Why Write?

I write in an attempt to dispel stereotypes.

If anyone out there is reading this and has a question about Islam or "Arab" culture, please post it and I'll do my best to answer. There are no "stupid" or "offensive" questions.

I am a strong believer in the fact that we learn by challenging what we are taught and told to accept. I want this to be an open forum where any question can be asked. I believe your curiosity will allow me to further educate myself, because I am sure that I will not always have an answer and may have to do some research of my own.

One of the greatest summaries of Islam I've ever read is found here:

http://www.spiritual.com.au/articles/religion/islam_ffares.htm

There are a couple of things, that I'll chalk up to writing style (word choice, etc), that wouldn't be the way I'd put it - but over all it is a great start!

The prophet Mohamed, who was illiterate himself, spoke very highly of the importance of seeking knowledge.

(Hadith)

"A Muslim who meets with others and shares their burdens is better than one who lives a life of seclusion and contemplation." (Muslim)

This means one who shares knowledge is better than one who simply worships God in a vacuum. It is not enough to pray in a corner night and day. This is not what God wants of us. Honesty, yes. Loyalty, yes. Devotion, yes. Faith, yes. Do nothing else with your life, but worship Him, no. Muslims (and good people in general) are taught to lead by example.

My "burden" is that terrorists hijacked Islam on 9-11. This is my meager attempt to help set the record straight.

Islam is not a religion of:

- Hatred
- Seclusion
- Racism
- Genderism (is this a word? eh, ya'll know what I mean)
- War
- Violence
- Terrorism
- Extremism

The word "Islam" stems from two Arabic root words:
1 - "aslama" - which in English can closely translate to "submission" or "surrender"
2 - "salaam" - which in English can closely translate to "peace"

So how can a faith, named after submitting or surrendering oneself to God Almighty, alone, be evil? What "warrior" or "war monger" or "terrorist" is taught to submit?

Being a "Muslim" means "one who submits or surrenders to God."

Islam is a guide to live one's life. It teaches moderation and discipline. Yes, there are verses that deal with the topic of war, but they are often taken out of context or mis-translated entirely.

And, if we are to be fair, there are several verses in Psalms (the Book of David - which Muslims believe in and adhere to), the Torah (the Book of Moses - which Muslims believe in and adhere to), and the Bible (the Book of Jesus - which Muslims believe in and adhere to) as well.

We have to view things, not only in context, but research why these verses were revealed. Most of the time, those versus served a specific purpose to that time and should serve as a historical marker - NOT A ROAD MAP for today!

I'm sure I'll be writing more on these topics ... but we'll save that for another day.