The Muslim perspective
The Quran and Allah are all familiar words learned, recognized and even hated since the events of Sept. 11.
Even though many Utah State University students, Cache Valley residents and Americans know about Islam and its followers, Muslims, some still link them with terrorism.
“It continues to amaze me that sometimes people don’t use common sense and put themselves in other people’s shoes,” said Amal Kawar, USU political science professor. “There are already a lot of overgeneralizations because of an overbiased media, and I feel bad for the people who do that, because it makes themselves look ignorant.”
Perspectives change, however, as people realize one terrorist action took a toll on the lives and beliefs of Muslims and members of other religions alike.
“A terrorist should be identified and condemned as a terrorist, but a terrorist should not be identified with his or her religious affiliation,” said Syed Sohardwardy, who is a Muslim.
Nazih Al-rashid, director of Student Support Services, said some people were quick to blame terrorist motives on religion.
“This event shouldn’t be associated with any religion. It’s a wrong way of informing people about Islam during the time of Sept. 11,” he said.
The names of many terrorist groups may cause confusion because of their religious connections, including HAMAS (an Arabic acronym for Islamic Resistance Movement), Hezbollah (Party of God), and Palestine Islamic Jihad.
Young people were recruited into the Taliban (Afghan government) having almost no understanding of Islamic tradition or culture and given only minimal introduction to the Quran. The Taliban’s militant fundamentalism created intense, political indoctrination.
The lives of Muslims unstained by military control take on a different view of life. They believe in God, angels, revealed books, prophets and messengers of God, the Day of Judgment, and divine predestination.
“[Islam] is like any other religion,” Al-rashid said. “It carries the same values and messages that religions such as Judaism and Christianity do.”
Many Muslims are devoted to their religion.
According to Islam-guide.com, “Inciting terror in the hearts of defenseless civilians; the wholesale destruction of buildings and properties; the bombing and maiming of innocent men, women and children are all forbidden and detestable acts.”
The religious text in which Muslims believe, the Quran, is to them what the Bible is to Christians. It states the fundamental beliefs of Islam.
Muslims see the Quran as a message from Allah to humanity. They claim it was transmitted in a chain starting from the Almighty to the angel Gabriel to the prophet Muhammad. This message was given to the prophet in pieces over a period spanning approximately 23 years. The language of the original message was Arabic, but it has been translated into many other languages.
Aside from the Quran, the Five Pillars are the framework for a Muslim’s life.
They are to bear witness in public, at least once in a lifetime, of God and his prophet Muhammad; pray five times a day; pay Zakat, which is two and one-half percent of one’s capital every year, fast during the month of Ramadan from dawn until sunset, and perform the annual pilgrimmage to Makkah at least once in a lifetime.
Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world, practiced by one-fifth of the world’s population.
It has spread to the United States in homes and in classrooms everywhere, including the University of North Carolina, where incoming freshmen were required to read passages from the Quran and write an essay.
Some disagreed with the requirement.
A lawsuit was filed by three anonymous students and two taxpayers represented by the Mississippi-based American Family Association Center for Law and Policy, claiming the book was “carefully selected to create a favorable opinion of the religion of Islam.”
UNC Chancellor James Moeser defended his school.
“This was a book chosen in the wake of Sept. 11,” he said. “A fifth of the world’s population subscribes to the Islamic religion, and yet, it’s not a well-understood religion. This is a great opportunity to have a conversation on the teachings of one of the world’s great religions.”
Many people feel it is an obligation to understand the Muslim perspective, because the memory of Sept. 11 will remain in people’s minds for decades, and even centuries, to come.
Al-rashid said, “In order for humanity to live in peace, we need to trace all the causes to these problems. We need to know what caused these groups of people to do these kinds of things – just like a sickness. We can’t treat the sickness until we diagnose it.”
The one-year anniversary of Sept. 11 may bring a new awakening for many students.
Celestial Bybee, president of the Associated Students of USU, said, “I hope the students can see that the strength of a nation comes from the individual. We should be proud of our nation and treat others with respect.”
-mmackay@cc.usu.edu