In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
It's time to set the record straight. The American people are confused about Islam and what it teaches. They are constantly told that it is a religion of hate, violence and intolerance, and that Muslims despise Christians and Jews. They are told that it is an oppressive religion, that women have no rights under its statutes, and that the prophet Muhammad was a scoundrel.
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will recognize such accusations as similar to those levelled against their church and against the prophet Joseph Smith. It would behove Mormons and all other inquiring minds to carefully scrutinize such accusations against Islam and make an honest effort to find valid resources to discover the truth, even though it might require the inconvenience of altering one's misconceptions.
As a lifelong member of the LDS Church, I have lived for 40 years with my Muslim husband in both his country and my own. I feel a deep responsibility to correct the misunderstandings about his precious people and their noble religion which have been cruelly demonized for decades in this country. In living so long with Islam, I have not only maintained my testimony as a Mormon, but my testimony has grown even more solid with an increasing appreciation of Islam's insights. If one were to carefully study the Quran, armed with latter-day information, one would come to see that the clash between Islam and Christianity seems to be an illusion. This would correspond with the Book of Mormon's claims in 2 Nephi that God has given light to all people throughout history, and did not confine all truth to the tribes of Israel alone.
There is a basic principle in play which affects all of us in life, that being the influence on our attitudes and behaviour by two strong elements -- our culture and our religion. This is something few of us realize, and we usually react to situations according to the dictates of our culture, sometimes in direct conflict with our religious ideals. This same principle also applies to the entire world, including the Middle East.
Since no religion teaches arrogance and oppression, when one sees obvious violations of human rights in the Middle East, one cannot transfer blame to Islam, no matter how tempting. The same violations are most often practiced in the same area by both Christians and Jews who are acting under the same cultural influences. The circumcision of women in Egypt and Sudan is an example, a practice abhorred by the other Arab and Muslim nations. The word Islam means "submission." A "Muslim" is "one who submits." Allah is the Arabic word for "The God" and not the name of an alien god. Arabic-speaking Christians refer to God as Allah, the Arabic equivalent to Elohim. The Muslims have a complete and total trust in God's wisdom and in His will, making it possible for them to resign themselves to circumstances unacceptable to those of us who believe we are the complete masters of our own destiny, as taught by our American culture.
It is absolutely essential that Americans understand that Islam teaches that Jesus was born of a virgin, and in 11 places the Quran refers to Jesus as "The Messiah." Jesus is extremely important in Islam, as illustrated in a new book titled The Moslem Jesus by Tarif Khalidi which presents a collection of legends about Jesus gleaned from various Muslim traditions from around the globe. Islam reveres Christians and Jews as "the people of the Book," and allows intermarriage with them as well as tolerance for their practice of their faith. The Quran recognizes all of the prophets of the Old Testament and one cannot be a Muslim without accepting those prophets and their teachings.
The Quran calls for complete chastity on the part of both men and women. Any double standard which exists in actuality is the result of cultural influence and a direct violation of Islamic law. Polygamy is given a definite limit of four wives; however, it is mandatory that the husband treat each and every wife with the same allotment of affection, attention and provisions without exception. This is generally considered to be impossibility, so it is obvious that polygamy is actually discouraged by Islam. Until 100 years ago, Western women had fewer rights than did Muslim women under the laws of Islam. The recent attack on the right of Muslim women to wear the "Hijab" in France brings up the subject of the veil and its origin. The complete veiling of women did not originate with Islam, but, rather, came about as a solution to a problem throughout Mesopotamia. Women were in constant danger from passing caravans, leading the communities of Christians, Jews and Muslims to decide that veiling their women would be the best way of protecting them. The head scarf is a personal choice made by women who demand to be respected and not desired as sex objects. Islam demands modesty, not only of women but also of men. Muslim men dress modestly even in the hottest climates.
Islam teaches personal responsibility and one's responsibility for families, homes and communities. This effort is called "Jihad," and is the same privilege and duty we assign ourselves when we grant ourselves the right to defence against harm, oppression and poverty. Islam forbids the taking of life of any human "soul," whether Muslim, Christian, Jew or pagan unless it is in self defence and suicide is a crime against God. There is no excuse for taking any innocent life.
The message of Islam is one of total trust in God, love and tolerance in an imperfect world. Before one criticizes Islam's performance, one needs to first examine one's own religion's performance in dealing with reality, and our own failure to comply with the ideals set forth.
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Carolyn Barrani is a needlework designer and portrait painter who lives in Salt Lake City.
Source: http://www.sltrib.com/2004/Mar/03212004/commenta/149533.asp
P.S. Pass it on to friends, family, neighbors, Muslims and Non Muslims alike. Feedback is welcome at [email protected]