Anyone with a TV can see that Muslims are the new scapegoats. Feeling depressed? Blame the Muslims. Had bad food at your favorite restaurant? It’s the Muslims and their conspiracy to make all food spicy! Have gas? Well go ahead and blame the Muslims, everyone else is.

In this day and age, being a Muslim, by the mainstream media, is maybe not our choice and our fathers forced us to be Muslim? No, in fact that is NOT the case. I know that many groups out there have portrayed Islam as some sort of demonized religion when that could not be further from the truth. If one were to notice the subtle undertones of many news reports on Islam and Muslims it makes it seem like we, as Muslims, had no choice in being Muslim, as if all of us are being abused and such.

The problem in thinking this way is that everyone wants to be a hero. There are some areas in the world where Muslims are ignorant and pursue cultural practices rather than what is ordained in Islam, or even worse, say that their cultural practices ARE a part of Islam. Sadly, these are the ones that are showing in the news or in videos and are portrayed as the “average Muslim.” Thinking that the “average” Muslim is in trouble and is abused, many people come to “save” them when there is no need to be saved.

When one relies on pseduo-analysts about Islam and would rather “Google” what Islam is about, rather than actually go to a mosque to learn about the religion, there are going to be misconceptions. I don’t have to go far to point out misconceptions, so let’s start with the latest scandal involving Muslims.

Apparently 85% of mosques preach radicalization. Hmm, that’s news to me and nearly all Muslims in America. First off, let me correct the misconception that Muslims are forced to be Muslim. To us, the highest power is the Qu’ran, the direct word of God. Now, now I know some of you may have your dresses in a bunch by saying, “That’s not the word of God!” Folks, I’m talking about what we Muslims believe, not your beliefs. As I was saying, to us the highest word is the word of God. So in the Qu’ran it is clearly stated, there is no compulsion in religion. No one is FORCED to be Muslim:

(2:256) “There is no compulsion in religion, for the right way is clearly from the wrong way. Whoever therefore rejects the forces of evil and believes in God, he has taken hold of a support most unfailing, which shall never give way, for God is All Hearing and Knowing.”

Now that we have established the fact that no one is forced to be Muslim, let’s move onto why we’re deemed as being “demons” or “aliens.” Many of the very people that feed Islamophobic rhetoric do not realize how similar Muslims are to them.

Lately the “conservative” branches of the US government like to make Muslims seem like evil creatures from the darkest regions of hell. Funny, I never really thought I’d look good with horns, but whatever floats your boat. To these fear mongers, we Muslims spend all day devising plots on how to take over the world.

Let’s let you all in on a secret, most of us don’t want to rule the world. Do you want to see the average Muslim schedule?

The average practicing Muslim has the following schedule:

05:00- Wake up groggily for morning prayer (Fajr prayer).
06:00- Begin to get ready for school/work
08:00-1:00- Work/School
1:00-2:00- Dhuhr prayer/Lunch
2:00-4:00- After activities/Work
4:00-6:00- Asr Prayer (It does not take an hour but that is the time range)
6:00-7:00- Mughrib prayer
7:00-9:00- Dinner/Family time
9:00-11:00- Isha prayer
11:00-Well before Fajr: Sleep

I don’t see terrorism in there anywhere. For the sake of the argument that 85% of Mosques teach radicalization, the average Muslim only has time on Friday prayers to actually go to the mosque. If it wasn’t enough that our religion forbids terrorism, our schedules simply don’t allow it.

As for the conservative agenda, there is no one MORE conservative than Muslims!

The conservative agenda usually consists of:

1) Anti-Abortion
2) Lower taxes for the rich
3) No gay marriage (religious beliefs)
4) High family priority
5) Living lives based on morality
6) Strong state governments/Limited national government

Well that’s basically what Muslims believe. 40% of our population is highly educated and hold well paying jobs, we don’t want taxes ruining our lives either! Plus we believe in dressing modestly! So who’s more conservative?

The point of this post? We’re more alike than you think. Stop the fear mongering. Visit a mosque before you judge our population.

Source:  thecuriousmuslimah