Misconception # 3: Islam subjugates women in a veil.
Reply: If you look at history, to ancient civilizations, you will find that women were the oppressed people. They had
no individual merit. The Babylonians used to punish the woman for her husband's mistakes. The ancient Egyptians
did the same. Ancient Arabs buried their newly born daughters.
It was Islam that uplifted the status of women. It gave women rights they never had before. Surah Nissah exhorts
believing men to lower their gaze if a lady is passing by. Similarly, there are exhortations for women to lower their
gaze if strange men are around. The Quran also speaks about the hijab for men and women to protect the modesty.
The hijab for men is to cover their bodies minimally from their navel to the knees. The hijab for women is to cover their
whole bodies except for their faces and hands below their wrists. There are descriptions for a female hijab, that it
should cover the endowments including head, not be tight, not be transparent, not be like the clothes of non-
believers, and not be like the clothes of the other gender, etc. Women got the right to own, inherit property, and to
dispose it of at will.
Let me ask you a question: Suppose two identical twin sisters are walking down a street, and one of them is dressed
in revealing clothing, while the other one is wearing a hijab. Who will be boys in the street whistle at or tease: the one
who is scantily dressed in a mini-skirt, or the one who is modestly attired? The answer is obvious. The hijab is
designed to prevent women from being molested. It brings peace to society and prevents mischief.
Misconception # 4: Capital punishment is barbaric.
Reply: There are crimes for which Islam prescribes capital punishment, e.g. for rape, murder etc. This is to protect
society from criminals and anti-social elements. In USA there are 2713 rapes taking place every day. In Islam, the
penalty is to award the death penalty so that the criminal is not around to repeat this crime, and to teach others a
lesson. Americans say that this is a severe punishment. They say that the rapist must be put in jail for the first rape.
If after his release he rapes again, then it is ok to put him to death. Friends, statistics in USA show that 95 percent
of the rapists, after release from jail, rape again. Islam prevents this second rape. Following the Hijab dress code
prevents the rapist from temptation to rape.
Misconception # 5: Islam was spread by the sword.
Reply: Nothing is far from the truth. It was the Islamic traders who served as excellent role models in the spread of
Islam. In the book: "Islam at crossroads", the author, on page 8, says that this belief is a myth. Look at the number
of Coptic Christians in Egypt. They number 14 million. Couldn't the Arabs have wiped them out or forcefully converted
them to Islam? Look at India. In the 1,0000 years that the Muslims ruled over this subcontinent, every one could have
been forcefully converted to Islam. How can you explain that there are 800 million Hindus and others still in India?
Which Muslim army went to Indonesia and Malaysia to convert them? These people converted by seeing the good
behaviors of the Muslim/Arab traders. Readers' Digest says that between 1944 and 1984, a period of 50 years, saw
more conversion to Islam in Europe and USA than to any faith. I am asking you, who went with a sword to convert
these people to Islam? It is the sword of the intellect that converts people.
Misconception # 6: Muslims are fundamentalists.
Reply: What is the definition of the word fundamentalist? The dictionary says anyone who understands the basics of
a discipline is a fundamentalist. Can you call yourself a mathematician if you can't understand the fundamentals of
mathematics? No! Similarly, to be called a scientist, you must understand the fundamentals of science. There can
be a positive fundamentalist and a negative fundamentalist. A thief/robber who is an expert at the fundamentals of
robbing is bad; but a doctor who knows the fundamentals of healing is good. I submit that no fundamentals of Islam
are against humanity. How can you be a good Muslim if you do not understand the fundamentals of Islam? How can
you practice Islam? According to the Webster's dictionary, the word fundamentalist was first used on Christians;
however, the new Oxford dictionary lists Muslims as fundamentalists.
Every Muslim should understand the fundamentals of Islam, and should be a fundamentalist. I am proud to call
myself a 'Muslim Fundamentalist'. I submit that every Muslim should be a terrorist. Just as the policeman strikes
terror in the heart of the thief, so should every Muslim strike terror in the heart of the thief, the rapist and other anti-
social elements!
The word fundamentalist is open to wide interpretation, just like the word freedom fighter. In olden days, the British
would label those Indians fighting for India's freedom as terrorists; while for the Indians, these were freedom fighters.
Misconception # 7: Muslims are ruthless non-vegetarian people.
Reply: God has granted Muslims the choice to be vegetarians as well as non-vegetarians. He has ordained in the
holy book that everything that he has created in this world is for the enjoyment/pleasure of man (with certain
restrictions and limits). It is ok for a Muslim to be a vegetarian by choice; it is also ok for him to be a non-vegetarian
by choice.
Science tells us that animal flesh is a complete protein food. It is easier to digest than the vegetarian food. If you look
at the teeth of carnivorous animals like a tiger or a lion they are sharp and pointed, designed to tear flesh. The tiger
and lion can eat only flesh; they cannot digest leaves and grass. On the other hand, the teeth of herbivorous animals
like the cow and camel are flat. Designed to chew grass and leaves. These herbivorous animals can't digest flesh.
But if you examine the teeth of human beings, they are both canine i.e. sharp and pointed, as well as flat. Therefore
human beings can chew both vegetarian foods as well as non-vegetarian foods. Humans can digest plant foods as
well as flesh. This ability to enjoy and digest both vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian food is a gift of God to
humans.
Hindu scriptures permit the eating of flesh. In fact, their books are replete with incidents showing festivals and
ceremonies where meat was served. When Jainism and Buddhism started to become popular with their philosophies
of ahimsa, i.e., non-violence towards animals, and started to win converts from Hindus, the Hindus priests adapted
the same philosophy of ahimsa to win back those who had left the Hindu fold. This is how Hinduism changed over to
vegetarianism.
If no one eats meat the number of cattle will be uncontrollable. It will be a big problem about how to dispose of them.
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