Society today is quick to think that if one is a Muslim or from the Middle East then you are a terrorist or somehow in association with a terrorist group. Discriminating against Muslims just because a couple of extremists decide to turn a city of innocence into a city of terror and conflict, and blaming the whole race is an ignorant and ridiculous idea.
Societies today are like robots; they are programmed to think that anyone who grows a beard or wears a headscarf are terrorists. Where does society really hear or get these preconceived notions? Unsurprisingly, most people get their information from the false stories they hear from the media. Muslims in America are afraid to act and dress the way the religion is taught due to the discriminative comments that they have to tolerate. There should be no shame when it comes to the religion you practice. There is no shame in standing up for Islam even though thousands of lives were lost and injured during the horrific and heartbreaking day of 9/11. Yes, those terrorists were Muslims. But these small amounts of extremists that take violence in the name of God are not and cannot be a Muslim. Is it reasonable that a small group of extremists that do not represent the religion’s teachings correctly and instead, manipulate it; represent all 1.5 billion Muslims in the world? Not only is that ridiculous but it shows how the world today is forced to believe what they hear. Just people’s ignorance leads them to the idea that Muslims are terrorists, when in reality they are not.
The Quran (the Holy Book of Islam), states that one is not to harm another. In Islam, the Quran declares that man shall not worship God (Allah) by ending his life. If it is done, then it is going against everything that is being preached by Islam. In Islam, people are taught about the importance of life and how it is such a blessing to actually be alive and be able to follow the word of Allah. Life is such a cherished aspect to the human race. Any person would think that no matter which religion they follow, a person must live in order to obey and carry out these teachings. Any person that practices Islam truly knows that they are not supposed to kill innocent civilians similar to how those extremists did in that horrid month of September. People were terrified that day, including Muslims. The air was composed of fog and smokiness, soot and dirt, smut and dust. That day, hundreds of families were torn apart. That day, hundreds of lives were lost due to the cruel and indecent act of those so-called ‘Muslims’. That day, America marked the beginning of an endless discrimination towards Muslims for the rest of their lives; in misery and in shame due to the misinterpretation of those inhumane and immoral terrorists. People who translate and ‘mistakenly’ manipulate the words of the Quran are the ones who seem to believe that killing is ordained in Islam. How can killing be a fundamental practice in Islam if the people who are trying to translate the words aren’t even Muslim, and don’t even understand the context of the passage? Muslims practice Islam all over the world. The term ‘Muslim’ stands for two meanings “one who submits to God” and “peace”. This itself proves that Islam is the furthest thing from violence and terrorism.
Most people associate Islam with terrorism because the majority of terrorists claim to be Muslims and defend their actions as a religious right; however this does not truly mean that all Muslims are terrorists. Therefore, standing up for the religion of Islam is an important action in the life I live. To my personal understanding, the person who commits terrorist acts and claims to be Muslim is in fact the furthest thing possible from a Muslim. Muslims are taught from early childhood to late adulthood to not harm yourself or others. If this is one of the main teachings of Islam, then how can people blame Muslims as a whole and call them terrorists and extremists? It’s like representing one Christian or one Jew (which turns out to be a terrorist) out of the entire religion. Does this mean that Christianity or Judaism are confined as terrorist and extreme religions? Of course not! This idea is just beyond irrational, it’s ridiculous that people actually believe it.
One of the most famous terrorists of our time is Osama Bin laden. In his case, I would not even dare call him a Muslim because of his misinterpretation and manipulation of the word of God (Allah) to mean whatever he wants. However, his interpretation of God’s word is going against everything that Islam stands for. If something is being taught to everyone, but it is being misinterpreted and falsified, then shouldn’t one clarify that the information wrong? If a teacher made a mistake and a student found it, but didn’t correct her or say anything to her to realize her mistake, then that is just building upon false information. And in the end, you get the wrong answer. People have conveyed the wrong message of Islam and the results that we’ve perceived are insulting and hideous to the eyes of the whole rest of Islam.
Unfortunately, in recent history there have been many different types of inhumane occurrences that have happened. Many of which are done by people who have claim to be of the Muslim faith. As said before, Muslims who kill themselves in the name of God is an outrageous and ridiculous request from any one, especially if was demanded by God. Today, Islam is one of the fastest and largest practiced religions in the world. However, many Muslims wear a mask because they are afraid to reveal themselves beneath the cover as Muslims due to the hatred and ignorant discrimination. This is a situation in my daily life that I personally face every day. Unfortunately, I have been called a terrorist a couple of times. At times, it feels like I am the only living breathing creature in this world, as if I am a bee being kicked out of the hive. At times, it is as if I am trapped in a room being yelled at for just simply being Muslim. If you look at me, I mean look at me; I am a teenage American Muslim who looks and acts like every other teenager. So what makes me the definition of a terrorist? What other than my religion makes me so different from society?
In a situation like this, it is like branding a person something that they are not, like falsifying a person’s character and cheating themselves to think that we are low and inhumane. I guess it is some type of human flaw to question and bring down things that are not understood. So next time you or anyone is quick to judge, or pass judgments on a person, fully think about what the word ‘terrorism’ really means, and think about the affect of a comment like that could have on a person. There are many different ways that the word discrimination can be defined and used. However, there is one thing in common among all of these definitions, and that is judging; labeling someone or something without a true test of character to back this accusation. Islam, as for many other people, is what makes me the person I am, so society can rest assure that this is a cause and situation that I will stand up for.
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