Faith
Islamic Faith
By definition Islamic faith is a monotheistic religion characterized by the acceptance of the doctrine of submission to God and to Muhammad as the chief and last prophet of God. Muslims are the people who practice this faith. There are five basic pillars of Islam. These pillars are said to be the framework of the Muslim life. These are the principles which they follow: the declaration of faith, Prayers, Zakah, which means purity, fasting during the month of Ramadan, and Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca). It is also documented that the Islamic religion is the second largest in the world and it is said to be the fastest growing.
There are many different perceptions and stereotypes regarding Muslims and their religion. Two of the biggest misperceptions made by Americans are that most Muslims are Arabs and that most live in the Middle East. The two largest countries in the Middle East are Turkey and Iran, however neither is Arab. Nearly 80% of Muslims are Asian or African. The largest populations of Muslims are residing in Asia. (Cooper, 2013) One issue that has much controversy surrounding it is racial profiling in airports. The Transportation Security Administration is said to screen 1.8 million passengers a day. This is done in over 450 TSA airports that fall under homeland security. It is said that it is illegal to target travelers based on race, nationality, ethnicity, or religion, yet we are all well aware that this happens every day (Love, 2013).
As Americans we value our First Amendment right to practice religion freely. This has not been the case for many Muslims in this country. We as Americans need to learn more about the Muslims and the Islamic faith. This will only help to lessen the stereotypes that surround us regarding the Islam faith. “Muslims are not limited to being of one specific race or nationality. As a matter of fact one billion people from a vast range of races, cultures and ethnicities across the globe are
By definition Islamic faith is a monotheistic religion characterized by the acceptance of the doctrine of submission to God and to Muhammad as the chief and last prophet of God. Muslims are the people who practice this faith. There are five basic pillars of Islam. These pillars are said to be the framework of the Muslim life. These are the principles which they follow: the declaration of faith, Prayers, Zakah, which means purity, fasting during the month of Ramadan, and Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca). It is also documented that the Islamic religion is the second largest in the world and it is said to be the fastest growing.
There are many different perceptions and stereotypes regarding Muslims and their religion. Two of the biggest misperceptions made by Americans are that most Muslims are Arabs and that most live in the Middle East. The two largest countries in the Middle East are Turkey and Iran, however neither is Arab. Nearly 80% of Muslims are Asian or African. The largest populations of Muslims are residing in Asia. (Cooper, 2013) One issue that has much controversy surrounding it is racial profiling in airports. The Transportation Security Administration is said to screen 1.8 million passengers a day. This is done in over 450 TSA airports that fall under homeland security. It is said that it is illegal to target travelers based on race, nationality, ethnicity, or religion, yet we are all well aware that this happens every day (Love, 2013).
As Americans we value our First Amendment right to practice religion freely. This has not been the case for many Muslims in this country. We as Americans need to learn more about the Muslims and the Islamic faith. This will only help to lessen the stereotypes that surround us regarding the Islam faith. “Muslims are not limited to being of one specific race or nationality. As a matter of fact one billion people from a vast range of races, cultures and ethnicities across the globe are