Myths and Facts about Islam
This essay has 2 parts: one theoretical and another practical:
Theoretical:
You imagine that, after taking this course, you feel you are now an “expert” on Islam, and you decided to write this essay to explain to your audience how complex, intricate and multifaceted this religion, like others, is.
- You start with dissipating as many myths and confusions around the faith as you could detect, whether during your readings in this course, from the media, people around you etc. Examples of myths/confusions, but not limited, can be: “Islam hates the west”, “the notion of “Jihad/ violence” etc. the notion of “Sharia taking over the world”, “women’s oppression”, “Islam is backward” etc.
- Explain the complexity of the faith as it moves across various historical milestones from its inception down to our current times. In other words, how did various historical events shape the faith (e.g. the Sunni-Shia schism after the death of Mohamed, give some examples of how caliphates interfered in the interpretations of the religion or exploited the faith to fit their political ends. How did colonialism affect the faith? Sept 11 attacks? Etc.
- Make your audience aware of the various schools of interpretations and movements within the faith: Salafism, Wahhabism, Sufism etc.… and what external influences have shaped the various interpretations (Greek philosophers, kalam scholars etc.…) Make them aware of the various tools of interpretations (Hadith, “ijtihad”, analogy …), as well as the tenets and rituals of the faith etc.…
Practical:
Setting: According to a Pew Research Center study done in 2015, the fastest growing religion is Islam and this is so for many reasons, cited by the study. But “religious conversion has no net impact on the Muslim population, as the number of people who convert to Islam is roughly similar to those who leave Islam”. Prior to Sept.11 very few people in the West have any knowledge at all about, or any interest in, Islam. But after the terrorist attacks that has changed relatively. Yet, in spite of the peak of negativity surrounding the religion after the attacks, and the rise of Islamophobia, conversions, among the westerners, to Islam has hit record highs.
Task: You search or pick 4 websites of the scholars’ lists below 6 videos of male and female converts to Islam and find out what attracted them to the religion, in spite of the defaming reputation it has gained almost globally. Please ignore statements like “it’s the true religion” or comparisons showing “one religion being better than the other”. In philosophy, there is NO “true” / “truer” religion nor “better” religion than another. As you listen to the converts, please focus on the myths/confusions/concepts, behavior, rituals etc. they describe in their experiences and provide them as practical supports for the theoretical evaluation of your essay.
Below, I provide a tentative list of converts who became scholars or “da3ias” i.e. preachers, as well as some sample videos of people describing their journeys in Islam. You have the choice to use these or find out other ones yourselves.
Warning: As you are researching or watching videos online, please have your critical thinking antennas on all the time, as you may run in to some of those extremist-recruiting websites
List of samples convert scholars: you don’t need to look at all their websites you can choose three or four:
Females
Dr Ingrid Mattson
Julie Siddiqi
Males
Abdulhakim Murad (Timothy Winter)
Dr. Lawrence Brown
Dr. Hamza Youssef
Yusuf Estes
Abdurrahim Green
Dr. Bilal Philips
Khalid Yasin
Hamza Andreas Tzotzis
Suhaib Webb
Yusha Evans
Nuh Hamim Keller
Some sample videos: Again, you don’t need to watch all, you can choose two or three from each gender (total of 4 to 6)
Males
- “The Secret Life of Muslims”: An education
- {Funny} Aussie convert story to Islam:
- a. Why I converted to Islam (Timothy Winter/AbdelHakim Murad) Part 1/2.
b. Why I converted to Islam (Timothy Winter/AbdelHakim Murad) Part 2/2.:
- Dr Jeffrey Lang – My Journey to Islam:
- My Journey to Islam – Dr. Laurence Brown:
- Story of Yusuf Estes – From darkness to light:
- Richard Varley- Quest to Islam
Females
- جميلة جولى حاولت تنصير صديقتها المسلمة وبعد إلحاح وافقت صديقتها ولكن بشرط واحد
- My Journey to Islam: Lauren Booth:
- My Journey to Islam: Yvonne Ridley:
- قصة رائعة لرجل إنجليزي دخل الإسلام بعد 10 سنوات من البحث عن إجابة لسؤال واحد
