Introduction
Islam remains one of the oldest religions in the world. This ancient faith educates its followers about Allah and his teachings. Allah, according to Muslims, is the only God. This is not the same God worshipped by Jews and Christians. This is the case because a Christian God exists in the form of the Holy Trinity. Even though Islam is a religion shrouded by fear, it remains a faith of peace. This fact explains why an Islamic state can be founded on some of the values expressed in democracies such as pluralism and human rights (Islam Web, 2016). This discussion gives a detailed reflection of the movie “Islam in America” to support these arguments.
Movie Reflection
Narrated by Kevin Dean, the presented film indicates that Islam is a religion that has been misunderstood by Americans for several decades. Consequently, Islamophobia has become a widespread issue across the United States (Islam Web, 2016). This situation can change if people begin to appreciate the values, traditions, and beliefs that define this ancient culture.
According to the film, Islam is one of the monotheistic religions. Allah is the only God whose teachings should be followed by Muslims. This analysis shows conclusively that the God of Christians and Jews does not differ greatly from that of Muslims. However, Christians and Jews have always believed in the Holy Trinity (McQueeney, 2014).
The film gives a detailed description of the 5 pillars of the religion. These include witness, charity, fasting, worship, and pilgrimage (Islam Web, 2016). The 5 pillars guide Muslims to focus on the teachings of their God or Allah. The movie also outlines the major values associated with religion. These include justice, law, morality, modesty, and order (McQueeney, 2014). The narrator goes further to describe how Muslims are encouraged by the religion to interact positively with other people.
The movie addresses American Islamophobia from the right perspective. It is agreeable that Muslims in the United States have been discriminated against and sidelined. This is mainly the case because of the problem of terrorism. After watching the film, I realized that most of the stereotypes revolving around the religion are misguided and erroneous. For instance, Muslims are individuals who love peace. Muslims educate women and encourage them to lead quality lives. In our modern society, many people believe that girls in religion are not supposed to engage in sporting activities (McQueeney, 2014). However, the film shows conclusively that every child is guided to engage in a wide range of activities. Muslims undertake normal duties and go to school just like Christians or Jews.
The issues described in the film show conclusively that an Islamic state can be founded on democratic values. The 5 pillars and values of Islam can be embraced to come up with a state that promotes equality, fairness, love, justice, and peace. In such a state, every individual will have his or her rights and liberties safeguarded. This main lesson from the film is that Islamic culture has been ignored or misinterpreted by Americans for many years (Islam Web, 2016). Such misjudgments explain why Islamophobia has become a form of discrimination.
Concluding Remarks
In conclusion, it is the right time for more people to become tolerant of other people’s cultural values and beliefs (McQueeney, 2014). By so doing, every person will find it easier to pursue his or her goals in a state that promotes equality. In conclusion, I would recommend this film to everyone who wants to understand more about this monotheistic religion.
References
Islam Web. (2016). Islam in America: Documentary, Facts, History, Religion, Beliefs, Muslims [Video file]. Web.
McQueeney, K. (2014). Disrupting Islamophobia: Teaching the social construction of terrorism in the mass media. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 26(2), 297-309. Web.