Good Essay On Faith, Fasting And Football Film

One character whose story resonated with me as I watched the film is the narrator. Just like him, I have been concerned to find out more about the truth on the Muslim faith because many perspectives exist on the issue.
Some of the stereotypes I have about Arab people and Muslims include the fact that they are viewed as brutal people, thieves, charlatans and murderers. Muslims are also perceived by many as selfish and hardliners. What I learnt about Arab culture from the film is that it is very patriarchal and holds to beliefs that violate the rights of women, for example, stoning women in for adultery. The culture is also characterized by segregation and discrimination in that men and women cannot sit together in religious gatherings. From the film, it is also evident that majority of Muslims are violent or are sympathetic to terror as illustrated by the cheering that accompanies the moments of violence for the Paris terror attack victims. Few similarities exist between what I saw in the film and what I see in my culture, social identity and religion. For instance, while it is not expressly an enforced rule, men and women rarely sit together in religious meetings where I come from. Additionally, in some cases, men tend to be given preferential treatment in case of an offence like adultery in that most of the stigmatization is directed towards the woman who is viewed as “loose” and a “temptress” even when the man is also sinful. My years of growing up were different from those of students and families in the film in that in my community, the culture of violence which seems to dominate life in the film was on a lesser scale. Violence was viewed as alien while in the film it has become the norm.
Some of the things that surprised me in the film include the fact that football fans can cheer and shout as players are observing a moment of silence for victims of terror attack. I was also surprised to learn that the widely spread idea of Islam as a religion of peace is a myth because, by its very nature and scriptural authority, Islam advocates for violence like stoning, execution of rape victims and Sharia law gives lenient sentences for offenders of child rape and gang attacks. Moreover, it was surprising to learn that polls by Al Jazeera, BBC and ICM have established that majority of Muslims support terror organizations like ISIS.
It is unfortunate that some students and residents in the film comment how “safe” the community is for them and that it is difficult for them to move from Dearborn. In my opinion, they should make every attempt possible to assimilate into mainstream democratic and non-violent culture because their retrogressive cultural and religious beliefs hurt them more than they benefit them.
The holy month of Ramadhan is a worldwide Muslim practice of fasting intended to commemorate the revelation of the Quran to Muhammad. It is regarded as one of the pillars of the Islam. During Ramadhan, all adult Muslims of good health are required to fast from dawn to dusk, married couples abstain from sex and all behavior that is considered “sinful.”
In the movie, “The Truth about Islam,” I strongly disagree with the writer’s position that Islam is not a religion of violence. The examples of violent actions that are allowed by the Quran which forms the basic tenets guiding the Islamic faith give its followers every reason possible to be violent.