Today, Islam is one of the largest religions in America. More than 400,000 Muslims live in Chicago alone (Islam in America, 2015). Still, many people are ignorant about the main Muslim traditions, and Islamophobia is widespread. The movie Islam in America introduces Islam to the audience and carries the message that is important for everyone to learn the beliefs, traditions, and habits of Islamic culture, even if they may seem very dissimilar because we communicate with each other every day. The presenter, Kevin Dean, is a chaplain with the Chicago Police Department. He objectively covers the issue of societal attitudes towards Islam and provides viewers with the religion’s main ideas.
Islam is a monotheistic religion. Muslims believe in one God, Allah, who sent his prophets; Muhammad is the most famous one. In fact, the God of Christians and Jews is not very different from Allah. The main Islamic values are simple: modesty, morality, justice, law, and order. Moreover, some Muslims point to similar features of Islamic and American cultures, including the value of community service and social interaction. However, fewer people are familiar with the Five Pillars of Islam, which are witness (declaring faith), worship (praying in a certain manner five times a day), charity (making donations), fasting (refraining from eating and drinking until sunset during Ramadan), and pilgrimage (visiting Mecca at least once in a lifetime). There are also some other rules that followers of Islam must respect. For example, it is inappropriate to wear shoes in a mosque or to interrupt people when they are praying. Women are to cover their hair. A male and a female should not be alone in a room, shake hands, or make direct eye contact (Islam in America, 2015). The movie concentrates on behavioral standards in real-life situations and makes me think about the importance of considering people’s cultural backgrounds when interacting with them.
In the modern world, there seems to be a general anti-Muslim bias because of foreign Islamic extremists’ attacks. Even though Islam does not support violence, the religion has unfortunately still become associated with terroristic acts. As a result, Muslims often face discrimination. Although Islam is not an ethnicity, Islamophobia has become a form of historical and cultural racism (Grosfoguel, 2012). Watching the movie, I discovered several stereotypes that have nothing to do with reality. For example, Muslim women are believed to be oppressed, but in reality, they have normal lives, study at colleges and universities, and work. Dr. Lena Shahbandar, who was interviewed in the movie, is a great example. Both men and women are present in Islam in America. Boys and girls are also treated equally in Islam. As demonstrated in the movie, they go to school and participate in activities, just like any other children; for instance, Kareem Ifran’s daughter is fond of basketball (Islam in America, 2015). The movie confirmed an idea that I have supported for a long time: freedom, the respect of human rights, and a variety of opinions are vital to Muslim culture. However, Islamic freedom is about balance, not losing control or permissiveness. There must be some authority and rule because the disorder is destructive. Although it is not directly said, I suppose the movie also refers to an Islamic state model.
All in all, Islamic culture is not commonly known to Americans, although Muslims have been our community members and neighbors for many years. There are many stereotypes and wrong assumptions based on a lack of knowledge, but if people get to know a culture and are tolerant, then misunderstanding lessens. All people, regardless of religion, should be treated with respect. Learning other cultures’ traditions and rules is important for everyone because we have to interact with different people, and we can demand respect only if we respect others.
References
Grosfoguel, R. (2012). The multiple faces of Islamophobia. Islamophobia Studies Journal, 1(1), 9-33.
Islam in America: Documentary, Facts, History, Religion, Beliefs, Muslims. (2015). Web.