/11 Attack and Islam in America By Kulsum Soonasra December 7th, 2011 I attended a mosque recently and the

lecturer spoke about Islam in America. He said, because of propaganda, Islams image is distorted, and as a Muslim, I feel the need to clarify what my religion is truly about. I am a strong believer in not only religious tolerance, but also religious acceptance. Considering comments I personally have received and propaganda in the media, many people are not awar e that Islam supports religious pluralism. Contrary to popular belief, Muslims do not hate other religions, and maybe this misconception about Islam is why the re are hate crimes against the religion. I have always been taught that my religion is one of peace and understanding. C onsequently, when Islam and terrorism are directly connected, it aggravates me. I r ealize there are criminals that are Muslim, and there are those who call themsel ves Muslim and commit terrorist acts in the name of God, but they are not true Mus lims; however, there are also non-Muslims that commit heinous acts, but they are not persecuted due to their religion, but rather their actions. Why is that no t the case for Muslims? It boggles my mind as to why there are Qurans being des ecrated in America when the book teaches love and acceptance. I fail to underst and why there is such an issue with an Islamic center being built when people kn ow that the foundation of Islam is peace, not violence. What makes me the most upset though are the acts of hypocrisy. If Islam is viewed as a violent religion by the masses, why are Muslims the ones victimized every time there is a hate c rime against a mosque? Ignorance is the issue here, and Islam teaches to defend by education, not violence. The fact that education is preferred over violence may come as a shock since the term Jihad or holy war is used so loosely with extremists. Jihad does not mean hol y war, but in actuality, it means internal struggle in the way of God; now, that d oesnt sound so threatening, does it? According to Islam, there are only three ca ses in which Jihad can be used: self-defense, defending people who are being opp ressed (Muslim or non-Muslim), or defending Muslim lands when the masses are in danger. In addition, the Quran clearly states that people can only physically f ight when they are being attacked; therefore, physical force is the last possibl e resort. Jihad is acceptable in these three cases, and it does not seem so dif ferent from how U.S. law would handle the same situations. For example, when a person is being attacked, they are allowed to use the equal amount of force in s elf-defense. Furthermore, when people are oppressed, such as cases in Africa, t he United Nations intervenes to save those people from their oppressors. Lastly , in any country, criminals are put in prison because they are causing problems in a society, and this affects the majority. Similarly, the last case Jihad is acceptable is defending Muslim lands from those who are harming the masses. Sin ce these situations would be handled the same in U.S. law, it is proof that Jiha d is an act of humanity, not violence. I understand the perspective of those who do not have insight into the religion of Islam because they depend on the media. The media shows countries that are s upposed to be Islamic countries, but instead, they oppose the religion rather th an follow it. The governments in these types of countries force their people to practice a certain way, their way, not the Islamic way which distorts the image o f Islam and leaves people confused. This type of oppressive government encourag es the birth of extremists who kill in the name of God. A true Muslim knows tha t suicide bombing is against everything the religion teaches; it not only harms the bomber, but it also puts innocent people in danger. I am repulsed by the fa ct that people call themselves Muslims and then commit such atrocious acts; this is not Islam.

After 9/11, Islam has been all over the media, and most of the attention it has attracted is negative. I know people connect terrorism and Islam, but I hope th at people realize that Islam is a religion of peace, not violence. Many religio us extremists, despite their religion, use their beliefs as a scapegoat. These extremists are not people of faith; they are cowards. As an American Muslim, I realize the pain that America has suffered after the 9/11 attacks, and terrorist acts that occurred after that. These acts were done by awful human beings who do not know what Islam is. I am not here to impose my religion on anyone, but r ather I am here to tell you all that Islam accepts people for who they are and w hat they believe. It is a religion that teaches peace, love, and acceptance, an d anyone Muslim who says otherwise is not a Muslim at all. Source: The Keystone URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamIslamAndTolerance_1.aspx?ArticleID=60 91

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COMMENTS 12/8/2011 12:59:30 PM Ghulam Mohiyuddin Kulsum speaks the truth. It is important for Muslims themselves to know their tr ue religion before they can clear up the misunderstandings of others.