MISCONCEPTION #1:
Muslim Women are
oppressed by Islam
Women were granted full rights in Islam, which includes education, the ability to gain inheritance, and the right to work and run for political office positions. Also, women get the right to choose who they marry and can get divorced. Many people assume the way muslim women dress means they are oppressed, but instead, women in Islam do it for Allah (SWT) and are used as protection from other people's gaze and can gain accomplishments through their knowledge instead of looks. The oppression in some Islamic countries isn’t the teaching itself, but the culture that's there.
MISCONCEPTION #2:
Muslims hate Christians and Jews
In the Quran, Christians and Jews are referred to as the People of Scripture, which is an honorary title recognized as "communities that received revelation from God." Allah (SWT) also taught muslims to respect all religions and treat them with fairness and kindness, and not to be judgmental to anyone.
MISCONCEPTION #3:
Islam promotes
violence and terrorism
Islam itself doesn't allow killing or abuse of any kind. Killing an innocent person is seen as the greatest crime against Allah after worshipping another god. It's the second biggest crime one can commit. Islam, like many other religions, promotes or has teachings of peace and compassion.
MISCONCEPTION #4:
Prophet Isa (PBUH)--Jesus--isn’t associated with Islam.
Jesus in Islam is seen as a prophet and not the son of god/Allah, which means the same thing. As Christians, Muslims learn the teachings that he brings, but aren't solely focused on his teachings; they also learn from other prophets who came to spread the word of Allah. Islam also believes Jesus would one day return as the Messiah and defeat the fake god around the end of time. Also, Islam recognises Mary or Marium as his mother and the virgin birth, but then again, muslims don’t believe he is the son of god but only a prophet to spread Allah's teachings.
MISCONCEPTION #5:
Men are allowed to
beat or abuse their wives
Islam says that how one treats their wives is a reflection of their character. They say that the husband should treat them kindly, not hurt them emotionally or physically, have patience, communicate properly, be involved in decisions, and support them. If there is anything they don't like about their wife, they should focus on the positive side, not the negatives. Those in Islam have been seen as abusive towards their spouse is often because of their character themselves, not the the islamic teaching itself. Allah warns men that if they get wives in marriage, they shouldn’t take advantage of them. They say if they do abuse them, they face Allah's anger; if they don’t, they get Allah's pleasure. However, religion itself isn’t the one to blame for the abuses women face; it can happen to any, not just one specific group. It happens everywhere.
