On The Distortion Of Islam And The Muslim World Summary

1329 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Women rights in islamic system

The Student Life article published by Taylor Schmitt
“On the Distortion of Islam and the Muslim World”

The Student Life recently published an article, “On the Distortion of Islam and the Muslim World,” in which the author, Taylor Schmitt, rejects the use of the name ISIS since this “gang of fools is neither Islamic nor a state.” Not only does the author state that Islam is not to blame for the cruelties committed in its name, but he goes on to say that ISIS is not an Islamic group at all, a statement which is totally false. ISIS started as a break away group of al-Qaeda, one of the most terrible Islamic groups in the world. The stated goal of ISIS is to start a worldwide Islamic caliphate. The areas it controls are ruled under strict …show more content…

Schmitt states that “culture, not religion, imposes these standards and gender roles, which will change, if they are meant to, at their own pace and in their own time.” This is the most unbelievable sentence in the entire article. The phrase “if they are meant to” seems to suggest that these terrible practices do not need to change, and that they should not be open to judgment from those outside of the Muslim countries doing them. Mr. Schmitt seems not to be concerned by the fact that these abuses are affecting real people and ruining real lives. I am very sure that the woman being stoned to death for riding in a car with a man who was not her husband is relieved by Mr. Schmitt’s encouragement that her country will soon join the twenty first century. I am sure that the gay couple who is in jail for daring to kiss in public would much rather have cultural change come about in twenty years rather than see Islam beliefs changed. Also, the gay couple in Saudi Arabia caught in a hotel room by hotel security and throw off the balcony and killed would most definitely want change. The media in the United States criticizes Christianity’s part to homophobia in our United States, so why shouldn’t we criticize Islam for doing the same in the Middle

Show More
Related

  • Similarities Between Nazis And ISIS

    536 Words  | 2 Pages

    When people compare ISIS and the Nazis they see some horrific similarities. ISIS makes propaganda videos of them cutting people’s heads off (Luckert). They post these on websites and use social media to promote these awful video. They also make

    Read More

  • Essay On The Spread Of Islam Dbq

    657 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Muslim Empire began to expand vastly under the Umayyads, with the empire becoming so large many people were converting to Islam religion. The Umayyads were the second of the four major caliphates after the death of Muhammad. The Empire used many different ways to spread the Islamic civilization consisting of war, classes, and appeal. The Islamic civilization spread so strongly because of the way it allured the common man.

    Read More

  • Islam: Its History, Sects, and Pillars

    2993 Words  | 6 Pages

    Islam is a monotheistic and Abrahamic religion alongside Judaism and Christianity. It is currently the second largest religion in the world today. Its beliefs come from the Qur'an which literally means "the recitation" which is believed to be a literal transcription of the word of God. Its main prophet is named Muhammad who began Islam by speaking with the angel Gabriel in a cave during his meditation and then acting as an instrument of God to help write the Qur’an. Muhammad then spread Islam to the scattered tribes of Arabia by becoming the leader of Yathrib and using his wonderful leadership abilities to then grow his influence over virtually all of Arabia. Muhammad is known by Muslims to be the seal of the profits because no profits after Muhammad should be considered legitimate. Muhammad also left behind the Hadith or “tradition” which is a collection of writings compiled of reports of Muhammad’s actions as leader of Yathrib. These reports are used as a more specific code of ethics in day to day life and from these reports the 5 Pillars of Islam are derived (Smith 160). Although Islam shares many similarities to Judaism and Christianity it is often viewed in the US with hate derived from preconceived notions following the attack on September 11th 2001. This paper seeks to provide an overview of Islam’s history as well as its two major sects and 5 main pillars to remove preconceived notions and provide a glance into the minds of the Islamic people.

    Read More

  • The Media Portrayal of Islam

    965 Words  | 2 Pages

    Islam is portrayed and is commonly accepted as the most violent and largest direct threat to the West. This is a generalization made by most of the West, but it is not particularly the West or the Islamic people’s fault. There is constant turmoil in Islamic countries in the Middle East and these conflicts are what make the news in the West. The only representation in the media that the Islamic nation gets is that of war. Though most Islamic people are not violent, the select few that do participate in terrorist groups give the rest of the Islam nation a bad image.

    Read More

  • The Influence of Muslims in the Modern World

    757 Words  | 2 Pages

    Today, the modern world has been greatly influenced by Muslims. Muslims are very intelligent people and created and invented many achievements. In ninth century Arabia, Muslims contributed: Intellectual, Cultural, and Economic advancements that have impacted the world long term.

    Read More

  • Isis Research Papers

    545 Words  | 2 Pages

    Isis is arguably the most successful and feared group of militants. It has claimed itself a state and has been governing for many years. Isis began in 2004 and was an ally of Osama Bin Laden. The only difference is that Isis is more brutal and more effective when controlling territory. Isis is growing and so are the fears of the United States citizens. Isis has been pushed back farther into its own territory, losing 12% of its territory. But that does not mean that it is any less dangerous. Isis is a major inspiration for many attacks of terrorism around the world.

    Read More

  • Islamic Reform Since 9/11

    1193 Words  | 3 Pages

    The religion of Islam garners large amounts attention. Many believe it is a violent and backwards religion. Since 9/11, "Islamic reform" has become an all-purpose phrase: equally a western impulse to protect itself from Muslim violence and a humanist notion aimed at assisting voiceless Muslims (Eteraz1). Extreme displays of Islamic faith such as the attacks on the World Trade Center on 9/11 have generated negative stereotypes about Islam as a religion. These stereotypes of violence and backwards thinking have been further perpetuated by even more recent examples of extremism by Muslim terrorists. Although most Muslims are peaceful and do not endorse the violence of their Muslim brethren, there are some who believe it is their responsibility to punish those who do not adhere to Islam. This religion is no stranger to divinely motivated warfare. Islam was founded on the belief that it is excusable to harm others in the name of Allah. The terrorist group, Al-Qaeda, holds many of these beliefs. Al Qaeda's modern origins go back to Wahhabism, named after the revivalist movement founded by Muhammad Ibn'Abd al-Wahhab in 1744. Wahhab called for a return to a pure and unadulterated form of Islam closer to the ideals of the Prophet (Blond 3). Recently a movement is being made to reform and reinterpret Islam not just as a religion, but also as a culture. The reformation of Islam by its religious authorities and will yield a more passive interpretation of Islam, therefor deterring Islamic extremism and producing a more diplomatic faith.

    Read More

  • Interview With A Muslim

    2097 Words  | 5 Pages

    Robinson, B.A. (2002, October 14). Islam: Is it a religion of violence or of peace.

    Read More

  • The History of Islam

    800 Words  | 2 Pages

    1) Muhammad- Muhammad was a caravan trader until age forty when he had a great religious experience. He believed that he had seen the angel Gabriel and had been commanded to teach the word of Allah. After meeting persecution at Mecca, he gained many followers in Yathrib. Eventually, he and his followers invaded Mecca and destroyed the pagan idols in the temple in Mecca called Ka'bah. This became the holiest shrine and led to the conversion of many Arabian tribes.

    Read More

  • What Makes Islam, Islam?

    1063 Words  | 3 Pages

    There is a strong belief that Islam and politics are directly tied. They are tied in the sense that the building blocks of the religion dictate how they ought to behave in the political environment. Through this mandatory follow up behavior that the religion delineates, many have come to believe that its teachings are a form of terrorism. Mandaville argues that what has challenged the Islamic link between politics and religion was the emergence of secularism, which went against the belief that politics and religion could go together. Islam has been a religion that has been accused of supporting terrorist activities in the world. Different assumptions have been brought up to understand better the linkages between what really lies behind the Islam religion and politics. Peter Mandaville argues that Islam is dynamic and that it has changed over time; situated within time and politics.

    Read More

  • The Spread of Islam

    813 Words  | 2 Pages

    Islam is a major world religion. Its origin can be traced back to 610 CE in Arabia. The basis of this religion is the revelations to the prophet Mohammad. Dissatisfied with his life, he traveled to deserts, hills, and the wilderness surrounding Mecca, where he lived, to meditate and reflect. He became a new man through his revelations, which many of his followers believe Allah transmitted to him through his angel Gabriel. Islam was originally an Arab religion, but many different beliefs and practices were added to it, making it extremely popular and aiding in its rapid spread. This new religion spread to many different areas surrounding Arabia, both under Mohammad and after his death. The Muslim Empire grew to encompass Spain and the Eastern Roman Empire as well Persia and Africa. Many different practices and methods were used to spread Islam. The religion itself was appealing to, in addition to the inhabitants of Arabia, other people in the surrounding areas because of its distinct religious beliefs and practices, such as the five pillars, as well as the humility and prayerfulness of the Islamic people. They fought cruel, vicious wars with their enemies. Many different things motivated the warriors to expand, but above all, the riches they would gain from the people of the Fertile Crescent encouraged them to expand.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Islam

    939 Words  | 2 Pages

    A lot of people believe that Muslims, Islam, and/or the Holy Quran encourages killing, fighting, and terrorism. Events such as the 9/11 attack in the United States, the Boston Marathon Bombing, and conflicts in the Middle East causes the media to label Muslims as terrorists. When a specific group of people cause violence to another group it is categorized as ‘hate crime’, but if a Muslim does the same act, the media immediately labels it as ‘terrorism’ (Frater, 2009). As a matter of fact, regarding to the attacks of the mosques in Israel, the media did not use the acts to victimize or stereotype Judaism. Moreover, some extremist groups use Islam as a tactic to gain followers even though a lot of their practices go against the teachings of the Quran. A person would not be considered a Muslim if they spread fear or terrorize others. The Quran clearly states, “You shall not take life, which God has made sacred, except by way of justice and law.” (Quran, 6:151). Islam is against any force or violence towards another person. Often the word ‘Jihad’ is taken out of context by violent militants; it means to strive or struggle for the sake of ones’ self improvement with respect to their spirituality. Religious and political groups use Jihad to justify ...

    Read More

  • The Rise and Spread of Islam

    1136 Words  | 3 Pages

    The world you once knew is falling to ashes and food is become such a scarcity that people are fighting over a few pieces of bread. The political class is too busy fighting among themselves to care for anyone else. Children are roaming the streets and begging for work to feed their dying, hungry stomachs. This is not a scene from a horror movie, but rather the reality of the beginning of post classical era. In these times of hardship the people turned to a higher power, which resulted in a religious boom. The main religion during the post classical era that had the greatest impact on people was Islam due to Muhammad, trade routes, the Black Plague, conquests and Islamic culture.

    Read More

  • Unveiling Islam: What Muslims Believe, by Zainab Ali

    596 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Zainab Ali's book, "Unveiling Islam: What Muslims Believe," she explains the basic beliefs of a Muslim. She also elaborates on the images of Muslims in the media created by important leaders such as Saddam Hussein and Louis Farrakhan and how they contradict the Islamic belief. The writer then gives her explaination of these contradictions with respect to Islamic rules. She focuses on the rules of the faith - the five pillars of Islam - by provinding explanations, definitions, and examples. After an elaboration of each pillar, the writer explains the relevance of the pillars in life and the affects that the pillars have on the character of a true Muslim. She then compares this character to the characters of the Islamic leaders in the media to support her claim that people of the Islamic faith are not compatible with the images portrayed through the media. By making this claim, the author is trying to correct the misunderstandings of the Islamic faith and of the Muslim image by providing examples, explanations, and comparisons to define a "true" Muslim.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Islam In The Modern World

    856 Words  | 2 Pages

    Islam does not define only the spiritual side of the life, but also material side.

    Read More

More about On The Distortion Of Islam And The Muslim World Summary

Open Document