By Myriam Jandali
Jihad
Stoning
Suicide Bombing
Islam and
Science
Islam
and Muslims often get bad press in media and since I myself am a Muslim women I
have been raised to know the truth behind my religion which is why I created
this artwork shown above to show the true colors behind my religion. In
following artwork I’ve used cement glass and a tree. There’s a reason behind
each and every element used which is going to be explained below
Dimensions
of the cement is 10x10 cm and the height is 5cm
The
cement is used as an example to show how Islam is portrayed in media where it
has been considered as a religion of cruelty, oppression, and brutality;
however, it is misunderstood by millions. Islam (meaning peace and submission
to God), is a religion of ethics, obedience, harmony, and is based on a
faithful belief system. Since the time the religion was revealed, Islam has
laid out a religiously pure belief system and has promoted advancements in
several branches of science. Soon after Muslim immigration into America and
other regions in the western world, Muslims have found it increasingly
difficult to endure these misconceptions. The religion of Islam is not a
religion of hatred and violence, but a religion of respect for all humans and
God. This is the true Islam, the religion of equality, morality, and faith. To
show that I’ve used the glass to represent snow and in the very middle a tree
blossoms. The tree that I have used was inspired by the cherry blossom tree.
The cherry blossom tree is found in japan. You might be asking yourself. How
does a tree in japan represent Islam and peace; however, these flowering trees
are a symbol of peace and hope, which is why I used it because I wanted to show
that in the end there is hope or Islam if one could truly open their mind and
see beyond media and the press. They will find how beautiful Islam is.
5 Common Myths about Islam
Propagated by the Media
Female Genital Mutilation
This horrendous
act is the removal of the female genitalia in order to control female
sexuality. This act is rooted in patriarchal cultures of controlling the female
population. There isn’t anything stated in the Quran or mentioned in the
Hadiths. Such acts were eliminated under Muhammad and his early followers. Yet
Fox News and other media outlets always perpetuate this action as part of
Islam. In reality, according to UNICEF, 29 countries practice FGM
Jihad
Jihad has
become synonymous with Islam and terrorism. Thanks to the extremists like Al
Qaeda and ISIS, this term has come to be portrayed as the means to the Islamic
utopia of a global caliphate. The media has taken the definition of the
terrorists, which represent a minute aspect of Muslims and disseminate it as if
it was a Quranic definition
Stoning
Stoning of
adulterers is seen as a barbaric act that only exists in the Islamic world. The
news media is quick to point out that the act of adultery is condemned within
Islam therefore stoning is what the Quran dictates. Bill Maher and others are
quick to point this out as well. They are not wrong in the sense that when they
hear about a stoning it’s in Muslim nations and hence it must be part of their
religion. The issue is instead taking what a few say or do as proof a religion
is inherently evil or advocates ignorance and violence, they should research it
instead. All Muslim countries do not practice stoning today, only a handful of
these nations. Actually the punishment of stoning of adulterers is not
mentioned anywhere in the Quran.
Suicide Bombing
Nothing is more
synonymous as an act of Islamic terrorism than suicide bombing. Suicide bombing
came to us in recent history during the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The
actions of the bombers were more so for national aspirations not religious
purposes. Yet it has always been claimed that Islam condones these acts of
terrorism and the Palestinians exhibited it. The media and commentator do a
great job of portraying it as a weapon of choice amongst Muslims. It did not
help when the Taliban implemented it in Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as Al
Qaeda carrying it out in Iraq
Islam and
Science
One thing I am
sadly witnessing today is this belief that Islam contributes nothing to the
world but hate, war, terrorism, and havoc. This notion that Islam is antiquated
and barbaric with nothing to share but only destroys. Nothing could be further
from the truth. Religion to many is a medium of hope and faith in something
that allows them to lead lives of purpose. It is the basis of their moral
compass. Today, the overwhelming majority of the 1.6 billion Muslims are not
violent and extreme. Of course there are criminal and violent believers amongst
Muslims but that number is very minute compared to what is sometimes
arbitrarily attributed by the media.
We forget that
Islam is one of the few religions that have been on the forefront of science,
technology, and advancement. It was Islam that preserved the works of the
Greeks and Romans when Europe descended into the Dark Ages. It was the Muslims
who built upon that knowledge and gave us advancements in mathematics such as
the concept of “0”, algebra, algorithm, advances in chemistry and medicine,
which are still used to this day, optics, astronomy, etc
