Islamic Religion and Culture in America

Introduction

Islam is one of the fastest-growing religions in the world. It is projected that by 2050, 2.1% of the U.S. population will be Muslims. Many Americans have not understood the essence of religion. For instance, there is a common suspicion that Islam is anti-Western and supports terrorism. The perception increased after the September 11th attack. According to Ali, Liu, and Humedian (2004), the teachings of Islam are not aligned to terrorism or against any human race; however, due to the suspicion, there is the need to understand the religion of Islam and gain deeper insight into what it entails. It is only through such measures that the negative connotation labeled against Muslims and Islam can be alleviated.

Analysis

One of the suspicions about Islam is that it is a religion of war and not peace. Ali et al. (2004) stated that Islam is an Arabic word that means peace or directly translated as ‘surrender’. The religion is based on five pillars that serve as the foundational principles that define a Muslim. The first pillar is based on monotheism, a belief in one God. This pillar is a socio-political statement that all humanity originated from one God. The second pillar is the prayer that includes various recitations carried out at different times of the day. The third is about self-purification, i.e., acts of charity. The fourth pillar is fasting, and the fifth – the pilgrimage to Mecca (Ali et al., 2004).

These teachings are anchored in the Holy Qur’an. Despite the five pillars, the practice of Islam may differ based on the cultural practices of different communities. Besides, throughout its history, different communities have tried to divert the normative teachings of Islam (Reza, 2005).

In the Western World, the fear of religion has led to people questioning whether the God of Islam is the same God worshiped in Christianity and Judaism. One key similarity between the three religions is that they are monotheistic. In the analysis of the commonalities and the differences between the religions, Reza (2005) pointed out Islam is founded on the traditions of Christian and Jewish scriptures.

According to Reza (2005), the differing perceptions of Islam are due to the conflict between the people who want to enforce archaic and rigid legal codes and those who are determined to harmonize the teachings of Mohammad with ideals of democracy and human rights that characterize the contemporary society. For instance, Islam has been a subject of manipulation by the Taliban and al Qaeda groups, which, in essence, have diverted normative Islamic ideals. This phenomenon has been experienced throughout the history of religion. Despite the showdown between the West and East, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam share many practices that point to common religious ideologies.

Islam has been going through a reformation, and it is due to the conflicting views of the extremist communities that the ideal teachings of Islam have not been understood by many Americans and people from other Western countries. Reza (2005) contends that amidst the diversion, rigidities, and radicalism problems, Islam will eventually realize the vision of Muhammad which is the ‘divine morality and social egalitarianism’. This signifies that religion upholds the dignity of all people. Thus, it is evident that the culture of fear and suspicion that characterizes Islam in the U.S. stems from the non-normative teachings.

References

Ali, S. R., Liu, W. M., & Humedian, M. (2004). Islam 101: Understanding the religion and therapy implications. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 35(6), 635-637.

Reza, A. (2005). No god but God: The origins, evolution, and future of Islam- reviews. Web.

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