ISLAMOPHOBIA
ISLAMO-PHOBIA
(hatred against Islam)
OVERVIEW {Word Count – 355}
Growing up in Nigeria, a country with a mixed population of both Muslims and Christians, I was biased against the religion of Islam mostly due to the fact that I was raised in a Christian family. However, besides my religious background, I found much reason to question certain aspects of the Islamic religion- specifically the violence that it portrayed. I did recall of quite a few civil unrests that broke out back in my younger days, and these were mostly attributed to local Islamic fundamentalists who started what they believed in their interpretation was a "Jihad".
Today the local news in my country is filled with reporting of daily killings of innocent and unarmed people by the terrorist group known as "Boko-Haram". They have killed so many people, including Muslims as well. I began to look at the situation from a different perspective in light of that. I began to wonder why any Muslim would kill another Muslim if they both shared the same faith. Much similar to what is currently going on now in the Middle East – with the ISIS in Syria and Iraq.
I began to wonder IF EXTREMISM IS ACCEPTIBLE AMONGST ALL MUSLIMS? By believing in Islam, does that make someone automatically a Jihadist? If not, then what separates these Jihadists from the rest of the Muslim population? How can one draw a line within a religion simply based on the beliefs and practices alone? What makes a regular Muslim different if he or she claims not to share similar values with that of an extremist?
Most of these questions were addressed in a recent televised broadcast on HBO, where "Real Time" host, Bill Maher engaged his guests in a heated debate over Islamic issues. Maher said on his show, “that liberals who he believes should champion liberal principles -- like freedom of speech and religion and equality for women and homosexuals -- are accused of being Islamophobic when they point out that these liberal principles
(hatred against Islam)
OVERVIEW {Word Count – 355}
Growing up in Nigeria, a country with a mixed population of both Muslims and Christians, I was biased against the religion of Islam mostly due to the fact that I was raised in a Christian family. However, besides my religious background, I found much reason to question certain aspects of the Islamic religion- specifically the violence that it portrayed. I did recall of quite a few civil unrests that broke out back in my younger days, and these were mostly attributed to local Islamic fundamentalists who started what they believed in their interpretation was a "Jihad".
Today the local news in my country is filled with reporting of daily killings of innocent and unarmed people by the terrorist group known as "Boko-Haram". They have killed so many people, including Muslims as well. I began to look at the situation from a different perspective in light of that. I began to wonder why any Muslim would kill another Muslim if they both shared the same faith. Much similar to what is currently going on now in the Middle East – with the ISIS in Syria and Iraq.
I began to wonder IF EXTREMISM IS ACCEPTIBLE AMONGST ALL MUSLIMS? By believing in Islam, does that make someone automatically a Jihadist? If not, then what separates these Jihadists from the rest of the Muslim population? How can one draw a line within a religion simply based on the beliefs and practices alone? What makes a regular Muslim different if he or she claims not to share similar values with that of an extremist?
Most of these questions were addressed in a recent televised broadcast on HBO, where "Real Time" host, Bill Maher engaged his guests in a heated debate over Islamic issues. Maher said on his show, “that liberals who he believes should champion liberal principles -- like freedom of speech and religion and equality for women and homosexuals -- are accused of being Islamophobic when they point out that these liberal principles
Bibliography: / SOURCES [1]- Huff Post Live, Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/08/cornel-west-bill-maher-ben-affleck_n_5955056.html[2], [4] - Zupkus, L. Huffington Post, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/04/bill-maher-ben-affleck-debate_n_5931832.html[5], [6], [9] - Leopold, T. CNN, http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/06/showbiz/tv/affleck-maher-islam-real-time/[3], [7], [8], [10], [12], [13] - Aslan, R. The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/09/opinion/bill-maher-isnt-the-only-one-who-misunderstands-religion.html?_r=0[11], [14]- Kristoff, N. The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/09/opinion/nicholas-kristof-the-diversity-of-islam.htmlaction=click&contentCollection=Opinion&module=RelatedCoverage&region=Marginalia&pgtype=article