Islam

Essay by chase06University, Bachelor'sA-, July 2010

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Islam

On September 11, 2001, a date that all Americans remember as one if not the most tragic day in American history when terrorist murdered almost 3,000 people. The attackers were all Muslims, immediately Islam was at fault as the overwhelming sense of helplessness swept over America, many focused their anger towards Islam. The reality of Islam is much different from the perception that was forced upon us after the horrendous actions of a few men that were identified as Muslims and followers of Islam. The fact that "Good deeds and bad deeds are done by individual people, not by religions" (Bulliet, 2010) and that an estimated 23 percent of the world's population follows Islam, it would be impossible to make a connection between all Muslims on the actions of a few. Islam is a faith of peace and gaining an understanding the myths, sacred texts, rituals, history, and the similarities of Islam to Christianity will probably change your perspective on a religion that many Americans discount.

Myths

Many damaging myths have been created surrounding Islam since that fateful day in 2001. As a response, there is no shortage of information on the Internet trying to dispel myths about Islam as Mary Fisher recognizes in her book Living Religions that "glimmers of appreciation for the faith are just beginning to appear outside Islam, partly as sincere Muslims attempt to counteract negative media portrayals of their religion." (Fisher, M., 2003, p.359). The most prolific myths that seem to be the oppression of women, that Muslims are violent terrorist, and that all Muslims are Arab (Dodge, n.d.). Myths are stories that usually have some truth to them and spread to explain something or more frequently incite some kind of emotion in the listener. Myths about Islam...