There are many misconceptions about Islam and Muslims that are mistaken for the truth but are false. Even during medieval times, Muslims were shunned and were depicted as horrible people that attacked Europeans for no reason. For example, in a painting depicting an event from the 3rd Century, an Ottoman Muslim was depicted on the floor, being stepped on by a saint. There were no Muslims in the 3rd Century, which makes the painting clearly an example of discrimination. In the present, we have improved a substantial amount on teaching the truth, but still have a long way to go. We have compiled some answers clarifying these misconceptions. If you have any additional information that would be important on this page, email islamexplainedinfo@gmail.com.
All Muslims are Middle Eastern or Arab.
Most Muslims are not Middle Eastern or Arab. Many Muslims may seem Middle Eastern or Arab, and people are quite unanimous in this view. However, even though Islam's holiest sites are located in the Middle East, only about 20% of the world's Muslims live in the Middle East or Arabia. In actuality, Indonesia has the single largest Muslim population in the world. In other countries, like in the United States, Muslim populations are more racially diverse, with Muslims describing themselves as black, Caucasian, and white.
Islam oppresses women and forces them into a subservient role.
Islam does not oppress women and does not force them into a subservient role. Although Muslim women wearing headscarves, hijabs, and burqas may seem like an example of the oppression of women in Islam, many women wear these garments out of choice. Particularly in the United States, Muslim women wear hijabs and burqas as a symbol of pride, to convey a sense of identity, and to convey a sense of self-control. Also, Muslim women have been in roles of leadership in several countries, including Kosovo, Indonesia, and Pakistan. In addition to this, many Muslim countries have a higher percentage of women in national elected office than the United States. Many Muslim women do not even wear head coverings, and the common image made in people's heads are of Saudi Arabia, which only makes up 2% of the world's total Muslim population.
You cannot be Muslim and patriotic to the U.S. at the same time.
This is a false statement. You can be Muslim and patriotic to the U.S. at the same time. A 2011 Gallup poll found that most Muslim-Americans wish for a brighter future in the U.S. even though some Muslim-Americans are being persecuted for their religion. In another 2011 study by Pew, 56% of Muslim-Americans wanted to follow the ways of American culture and customs. Also, in the present time, two members of the United States Congress are Muslim-American. As if this wasn't already enough proof that you can be Muslim and patriotic to the U.S. at the same time, 5,896 members of the U.S. military self-identify as Muslim. 5,896 (and maybe more) Muslim-Americans risk their lives every day to keep the U.S. safe. This is enough information to prove that you can be Muslim and patriotic to the U.S. at the same time.
Muslim-American U.S. military members.
Islam is a violent religion and all Muslims are terrorists.
Islam is not a violent religion, and most Muslims do not identify with terrorism. People that support ISIS or terrorism are the very least of Muslims, and Muslims should not be mistreated or judged because of acts of minorities of Muslims that do not represent everyone who follows Islam. Eleven countries that have a significant Muslim population, according to a 2015 Pew Research Center study, strongly oppose ISIS and terrorism in every way. Also, about half of Muslim states, groups, and leaders put down terrorism, which shows that at the very least, half of the Muslim-American population does not support ISIS or terrorism. So, it is helpful to know that terrorist attacks in the United States have been committed by people with many beliefs like the Ku Klux Klan, white supremacy, anti-government, Islamic extremism, and others. No one is to blame for the U.S. terrorist attacks nor should Muslims be blamed for this.
Muslims do not value education.
Muslims worship the moon and the moon-god.
There have been many misconceptions about the Muslims worshipping the moon god, but this is false. People may have believed this because some Christian groups have spread that Allah* is just a figure for the moon god. They mistake Allah for meaning "moon god" since Muslims use a crescent moon as a symbol. To the Muslims, this can be taken very offensively since they practice monotheism, which is the practice of only worshipping one god, and in their case Allah/God (Allah means God in Arabic). The Muslims use a crescent moon as a symbol of Islam since represents the Muslims following the lunar calendar. Muslims do not actually worship the Moon God and all misconceptions about it are incorrect.
Muslims do not think Jesus exists and they don't care about him.
The Muslims do respect and believe in Jesus because like Muhammad, Jesus was a prophet of God. They would often also name their sons after Jesus who they called Isa. Though the Muslims did not know a couple things, some examples of this would be that they did not know that Jesus was the child of God and that he died because of mankind's sins.
SOURCES
- "Myths and Facts about Muslim People and Islam." Anti-Defamation League, ADL: Fighting Hate for Good, www.adl.org/education/resources/tools-and-strategies/myths-and-facts-about-muslim-people-and-islam.
- "Debunking Misconceptions About Muslims and Islam." Debunking Misconceptions, www.tolerance.org/sites/default/files/general/tt_debunking_misconceptions_0.pdf.
- Thomason, Rhonda, and Maureen Costello. "Busting Common Myths About Islam." Teaching Tolerance, 2017, www.tolerance.org/magazine/spring-2017/busting-common-myths-about-islam.
- "Common Misconceptions about Muslims: Encountering the World of Islam." Common Misconceptions about Muslims | Encountering the World of Islam, www.encounteringislam.org/misconceptions.