MuslimMatters.org » Stereotypes

93% World’s Muslims Moderates (Gallup Poll): Didn’t Believe Us First Time ‘Round?

AnonyMouse — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 13:22:39 +0000

In Case You Didn’t Believe Us the First Time ‘Round

I dunno about you, but I’m getting bored of all these “revelations” that the majority of Muslims condemn terrorism, are not “radical,” believe in democracy (or at least, don’t mind it), and all that jazz.

Anyway, in case you don’t believe Muslims telling you that most Muslims don’t condone terrorism, aren’t radical, believe in democracy, etc. maybe you’ll believe the Gallup poll telling you that most Muslims don’t condone terrorism, aren’t radical, believe in democracy, etc.

The Great Gallup informs us that:

93% of the Muslim population is “moderate.”
Only 7% of the Muslim population is “radical.”
Being a religious Muslim doesn’t make you a radical.
“Radicals” are politically extreme, not (more…)

My Challenge to the Houston Chronicle’s Editors

ruth nasrullah — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 14:20:59 +0000

Last Thursday (February 21), the Houston Chronicle, my hometown paper, published an editorial discussing the Archbishop of Canterbury’s recent remarks about integrating sharia-based courts into the British legal system. In their argument they asserted that such an idea would be harmful to the British populace, and especially harmful to women because, they claim, sharia supports domestic violence and other abuses against women. In response, I wrote the following post on my Chronicle blog. I encourage readers to read the post and comment on the Chronicle’s surprisingly biased viewpoint.

It’s taken me a couple days to absorb this editorial in last Thursday’s Chronicle. I get a fair number of bigoted or hateful comments on this blog, and I usually presume that they’re made out of ignorance. Sadly, some people get their understanding of Islam from individuals and organizations who present the religion through a plainly biased filter. I know that. My goal with The Straight Path is to provide a more accurate viewpoint to people who haven’t had access to an informed understanding of Islam. (more…)

The Silent Treatment: What to do About the Danish Cartoons (Again!)?

AnonyMouse — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 23:29:46 +0000

It seems that the Hollywood writer’s strike is affecting not just Hollywood, but the news too! Because when I look at the latest headlines, they result in the same groan of disappointment and flip of the page/ channel that reruns elicit.

Denmark stirs Mideast anger over Muhammad cartoons

This time, however, I’d like our - Muslims’ - reactions to not be so predictable. I’ve personally seen enough of riots and rallies, and even of petitions, TV appearances, boycotts, and featured op-eds in newspapers condemning this abuse of freedom of speech.

So what do we do now? It’s simple: Nothing!

Seriously, what has any of the above done for us? No matter what we say and do, the enemies of Islam will continue to try and provoke our anger and - more importantly - try to push us to do something that will harm us far more than it will harm them. It’s also imperative to note that their pathetic attempts at mocking and insulting the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) are absolutely useless: like throwing dust in the direction of the moon. The dust will be swept away, and the moon’s beauty and guiding light will not be affected in the least.

Before anyone jumps me, I’d like to say that YES, loving and protecting the honour and reputation of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) is something we should do even before loving and protecting our ownselves… but there’s a limit to everything.

When we know that they’re going to repeat the same lies over and over again, then (more…)

BUBBA responds to possible “Honor Killing” in Dallas

Hamada — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 21:29:06 +0000

What a trip the past two weeks have been? The last week of December as well as the first week of January is usually dead without much going on in the socio-political world I work in. In fact I looked forward to two weeks of unwinding time from the stresses of convention-filled December, reading and reviewing my New Year’s resolutions for 2008. Last week I found myself being called into the office for a TV interview playing the role of “Terrorism Expert” to break down what the Bhutto assassination meant for American Counter-Terrorism efforts in ‘08, and this week in my hometown we had a father “seemingly” lose his mind over his daughters’ social behavior and decided to murder them. No rest for the weary I guess.

I’ve been going back and forth the past two months trying to decide how to approach my first blog posting on MuslimMatters.org, but in the end a voicemail (Lovely Voicemail left at F&J about Islam and Honor Killings) I heard yesterday made that decision for me. While at the first Muslim Cemetery in the Dallas area (more…)

The Hijab Story - Tragic Murder of Aqsa Parvez

AnonyMouse — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 19:57:39 +0000

I write this with an aching heart and furious thoughts.

No doubt by now you have heard of Aqsa Parvez, the 16 year old girl who was killed by her father, allegedly over the removal of her hijab.

Needless to say, we are all shocked, horrified, and saddened. Yet I, for one, am also angry. Inevitably, the first thing that seems to be expected of us is a condemnation of this man’s actions. And so here it is, my condemnation: What happened to Aqsa Pervez was WRONG, was not an “honour crime” but was, like all such crimes, dishonourable. It was, without a doubt, unIslamic. Nothing in the Shari’ah says that a girl may be killed if she removes her hijaab.

But you know what’s even sadder? My condemnation is not purely sorrowful. It is tinged - more than tinged, it is stained - with anger at those who demand such a condemnation from me. Why, why, WHY is it that whenever someone who is Muslim, or has a Muslim-sounding name, does something… it’s automatically blamed on Islam? Every time I’m expected to condemn something done by a Muslim, I want to demand in turn that all Christians, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Wiccans, Communists, Germans (on behalf of the Nazis), and Caucasians apologize and condemn every single crime committed by those who belong to their religious or ethnic group. (more…)

Book Review: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khalid Hosseini

Amad — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 12:09:06 +0000

Khalid Hosseini’s new novel, “A Thousand Splendid Suns” is his second, following the much-acclaimed first, “Kite Runner”. Having not had the opportunity yet to read his first novel make me perhaps a less biased reader of his second one. It is said that success is usually hard to repeat and that great novels are usually followed by mediocre ones. So, I’ll let readers of both books make that determination.

I should also warn readers who are expecting a lengthy review, that this isn’t going to be one! Rather, it will be skimpy like the themes in the book. So, I’ll start with the niceties first:

Hosseini writes with a rare intensity. The story picks up rapid momentum from the very beginning and shows little signs of slowing down all the way till the end. In a way, the storyline hooks the reader early on and never lets go. As Hosseini develops the few main characters in the story, he constantly moves back and forth between them, keeping the reader focused so as not to lose track of the plot.

The book is fictional, though (more…)