Essays on Muslim People

Jihad is a very contradictory Arabic term. It includes every kind of effort, exertion, conflict and war (Aidin 7-15). The etymological origin of the word Jihad is derived from j-h-d which means striving one’s utmost or exerting one’s utmost power, efforts, endeavors, toil or hard work and ability in contending with an object of disapprobation (Aidin 7-15). As it is seen this expression means to make an effort for Allah in many fields of life (Aidin 7-15). The goals of jihad and its idea have changed a lot while Muhammad performed his activities. Initially, Muhammad and Quran ...

The issue of Muslim immigration is one of the most discussed topics in the American society and in the wake of numerous tragic events in Europe, Middle East and now in the USA. Pew Research Center estimates that 3.3 million Muslims live in the USA. They make up approximately 1% of the total U.S. population, but by 2050 the American Muslim population will equal to more than 8 million people (Mohamed). One of the reasons of such growth is the increase in the number of immigrants from Muslim countries. Nowadays, 10% of legal immigrants are Muslim people (Mohamed). Without ...

April 8,2016

Irshad Manji: The Trouble with Islam; A Muslim’s Call for Reform Irshad Manji wrote her book The Trouble with Islam in 2003 - 2004 as an open letter. The author expressed her doubts and questions to the Muslim and non - Muslim people regarding the rigidity of Islam religion, seeking true answers. Muslim-born author Menji outlined major challenges for modern Muslims in order to get better and get rid of outdated traditions. According to Manji, Muslims keep practicing outdated traditions that make many Muslim countries stay backward. In 1972, as a four year old girl, she arrived to ...

Despite the declared principles of secularism the politics and religion have always been interconnected in the USA. By means of the politicians, the churches may pursue their interests and promote their ideas around the USA. In turn the politicians may gain support from the large number of people if they align their policies with the people’s religious beliefs. For example, the conservative evangelists had always been far from politics, but they cooperated with Ronald Reagan, because they thought he would be able to prohibit abortion and address some other controversial problems. What is more, they started to participate ...

The recipe for Greek mussaka and good advices I received from my neighbor who originates from Greece. Mussaka is a main course dish that is prepared in all countries of the Balkan Peninsula and is considered as a national meal in every one of them. The difference is in the meat and some people, according to taste add two egg yolks in the bechamel sauce and change the bottom or both layers with potatoes. The word béchamel has a French origin and it came much later with many other words as names to the similar things, prepared in ...

Today, every time a mass or school shooting or act of terrorism occurs in America, one thought races through the minds of many Muslim individuals: Please don’t be brown. In light of the events that took place on September 11, 2001, Muslim families and people across the globe become a scapegoat for the tragedy that ensued on that date. Every time a person of color commits an atrocity their actions are immediately linked with the Taliban or Islamic extremist. The idea of Muslim people has become essentialized as a group of people who want to “destroy the Christian nation.” In 2014, studies ...

TEACHINGS OF THE KORAN

There are three main world religions and nowadays, the most numerous are Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. People from all over the world treat them as a basis of their lives. These beliefs have their own systems and main principles. Islam exists in more than 120 countries all over the world. In twenty eight of these states Islam is a state religion. These are such countries as Egypt, Morocco, Kuwait, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, etc. (Armstrong, 2000). The holy book of Muslims is the Koran, the most readable book in the world. It contains main principles and teachings. Muslim ...

Identity, Sense of Belonging and Sense of Place

Introduction The concept of place has primarily geographic connotations, as people tend to associate place with a specific location on the surface of the Earth, detectable on a map. Nevertheless, when thinking of place there are also symbolical values associated with this concept, entrenched in one’s memory, nostalgic recollections of past events or landmarks. These values and memories are reflected, through emotions and feelings about a place, and this creates the sense of place. The sense of place defines who we are and contributes to understanding our individualities. As we have different perceptions regarding our sense of place, we acknowledge ...

Introduction

Religion is an organized collection of cultural systems, belief systems and world views that relate humanity to spirituality and at times moral values. Religions are characterised by symbols, traditions, narratives, sacred places, people, beings that are intended to explain the origin of life, meaning of life and the universe. Religions have over the years helped define human nature and the known and the unknown world. They have also defined and set standards on ethics, morality and general human lifestyle. It is estimated that there are about 4,200 religions in the world. The most dominant religions in the ...