Violence is not our religion

Violence+is+not+our+religion

A terrorist organization called the Islamic State (IS) has recently risen to power. Its members hide behind a wall of false identity, using a false Islam to validate the crimes they commit. Because of them, Muslims must face the fear of Islamophobia and must be careful regarding the actions they take and the words they speak.

Some Americans think they know all there is to know about Islam by just observing these terror groups. They believe Islam is about war and slaughtering anyone whose beliefs are different from those of a Muslim. When I point out that this is not true, some people have the audacity to tell me that I am wrong.

I have been practicing this religion my entire life.

I have never had a problem when it comes to defining what makes up my character. I proudly let my Islamic heritage shape who I am and I make it known wherever I go. Growing up in a sometimes-prejudiced environment makes me hold closer onto my faith, but it also fills me with fear and frustration.

For example, in November, at a Civil War reenactment, I wanted to take a picture holding a gun just to add a fun twist to my extra credit assignment. My father advised me against it, telling me that if the government found it, they might accuse me of being a terrorist.

Later that month, a Ferguson grand jury failed to indict Darren Wilson for the murder of Michael Brown. I wore all black to protest this, inking my left arm with the words “hands up, don’t shoot.” My mother pleaded with me to wash it off because she believed that a Muslim speaking out against the American government would bring nothing but trouble for him or her.

These are some consequences that my family and I are always paranoid about, consequences that non-Muslim people may not have to face.

It becomes worse when I hear someone at school say, “They’re Muslims, that’s what they do.”

No, they are not Muslims, and that is not what we do.

I usually feel safe at Oak Park because I do not face as much discrimination here as I do in other places. The majority of the people I know are very open-minded. But I have been the victim of Islamophobia, and it is time that a Muslim perspective is heard,  even if there are only four of us at this school.

In truth, Islam teaches peace and tolerance.

In Islam, women have more rights than some people think they do. It is written in the Quran that men and women have the same spirit and that neither gender is superior. Periods, pregnancy and childbirth are not punishments for sin but are instead reasons to love and respect women as mothers.

In Islam, women have the right to own property. Women have the right to work in any professional field and are entitled to equal pay.

In Islam, men and women have the right to choose whom they want to marry and share the responsibility of respecting and supporting.  In addition to this, parents must love their sons and daughters equally, and it is sin to favor one child over the other based on gender.

Today’s Muslims also practice the values of Islam.

In January, Islamic Relief USA and Michigan Muslim Community Council donated $100,000 to Detroit to help the state its pay water bills after it shut off water for residents with overdue balances. They said, “It is important to us in our faith to help our neighbors.”

In April 2014, a bus driver in Surrey, British Columbia, witnessed a Muslim man giving his shoes to a shoeless fellow passenger before exiting the bus and walking home barefoot. It is a part of our religion to help those less fortunate.

What I have described above is the true Islamic religion, not the religion that the terrorists follow.

If young people truly wish to fight terrorism, they must first fight bigotry against any religion. If worldly affairs continue to progress this way, the world will be a pile of ashes that we will have the responsibility of sweeping up. If we act now, while we are young, we can extinguish the flame of prejudice before it burns us.

The first step to this recovery is education. Learn about all religions and all cultures from all types of sources, not just from television news reports. With true education comes understanding and with true understanding comes tolerance.

The next step is to take action. Speak out for one another. Join hands with one another. Religion is something so pure and beautiful, and it is meant to comfort and relive people from their troubles. Many of us know of the terrible fear that comes from religious discrimination. Therefore, we must work together to end it.

I have faith that our generation can change the way the world is run and that we can change it for the better. We simply need the guidance, education and open-mindedness required to create a safe environment for people of all ethnicities and all religions.