A lecture was held at San Diego Mesa College by San Diego State University Professor Khaleel Mohammed on Monday, March 23, 2015 to clarify orthodox Muslim teachings in order to shed light upon false Muslim stereotypes.
Mohammed spoke on how the misrepresentation of Islam has been visible ever since he migrated to the United States.
“America has never allowed me to forget who I am. Long before the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center that happened in 2001, I was made to know I was an outsider. As a Muslim living on a continent where religion plays a major part in this question than most people would like to admit, I could only express infinite sadness that the press coverage on Islam was overwhelmingly negative.” Mohammed said.
Mohammad asserts that the 9/11 attacks drastically intensified that negativity as current depictions of Islam in news are constantly associated with murder and terror. This was exemplified in an excerpt from the San Diego Union Tribune issued on March 23, 2015 that stated, “Democracy requires freedom and equality and Islam can’t provide anything like this without the complete reinterpretation of the Qur’an.”
The American media’s false interpretation of Islam is prevalent within the minds of the youth as Mohammed has constantly been met with shock from his students after teaching them the truth.
Mohammed further attempted to distort the false portrayal of Islam within the United States of America by pointing out multiple correlations between the Bible and the Qur’an. For instance, how the Battle at the End of Time within the Book of Revelation occurred in Babylon, or modern day Islam, which is the exact same as the Qur’an.
The perception of Islam as oppressive towards its women has also been misrepresented. Mohammed deterred this false portrayal by explaining that women cover their bosoms as a form of self-righteousness and cover their hair to be identified as a free woman, whereas a woman who does the opposite is a slave and a man’s property.
Mohammed feels that the unwillingness to contextualize the scriptures in the Qur’an by many across the world, including Muslims, has led to its misrepresentation. Mohammad felt that while it is completely ridiculous to see Islam as synonymous with terror he acknowledges that many Muslim terrorists believe that they are acting within their religion to carry out their acts.
The misrepresentation of Islam within the American press has led to the misconception by American citizens towards Muslim beliefs as deviant and delinquent. Mohammed strongly recommends that people go out of their way to learn the true teachings of Islam as opposed to simply believing what you have been told.
