Islam Misunderstood

Unfortunately Islam has now become a faith associated with terrorism. Angst was heightened worldwide after the 9/11 attack where Muslims were portrayed as people associated to the concept of destruction and fear. Before we knew it, a once peaceful religion and culture was now defined as promoter terrorism and unjustly seen as the ultimate enemy, overnight, primarily because of the mistakes of a small group of people.

Few questions that are mostly asked which I would like to answer or clear to my readers:

1) Does Islam promote violence and killing of innocents?

NO religion promotes violence, nor does it ask its followers to kill others. These inhuman choices are purely based on individuals using their religion to attack others and not because of the Quran or any other Holly book.

In the Quran [sura 5, verse 32] it states: “If anyone slays a person, it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people.”

Using the religion to justify mass murders is even more cruel and upsetting than the act itself. That’s because two sins are committed—the murders themselves, and then defamation of Islam by using the religion to justify them. To put it lightly, it’s an outright insult to Islam and the above verse.

Although, it’s in my honest opinion that our religion is established purely on our individual perspective. It’s how we interpret it or in most cases, it’s how religion has been interpreted to us as we grown up. More often then not, our beliefs are much the same as those we grow up with in our family surroundings and social settings. It’s the beliefs that we are raised with. Sure we might question these as we grow older, but these beliefs are the fundamentals to our growth and the stepping stones we adopt through out our life.

2) Why are Muslims targeting “the west”?

A widely asked question, Once again, this is just generalization. Muslims have nothing against the west and in fact, most Muslims go there to live a peaceful and beautiful life. That of which we can definitely understand why.

The west is being targeted by a group of individuals in the name of their faith as they declare “a holy war” even against each other, their own people. There are 5-12 million Muslims in the United States alone, but that’s not a reason to claim each and every single one as a terrorist.

In saying that, we need to remember that the west is not the only one suffering from terrorism in the world. Countries like India, Iraq and Pakistan are also enduring the true suffering of terrorism right now. Pakistan itself has groomed terrorists for many years but is now suffering from the adverse effects of it. The horrific attack in Peshawar is testament to the devastation that has occurred in Pakistan which has broken hearts all around the world. The west is not suffering, the world is suffering.

3) Does all Muslim countries promote extremism?

They don’t. Extremism has stemmed from the individuals of this world, not religion. It can also be based on an individual country. Take North Korea for example which is said to be one of the most extreme countries. North Korea is under complete dictatorship and is essentially isolated from the world because of its nuclear capabilities that can pose a serious threat worldwide at any moment, especially to it’s neighbours South Korea and Japan. But – Are we scared of North Koreans when we recognize one? Do we tarnish every North Korean we see with the same brush? No!.  Muslims must not be  seen as the ultimate enemy, it is the extremist or clearly put, terrorists who are the enemy of humanity.

4) Why does Islam not practice equal rights?

This is another hugely common misconception of Islam. Many Muslim countries practice equality and have the same rights for women as westerners. These practices are based on the individual country and what that country imposes, not Islam as a whole. The media creates so much emphasis on the combination of ISIS and Muslims and the association of the sickening acts they prevail with that it becomes difficult to judge or understand.

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Being a Muslim I should say I am ashamed of what these religious extremist are doing around the world,the killings of innocent people, children's,women, The so called Islamic state is even selling them as slaves but I will say I am saddened but not ashamed as they are not Muslims. Terrorists don't belong to any religion, they are not holy warriors and have no right or say over Islam or any religion.

We all belong to different religion and culture, humanity should be are first religion and that is what all Holy books teach us.

Ending on a personal note, I am Muslim and an Indian which I am proud of. I don’t wish to be discriminated just because some group of people think they are true followers of Islam which is wrongly put and used by them. We all are religious people but terrorism has no religion.