The presence of Islam in America is something a lot of Americans fail to acknowledge. The problem is simply confusion vs. clarity: the media distorts what is really happening. Islam is a very clear religion, but people fail to sit down and seek the truth for themselves. Most of the media create an image of Islam that is not representative of what it really is. When "Muslims" are put into a Google search for news, the first things that come up are "Muslims are more unpopular than Atheists in the US" and "Muslims are most disliked group in America, says new study."

I sat down with a member of Masjid As-Salam in Rock Hill, SC (who wishes to remain anonymous). He said Islamophobia began shortly after 9/11. Before this date, he said, "Muslims lived in peace in America." After this tragedy, people passing by would throw crosses at their mosque, deface their sign, and call the police on them.

The main misconception associated with Islamophobia is that these radical groups (ISIS, Al-Qaida, etc.) are Muslim. According to the member of Masjid As-Salam and the Qur'an, they are not Muslim because they do not practice the pillars of faith. He explained that for one to be Muslim, they must abide by the 5 pillars of Islam:

Muslim translates to English as "someone that submits their self to God." The member explained that as an American community, we don't want to recognize the difference between terrorist groups and Muslims because we need someone to blame. It makes us uncomfortable to acknowledge that.

The member of Masjid As-Salam made it very clear that these extremist groups are against the Islam tradition to commit murder, especially to the degree of terrorism. He explained the newfound hatred of Muslims is because "ignorance breeds hatred." It is my hope that this has brought some light to Islam so that we can be less ignorant and show more love.

السلام يكون معكم (Peace be with you!)