Religious Identity: Misinterpretations And Predispositions

998 Words2 Pages

Introduction
Religious identity has become a part of a socially constructed hierarchy that identifies human beings based on the superiority, or lack thereof, of their religion. Religion has been a relevant topic throughout history, and religious tensions still exist in the modern world. Islam, a major world religion, is misinterpreted due to its history and the actions of its followers. Judgements based on religious identity create prejudice and bigotry. The misinterpretations of Islam continue to affect the lives of Muslims; moreover, creating hostile environments for these religious followers. In order to fully understand the impact the misinterpretations and predispositions have had on Islam, the following question must be addressed: How has history altered the way Islam is perceived? For the purpose of this argument, history will be defined as yesterday and beyond.
Historic events have altered the way that people perceive followers of Islam. As stated by Lila Abu-Lughod in an interview with the Asia Society, reducing Middle Eastern countries to Islam is as useless as reducing the United States to Christianity. The difference between the two geographical locations is their history. The history surrounding the United States and the Middle East favors …show more content…

Distinct Muslim discrimination began with the expulsion of Islam from Spain in 1492, the year the Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella conquered Granada, the last city under Muslim control. At this time, there were approximately 500,000 Muslims living in Spain. These Muslims were forced to self-exile or convert to Catholicism. Mosques were destroyed and cathedrals were built on top of the ruins. This early practice of discrimination encouraged the formation of later eras. The Spanish Inquisition took away Muslims’ opportunities and their Moorish culture. This historic event served as encouragement for the predispositions on

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