, misconceptions about Muslims continue to abound in these environments. Mercer University is no exception. The Muslim Student Association (MSA) at Mercer University, a university with a strong Christian heritage, is one of the less popular undergraduate organizations on campus and includes only thirty students. In an attempt to demystify the the behaviors, beliefs, and practices of Muslims in the United States, I conducted an ethnography that studies...
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