One of the more unfortunate outcomes of the anti-mosque protests, anti-sharia legislation and the impact of the Islamophobia network is that they have left many Americans confused about the truth of Islam and Muslims in America. According to the Public Religion Research Institute's recent findings, few Americans report having much knowledge about who Muslims are and what Islam is all about. Only 14 percent of Americans say they know a lot about the religious beliefs and practices of Muslims, and 57 percent say they know only a little.
In the same study, however, a majority of Americans claimed that American Muslims are an important part of the religious experience in America, even though a majority do not know a Muslim personally. What all of this makes very clear is that everyday Americans are hungry for credible information about Islam and Muslims in America.
In the wake of events such as the Florida man charged with plotting attacks to avenge Muslims, clarifying questions about radicalization and terrorism are of crucial importance.
How many American Muslims support terrorism, and what are they doing to stop it? Do Muslims want to impose sharia in America, and is sharia compatible with the U.S. Constitution? Rarely, if ever, do Americans get an opportunity to hear from Muslims or credentialed experts to get these questions answered.
In an effort to shed some light and promote facts, not fear, a coalition of organizations are hosting a free, open-to-the-public event at the Newseum entitled: "What is the truth about Islam in America: Everything you've always wanted to know - but were afraid to ask"
The event will be streamed on the My Fellow American website, a new social media project designed to share stories via YouTube about American Muslims, and questions can be submitted to
Date: Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.
Location: Walter and Leonore Annenberg Theater
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Religious Freedom Education Project at the Newseum, Unity Productions Foundation, Wesley Theological Seminary, the Institute for Faith and Politics and the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding will host the timely discussion, "What is the Truth About Islam and Muslims in America?: (Everything You Always Wanted to Know -- But Were Afraid to Ask)."
Alex Kronemer, executive producer of Unity Productions Foundation, will welcome guests.
Panelists:
Haroon Mogul, Columbia University, Institute for Social Policy and Understanding
Rabbi Marc Schneier, Foundation for Ethnic Understanding
Melissa Rogers, Center for Religion and Public Affairs, Wake Forest University
Asma Uddin, The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, Institute for Social Policy and Understanding
Charles C. Haynes, director of the Religious Freedom Education Project at the Newseum, will moderate.
RSVP: Admission is free, but registration is required. To RSVP or for information, please contact Ashlie Hampton at ahampton@freedomforum.org or 202-292-6288.
You can also share this event on Facebook.
Follow Daniel Tutt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/DanielTutt
Who wrote the Quran, Sunnah and hadith?
Question....What was man created from, dust, clay, sperm, nothing or blood?
"The similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him: "Be". And he was," (Qur'an 3:59).
"WE created man from sounding clay, from mud moulded into shape, (Qur'an 15:26).
"He has created man from a sperm-drop; and behold this same (man) becomes an open disputer! (Qur'an16:4).
"But does not man call to mind that WE created him before out of nothing?" (Qur'an 19:67)
"Created man, out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood," (Qur'an 96:2).
Why is the Qur'an so full of contradiction?
First, I'm not a religion hater and the answers don't always answer the question.
Secondly, care to answer the question and prove me wrong?
- Easy one really.
1- Surely in disbelief are they who say that Allah is the Messiah, son of Mary. [al-Maidah 5:17 and 72]
2- Surely, disbelievers are those who said, Allah is the third of the three [in a Trinity]. [al-Maidah 5:73]
3- Those who disbelieve among the People of the Book and the idolaters will abide in the Fire of Hell.[al-Bayyinah 98:6]
Many verses and hadith express the same meaning. The one who rejects the idea that the Jews and the Christians who do not believe in Muhammad [peace be upon him] and deny him are disbelievers is, in fact, denying what Allah has said. Denying what Allah has said is blasphemy. If anyone has any doubt concerning them being disbelievers, then he himself is also a disbeliever.
http://islamic-forum.net/index.php?showtopic=12278
It’s always: " allah said that you should ...."
"allah forbidden that you ...."
"allah told me that I should do this... should do that ...." and so on..!
It's not like in the bible where God himself Speaks!!
In the Qur'an you don't have not even one verse where allah himself has spoken to mohammad.
It was always someone spoke about Allah, and said "allah tells you to do like this.." ," allah force you to fight...", " allah this... ", "allah that..." and NEVER Allah did himself speak?
On the other hand, they seem confused. When the media profiles the thuggery of the Taliban, they view it as anti-Islamic propaganda, often as "Islamophobia."
Many Amercan Muslims seem rather clueless about the differences in how Islam is applied in the US vs the Middle East and elsewhere where it is much more central to civic and political life. Like night and day different.
If American Islam is so different from Islam elsewhere, the realities of Islam outside the US need to be acknowledged, and when appropriate, called out for the less savory practices.
Beyond that, Muslims account for maybe 1% of the US population. The attention we pay to them and their influence is way off the scale. They are equal before the law like anyone else, but beyond that, if they're so normal, they shouldn't expect any more attention than anyone else.
Because so little law is actually clearly defined by their only infallible text, it really is up to Muslims to define Islam for themselves. Nobody has the right to tell them they're not "Islamic" enough, asserted by the traditional prohibition on takfir.
What do you mean by American culture?! The culture of America is its multi culturism. America has been a mosaic of cultures since its very inception. Why can't you consider the American Muslims just Muslims rather than trying to attribute their moderation to being American or attribute it to their "trying to fit in"?!! When do you say "changed their beliefs"- what beliefs are you referring to?
Why is it that mainstream islam accepts the death penalty for apostates?
Why did mohammed claim that women were "deficient in their intelligence" and quoted the koran to prove his point? According to the koran, the witness of a women is worth half of a man's.
Moreover, it requires education as well interaction with what they are expected to understand.
But there is a tremendous amount of propaganda against Islam and Muslims, and their effect cannot be underestimated.
On top of it, America is engaged in wars in the Muslim world. So it doesn't make sense for some to humanize the Muslims and their religion.
Sura 3:45 (Al-Imran) - "The angels said to Mariam (Mary): 'Allah bids you rejoice in a Word from Him. His name is al-Masih (Messiah), Isa the son of Mariam. He shall be noble in this world and in the next, and shall be favored by Allah.'"
When the angel appeared to Mary to announce the birth of Jesus, he said in Sura 19:19 (Mariam) - "'I am the messenger of your Lord,' he replied, 'and have come to give you a holy son.'"
Notice that Jesus is called a holy son, this means without fault or sin.
Sura 10:34 (Yunus) - "Say: Can any of your partners (associate-gods) produce a creation, then reproduce it? Allah produces a creation, and then reproduces it." Only God can create and give life.
Jesus Christ is the only prophet in the Quran who does not confess his sins. There is a tradition in the Hadith (the record of the Prophet Mohammed's sayings and actions not recorded in the Quran) that says:
Abu Huraira reported Allah's messenger as saying, "There is none among the sons of Adam who is born but not touched by Satan at the time of his birth. So he cried loudly because of Satan's touch. But this is not the case with Mary and her son." (Agreed upon)
Look at this debate, sponsored by NPR, Slate, and others:
http://intelligencesquaredus.org/index.php/past-debates/islam/
Although muslims in general are regular people as you would find in any other religion, the islamic ideology is extremely problematic.
The word Islam usually is thought to have originated from the three letters: "sin, lam, mim", from "salama"; which means to be at peace, to be saved, to be wholesome, to be in a state of tranquil submission, acceptable submissiveness.
It is the path of ease and of integration; it is the path of submission to reality because we are part of that reality, we are not separate from it. It is the way from time immemorial; it is not something that occurred some 1400 years ago.
It is the "din", it is the only way to be, which has been expounded by every prophet, messenger and sage.
It is how to integrate into physical beingness, visible beingness, and the invisible, because we have emanated from it. It means to know in order to unify with the occurrence as we experience it and as we interact with it.
b : a manner or the content of thinking characteristic of an individual, group, or culture
Islam is a ideology. Islam means Submission literally, it has connotations of gaining peace by this submission. And it is submission to the Shariah not some spooky ether " reality " , since no layman is to do ijtihad(independent reasoning), what shariah is has always been the work of the ulamah(body of Muslim legal and theological scholars) So in real world application Islam is submission to the fatawaa/rulings of the ulamah.
Some of the things the Ulamah have said:
Non Muslims are Kuffar disbelieving who are Allah's enemies, their life blood and wealth are halal permissible to plunder until they enter Islam, unless you have peace agreement with them.
The Kuffar are the worst of creation it is not permissible to befriend them or that them as allies unless it is to protect yourself from them as strategy.
Who ever does not rule by Allah's shariah is a taghut(false ruler, idol, false system) that includes all western ideologies such as democracy,socialism, etc
Jihad is obligatory on the Muslim community as a whole...fard al kifayah
www.callingmuslims.com
I don't have any recommendations for how better understanding might to achieved but I feel sure that this kind of a get-together will only preach to the choir.