Misconceptions Of Islam Essay

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Religion is a major part of people’s lives all around the world today. Religion means something different to each individual. Whether it’s an escape from reality, a reason to live, or simply the feeling of belonging to a community, religion has a significant influence over people and their actions. The Muslims in the Middle East are especially impressive when it comes to their devotion to Allah. But there is a question of one thing in regards to women of the Islamic faith living overseas. Does the religion of Islam help to reinforce female oppression, or does the Quran provide equal opportunities and rights for women, or perhaps a little bit of both. In my research I will examine the rights given to women by the Quran, the different …show more content…
One of the most common misconceptions about the women in Islam is that they are required by the Quran to wear a veil (Hijab) in public. The Quran doesn’t actually command any of its women followers to wear a hijab. This veil is dictated by tradition, not religion, and is not advocated or supported by the holy book. To say that is oppressing women is absurd because no one seems to think that there is a problem with nuns covering themselves for their God. What is the difference between a nun and a Muslim woman that chooses to wear a hijab? There are many Muslim women that find pride in wearing this veil because it takes the focus away from their looks and places it on their talents and abilities. What’s more feminist than that? Something else that people seem to get wrong is that women cannot have jobs outside of their homes. This is simply not the case. While the household duties of being a wife and a mother are a woman’s first priority, there is no prohibition whatsoever on a woman working and making a living dictated in the Quran. Historically, Muhammed 's first wife Khadija was a merchant who hired Muhammed to work for her, so how could women working outside of their homes be forbidden? Along these lines, it is believed that it is against Muslim religion for a woman to get an education. This is not true, in fact the Quran …show more content…
It’s actually more so the latter. What people must understand is that the oppression that a woman may feel, most likely does not come from the Quran. The Quran talks about women and men being equal in the eyes of Allah as well as in treatment. To say that the Quran, thus Islam, is the oppressor is insane. Islam can’t oppress women. It’s the people that follow Islam that run away with verses from the Quran and oppress them. Religions don’t “do”, they just “are.” With a few verses from the holy book, a list of some of the most common misconceptions, and a little background knowledge about women in the history of Islam, I hope I have opened your eyes to the fact that everything you hear and see in the media is not the truth. One cannot judge another culture, religion, tradition without first attempting to understanding why things are they way that they are. Ignorance leads to misconceptions, misconceptions lead to unjustifiable hatred, and unjustified hatred leads to misery for

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