Fear of Islam - Research Paper Example

Fear of Islam Introduction Religion should bring peace to all people who believe. It should not threaten, belittle, or cause strife. Yet, throughout history, that is exactly what society seems to have done. Wars have been fought over religion and countless millions killed in the name of a person’s God or gods. Religion should not preach hate; rather it should promote and encourage peace and a respect of all peoples. Some leaders from all religions, however, have distorted this truth and have begun a war of propaganda to get followers to reject anyone who does not follow their own belief system. Sadly, most religions are guilty of these offenses in one fashion or another, yet the Islamic belief seems to bear a brunt of the scorn. In recent years, in fact, millions around the globe have developed an outright fear of this peaceful religion and Muslims are now faced with the daunting task of alleviating those fears and demonstrating to all that they are truly a religion of peace and that they do respect and accept people of all faiths. What follows is a brief synopsis of some of those fears and how they can be overcome. Why People Fear the Religion of Islam Islam is perhaps the most misunderstood major religion in the world today. As a Muslim, this student has experienced this truth on numerous occasions. Because of media propaganda and rumors circulating around the world, Muslims are seen as terrorists and a people who promote and condone violence. Many believe, in fact, that these are central tenants contained in their holy book, the Quran. Because of this, Muslims worldwide have spent many years trying to help the world understand their true faith and identity. It is true that there are some ‘bad apples’ that advance their terrorist causes in the name of Islam. This student is certainly not condoning their actions. In fact, few Muslims condone the actions of terrorism. It must be pointed out, however, that Islam is not the only religion that has committed acts of violence on people of other faiths. Yet, these events seem to be washed over and the Islamic faith receives much of the bad press in global media today. It is out of this press coverage that people have begun to have an outright fear of Islam. Moustafa Bayoumi recently remarked that “every group has it loonies. And yet the idea that American Muslim communities are foul nests of hatred, where dark-skinned men plot Arabic violence persists” (11). It begs the question as to why people are so afraid of Islam, when other groups have members that perpetuate violence around the world as well. It seems that many in the West perceive every Muslim to be a potential terrorist. The fear is so strong in some localities that the mentioning of Islam is not permitted in certain locations. The state of Texas, for example, recently decided that reading about Islam in the classroom was not permitted because it did not constitute education, but rather was indoctrination (Bayoumi 12). This kind of attitude on the part of adults will only serve to further widen the divide of children in terms of their perception of Muslim. Finally, research and common opinions about the root of the fear of Islam appears to stem from an ‘us against them’ mentality. If you do not support the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, for example, then you are a supporter or Islamic terrorists. The perception should not be that wars are fought over religion, but that is exactly what is taking place in modern society. If you support and allow a mosque to be built in your community, you are with them, not us. This kind of attitude, on both sides, has created a fear that exists in the heart of Muslim and non-Muslims alike. Farhad Dalal recently commented that “Ironically both the neo-conservatives and fundamentalist Islamists are in agreement that what is occurring in the world today is indeed a clash of civilizations, and that it is a continuation of a Holy War” (79). Rather we agree with this or not, the premise is certainly true. There is a bridge between the two civilizations. They misunderstand and abuse one another to the point that neither group has a respect for the other. This can only be changed through education and the promotion of peace, certainly not by promoting propaganda designed to tear down a religion, such as recent movies and cartoons that have appeared in Western media. Why Muslims Have Recently Stages Protests Against the West In recent years, especially these past few months, there have been protests around the Muslim world aimed at recent depictions of the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon his name, that have been less that reverent. This student has really been questioning why some people would go out of their way to speak ill of another religions teachings and, certainly, their prophet. Muslims hold their prophet dear to their heart. To insult him would be no different than verbally assaulting a person’s mother or father. The first instinct is going to be to lash out. This is the root cause of much of the unrest towards the West on the part of Muslims in the Middle East and elsewhere. Muslims have searched their own hearts to determine if they have gone out of their way to blaspheme another religion. While there are certainly cases of a few misdirected souls who seek to cause strife and trouble, there are few instances of Muslims slandering, for example, Jesus or Buddha. It is with this knowledge in mind that people of the Islamic faith feel that they cannot sit back and watch their beloved prophet be slandered in the media and all over the Internet without rising up, voicing their objection, and asking for the insults to stop. A recent example of this is the slanderous video made about Islam, particularly about the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon his name), and posted on the Internet video hosting site ‘You Tube’. This student does not feel the need to describe the video contents in this paper, but suffice it to say that most Muslims were deeply offended by the contents of this video. They felt as though their faith, and thereby their very person, was been assaulted and made fun of. Voices rose up around the globe for the video to be removed; yet nothing was done. As a result, protests broke out in various cities around the world demanding an end to the insults. This event, and events like it, has likely caused an increase in the fear of Islam, but certainly most people in the Islamic world felt the protests were justified. We do live in a free society. Certainly people are free to express their own views, even if it is counter to another person’s belief system. This student certainly understands that there must be a balance struck and free speech protected. What is that balance, however, when it comes to slandering another religion? In the United States, and many other Western countries, there are laws against slander. Muslims everywhere were simply asking why these same laws should be used to protect them against their own belief system and way of life being so openly ridiculed in front of the eyes of the world. Certainly, there will be people that weigh in on both sides of this issue, but as a Muslim, this student feels the need to question and wonder why people fear us so much. From the Perspective of a Non-Muslim To better understand the root cause and effect of this issue, this student felt it was important to talk to both a non-Muslim and a Muslim in order to gain a different perspective. First, let’s review the conversation with a non-Muslim who great up the in the United States, but has traveled abroad quite a bit. The first question presented to James (not his real name) was whether or not he feared Muslims, or people of the Islamic faith. James expressed that he used to have a slight fear of Muslims, mostly because he did not understand them. As he has travelled, however, he has experienced only pleasant feelings and had positive encounters with Muslims in Central Asia and the Middle East. The logical question to ask next was why he felt so many people in the West feared Muslims. He really had to think about this, but ended up talking at length about his thoughts. He recounted that many of his friends had a strong fear of Muslims. Much of it is based on anger about the attacks made against the West in the past decade or two. While he certainly has anger in his heart about these as well, he has come to realize that these were evil people committing these acts of violence. They were not true Muslims in his opinion. Many of his acquaintances, however, do not share this same belief. Because of media coverage about any act of violence committed by a Muslim, many of James’ friends fear any type of Islamic activity that might be going on around them. He said they stay away from Mosques, avoid talking to Muslims, and would be fearful if a Muslim moved in next to door to them. While these comments were hard for this student to hear, it was heartening to hear James express that he does not share these same views, neither do a growing number of people he is associated with. He attributes much of the fear that Americans have towards Muslims to the fact that so few have actually travelled to other cultures. Because of this, they do not understand other cultures or of a different faith than their own. As a general rule, people are fearful of that which they are unfamiliar with. They become uncomfortable and exhibit a desire to keep things just the way they are. Finally, James expressed that if more Americans and people in the west would take the time to learn about Islam, they would grow to understand that it is not a religion that perpetuates violence. He has learned that people commit violence, but religions do not. When asked what he felt about the recent protests on the part of Muslims about the recent You Tube video, he expressed sadness. James, just as this student believes, expressed a desire to support free speech. He does not, however, support slander and libel. That is what he believed happened in this case. Nothing was done to try to understand the Muslim point of view, so they reacted in much that same way he would hope people of his faith would if they were attacked verbally and in the media. He concluded our conversation by reminding this student that a person’s faith is worth fighting for. Violence is not the answer, certainly, but believers do have the right to rise up in the face of adversity. That was comforting to hear. He also expressed a desire that people begin to fear Islam less and that the violence one day would stop. From the Perspective of a Muslim To get a balanced, this author also talked with a Muslim about the recent events that have occurred surrounding Islam and perceived in the world. The conversation began with Sara (not her real name) admitting that, yes, she often feels afraid to let people know that she is a Muslim. While she admitted that she has not experienced violence against her person, she has noticed that people treat her differently when they find out she adheres to the Islamic faith. From a practical standpoint, Sara feels that she will be persecuted against in the workplace. Possibly it will difficult to get the job of her choice if a prospective employer knows that she is a Muslim. Beyond that, however, she does fear being in the wrong place at the wrong time and becoming victim of a religious hate crime. While such crimes are still relatively rare in the United States, she feels that they are on the rise due to the recent events that have been happening. She mentioned the anti-Islamic banner unfurled over a major New York transportation hub during the recent protests against the You Tube video. The banners, Sara mentioned, can only serve to further bridge a gap between the West and those of the Islamic faith. They are likely to stir up more hatred, and she certainly does not want to see that. Sara has mixed feelings over the protests that recently occurred. She certainly understands why people of her faith were upset to the point that they demonstrated in massive numbers. In fact, she was proud to be a Muslim because she saw ‘her people’ standing up for what they believe in. She also fears, however, that the message was not communicated in the most eloquent of manners. She wants a rational dialogue between the two sides so that they can reach an understanding. She still does not feel that the world understands why Muslims were so upset and that the message became garbled in a series of flag burnings that made it look as if Muslims were declaring war. Sara further fears that people may fear Muslims because of the appearance of violence, even though she knows that people of her religious faith are generally peaceful and can live well amongst people of all religious faiths. Conclusion The topic written about in this report is a serious one for our modern day culture to consider. Religion will always be a part of our society. For centuries, people of different faiths have been called upon to live together and in peace. In recent years, this desire to promote peace and harmony, however, appears to be waning. The backlash against Islam has been especially difficult to endure. Violence is begetting which is leading to fear on a massive scale. This fear is causing non-Muslims to say do hateful things, while stirring up even stronger feelings and emotions on the part of many Muslims around the world. As Sara and James mention, there are certainly people of the Islamic faith that are working against this peace. This author does not deny that. There are people of all faiths, however, who do more evil than good. This is really not the issue. The point is that Muslims deserve to be respected and to be afforded full equality in the eyes of the world. They deserve to observe and adhere to their religious beliefs without being subject to ridicule and scorn at every turn. This is the hope and dream of all Muslim’s today and it is the desire on the part of this author that this day comes sooner rather than later. Works Cited Bayoumi, Moustafa. “Fear and Loathing of Islam”. Nation, 294.27 (2012): 11-14. Dalal, Farhad. “Though Paralysis: Tolerance, and the Fear of Islam”. Pschodynamic Practice, 14.1 (2011): 77-95. James. Personal interview. 21 Nov. 2012. Sara. Personal interview. 20 Nov. 2012. Read More