In order for us a human species to survive on this planet with each other, we must understand each other. This is especially true when it comes to the topic of religion. Ignorance should not be looked at so much as a demeaning word, as it simply means that someone doesn’t have much knowledge of a particular subject matter. We are all ignorant in different ways and with different subjects. There is much concern right now with a large influx of Muslims immigrating to different countries of Europe, that did not have large population numbers of Muslims before. Also, most countries fail to give out introduction information about the new country to new arrivals, in order to prepare them for the culture, traditions, customs, language translations, and laws. Just throwing people into a new society without this information, sets the stage for racial, ethnic, and religious conflict. There is also the image of the Muslims that link all Muslims together. The image that the western world has of Islam is that of an Islamic Extremists, Islamic Terrorists, Islamic Jihadists, a Suicide Bomber, a member of ISIS, Al Queda, Hamas, Hezbollah, a member of a Radical Islamist group that cut the heads off of foreigners in the desert and then posted the videos on social media. Those that were responsible for 911. There is also the belief that Muslims believe that if you are not a Muslim or do not convert to Islam, then you must be put to death. Although there are Terrorists groups that are not followers of Islam, the image that western countries have of the religion, is deep rooted in what we have seen and heard in the media. Now we must understand that these groups do not represent the views of all Muslims in the world, and these groups have pronounced that the reason for their existence, is to counter the western world’s intrusion in Muslim countries. There are also those that criticize the teachings or certain verses in the Quran and believe that Muslims believe that they must take over the world with their religion and that all of the teachings are not compatible with western values. Western nations also disagree with the practice of Sharia Law and believe Muslims will try to enforce such laws in society once they gain a foothold in the new countries. These are all legitimate concerns and should be addressed by the highest members of the Muslim community, as well as from everyday Muslims, in order to dispel the fear and mistrust that non-Muslims have of their community. Let’s walk through some of the elements of Islam, for those who are not familiar with the religion. First of all, Islam is a religion, just like Christianity, and Judaism. All three of these religions are called the Abrahamic Religions, as all are connected through the Son’s of Abraham. The name “Allah” means “God,” or “The God.” The Term, “Allahu Akbar,” means, “God is the Greatest.” Regarding prayer, the Quran states that prayer should be conducted at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and at night. The Quran talks about the same figures as in the Holy Bible, including Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus and Mary. Not all Muslims believe in the practice of Sharia Law, while some Muslims believe in practicing some parts, but not others. Sharia Law is the sacred, divine law of Islam, a comprehensive moral and legal code derived from the Quran and the teachings of Muhammad, guiding Muslims on worship, ethics, finance, family, and daily life, aiming to provide a path to live according to God’s will. The interpretation and application vary widely among Muslims, as not all Muslims think the same way. Sharia means, “the way”. While some interpretations are strict (e.g., harsh punishments for theft, adultery), many Muslims follow more moderate, personal interpretations, with scholars developing complex methods to apply texts to modern life. Some Muslim countries are more moderate and secular like Turkey, while other Muslim countries are a theocracy, like Saudi Arabia. Not all traditions are always followed in new countries which can cause distain for the newcomers. There has been reports that citizens in certain European countries are being harassed on the streets for playing music, or for the way certain citizens dress. The Quran does not say anything negative about music and does not mention music at all. The way people dress should always be respected, as some people believe in dressing very conservative, especially the women, where other cultures allow for more of a freedom of choice on how one dresses. We should respect each other’s culture in this regard. Unfortunately, there are those that instead of embracing all religions, they attempt to demean and degrade another’s religion. It is not the religions that are faulty, it is man that taints and molests them. There are some that will pick apart another community’s religion by homing in on certain passages, in order to validate their point of the religion being a false religion, or a religion of hate. All holy books have passages that by today’s standard, could be viewed as being incompatible with today’s thought. If Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, and the rest of the world’s religions, would study, learn, and understand each other’s faiths, that will help eliminate all of the mistrust, fear, and hatred that we see regarding religion as a whole. There is plenty of ignorance all around when it comes to the topic of religion and even race. We need to understand what drives people to fear another communities’ religion, and if there are changes that can be applied to eliminate that fear, then we should work to apply that. The three Abrahamic religions are closer together and have more in common than one knows, unless you study the subject. We need to educate ourselves and help educate each other so that we can find common ground and unity among each other as God’s people that he created. God did not create one religious or racial community over another. God loves all of us equally and has put into our brains the ability to conquer evil thoughts and deeds. The fighting and hatred need to stop. Let us all rejoice in knowing that there are many people out there listening to God and are working for peace, equality, prosperity, and unity for all.
Learn another’s religion. Fear no religion.