Islam is one of the most widely debated topics in our country today, as well as probably the least understood. The social climate of America has shifted to perceive all Muslims are terrorists, and all terrorists are Muslims. Neither statement is true. This is no better than saying “all cops are racist,” or “all people on welfare are layabouts who just want handouts.” The thought process that so many people possess affects the milieu of the nation, creating a society of blatant hypocrisy that so few are willing to admit to.

First, terrorism is not a representation of Islam. It is only the representation of the individuals who carried out the act of terrorism. There is no religion (that I am aware of) that actively promotes violence. In fact, they are all basically the same. For the most part, they promote charity, prayer and service to God, and nonviolence. Yet, so many people throughout the years have started all-out wars in the name of religion, but this is not the religion’s fault. God doesn’t start wars; people start wars. For any act of terrorism to be blamed only on Islam (or any other religion) is ignorance at its best.

The IRA (Irish Republican Army) is considered a terrorist organization, and they represent the historically Catholic Republic of Ireland. Fred Phelps, leader of the Westboro Baptist Church, and also the physical embodiment of scum, represents a “strand” of Christianity. While they are not a terrorist organization, they protest the funerals of gay people (see: Matthew Shepard), spreading a message of hate. They protest military funerals. Yet, nobody views their actions as a representation of their religion. So, why are Muslims lumped into the category of terrorists?

[Somebody please provide a logical answer to that question.]

This article was entirely inspired by the above picture. There are a few things wrong with it. First, it was shared by a page called Britain First. Britain, as in Great Britain, as in the United Kingdom, as in not the same country or even continent, First. Second, Allah literally translates to “God.” “The God,” to be exact. Therefore, the picture is basically saying “One nation under God, not God”.

Okay, that one’s out of the way, let’s look at the bigger problem: The First Amendment. There is mostly talk about the right to free speech, but the First Amendment also includes freedom of press, assembly, and religion. Freedom of religion. This is meant to say that anyone in America has the right to practice any religion they choose, including, but not limited to, Islam. The picture directly contradicts an ideology that America was founded on, not to mention the supposed “separation of church and state” in the United States. If politicians and supporters of a Christian America would like a strictly Christian America, we must in turn do away with our economic and political system, capitalism. Capitalism and Christianity cannot coexist. The Bible (and the Qur’an, and the Old Testament) tell its practitioners to help the poor, and speak against lending money with interest. Meanwhile, in 2013, America had the second highest level of child poverty in the world, and the banks and government are collecting money from debtors and recent college graduates at varying rates of interest.

Moving on from the picture, you may have noticed the sentence above: The Bible, Qur’an, and the Old Testament, all said the same thing. That’s because all three are Abrahamic religions. All three religions claim the prophet Abraham as their common forefather. Yes, the three do veer off in different directions. The point is, they are all the same breed. The Qur’an references more than fifty people and events that are also mentioned in the Bible.

Yet, America has been polluted with an arrogance in many respects, but let’s stick with faith. There are a multitude of ways in which one can find God. There are thousands of faiths, religions, and spiritual ideals. How can one group of people be so arrogant to say that their God is the one and only, the one that everybody should believe in? This question is posed to everyone that feels this way, not just Christians.

Nobody has the right, anywhere, to discredit an entire group of people because of the actions of a few. A common argument for gun enthusiasts is, “just because a few people kill with guns, doesn’t mean nobody should be allowed to own them.” Okay, fair enough. Then, why are people blaming all Muslims for the actions of one group (ISIS)? Freedom is an abstract term that is tossed around and supposedly supported by all American citizens. That’s wonderful. Then, why are we discriminating people for their religion, when their freedom to practice it is their constitutional right?

(Mehdi Hasan)

In a debate at Oxford University, discussing whether or not Islam is inherently a violent religion, Mehdi Hasan, speaking from the stance that it is not, provides a slam dunk in his argument, and the only argument that anybody should need, in saying, “if Islam is a [violent religion], why aren’t the rest of us doing it? Why is such a tiny minority of Muslims interpreting their religion in the way the opposition claim they are?” That’s it right there: interpretation. The problem is not religion; the problem is people. The problem is not (entirely) guns, the problem is people. People and their actions or their interpretations. Whatever one’s conception of God is, it is not the fault of the religion for their actions.

Here is a link to the video of the Oxford debate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjRI2AsF3h0

If we can’t blame all police officers for the actions of a few, if we can’t blame all guns for all the mass shootings in America, if we can’t blame all white people for the actions of the KKK, then we cannot blame every Muslim for the actions of ISIS. If we do, then we’re nothing more than hypocrites.

“God doesn’t make the world this way. We do.” - Rorschach, "Watchmen."