ISIS – the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria also known as ISIL – the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant, are the two common names of a militant group that claims to be based on Islam. Islam however, is a religion that fundamentally teaches peace between everyone, no matter their race, gender or religion. Unfortunately, radical Islamic groups have tarnished the way people view the religion.
There are many misconceptions about the Muslim population as a whole. I have witnessed a friend being called a terrorist simply because of the assumption that he may be Muslim because he is from a predominantly Muslim nation. Simple things that many would not think of become more difficult for people who are assumed to be Muslim. Going through security at an airport is one of the most uncomfortable situations to be in. Going through secondary security is an experience most are not even aware of, whereas it is just a usual procedure for those of a certain race. In this situation however, it is unfair to generalize a whole population to a small percentage of people who have committed acts of terror. Many acts of terror are committed globally by people of all races but because of the presence of such “Islamic” organizations and people who pledge allegiance to them, the Muslim community has been extremely marginalized.
With the increase in power ISIS/ISIL is getting it is giving people an opinion of what Islam is without them even realizing that these organizations do not represent the values of Islam. This past month was the holy month of Ramadan, in this month Muslims fast for 30 days where they do not eat or drink from sunrise to sunset. It must be noted that it is not only a month of fasting of the stomach, but fasting of the mind, body, and soul. During this month one refrains from swearing, fighting, arguing, sex and other activities that are considered Haram. It is important to keep in mind that all these activities should be refrained from in everyday life too, but people are more aware of them during the holy month.
This year, ISIS/ISIL promised to stain the Muslim holy month with bloodshed. Ironic, considering they claim to be Muslims and promised and fulfilled the promise of killing hundreds in the month of Ramadan where one is not even supposed to raise one’s voice at anyone. In May, ISIS/ISIL released a statement claiming that “with God's permission, a month of pain for infidels everywhere.” It may be assumed that since they are “Muslims” the infidels that they are referring to would be “non-Muslims”, however, the past 10 days has proven that this is not the case. The last 10 days of Ramadan are the holiest of the month because it is when the Quran is believed to have been revealed to Prophet Mohammed (PBUH). These are the days when people are praying the most and spending the most time praying for their sins to be forgiven and for the health of their families for this life and the life hereafter. These are also the days, that ISIS/ISIL commenced their brutal attacks across the Islamic world. One week before the end of Ramadan, there was an attack at the airport in Istanbul that killed 44. After that, 200 were killed in Baghdad and over 20 in Bangladesh. And finally, the day before the end of Ramadan, there were three suicide bombing attempts in Saudi Arabia, the country of the two most holy sites for Muslims.
These attacks in four Muslim countries in the span of only one week shows that their attacks do not discriminate, they attack the people of the religion they claim to follow too. #ISISAttackingMuslims
