Myths about Muslim Americans

Sarah Grimsley

Many people in this world misunderstand other people that may be different than them, whether it’s because they look different, have different beliefs, or come from a different state or country. One group of people that are highly misunderstood are Muslim Americans. Three myths that people generally have about Muslim Americans are that they often become “homegrown terrorists,” that they oppress women, and lastly that Muslims are trying to impose the Sharia law on the U.S. Constitution.

Ever since the tragedy of 9/11 Americans have come to the misconception that all Muslims are terrorists, even the ones who were born and raised in the United States. According to the Engy Abdelkader, “According to FBI statistics, from 1980 to 2005, Muslims were responsible for only 6 percent of attacks in the U.S.” This means that just because you believe in a certain religion and some people within your religion do bad things, it doesn’t mean that everyone that believes in that religion does bad things as well. According to the article, “Myths and Facts about Muslim People and Islam,” “According to a 2015 Pew Research Center study collected in 11 countries with significant Muslim populations, people overwhelmingly expressed negative views of ISIS.” This means that not all Muslim Americans are a part of ISIS. ISIS is a group not a religion and many people from diverse backgrounds join ISIS. Most of the recent terrorist attacks that have happened here on American soil in 2017 are from Americans who are not Muslim. Some of these terrorists even served in the United States Military, such as the man who killed innocent people in a small church in Texas. Muslim Americans aren’t the ones that have been murdering Americans, it’s the people that the American people least expect.

Another myth that many people have about American Muslims is that they oppress women. One thing that many people often refer to as a sign that a muslim woman is being oppressed is when they wear head scarfs. According to Aisha Stacey, “The most visible sign of a Muslim woman’s faith is the headscarf or hijab… for the majority of Muslim women around the world, to cover, or not to cover, is a freely made choice.” Most women choose to wear the hijab to show their pride in what they believe in. No one is forcing them to wear it. It’s very similar to other religions, such as Pentecostal, Mennonite, and Amish, that believe that women can only wear skirts or dresses, because the men are the ones who are supposed to wear the pants. No one is forcing those women to wear skirts and dresses; they choose to because it’s what they believe in. While some women may decide to leave their religion so they can chose not to follow the dress code, others stay because of the pride that they have for their religion. Muslim American women have just as much freedom as any other woman.

Lastly, Americans think that Muslims are trying to impose the Sharia law on the U.S. Constitution. The Sharia Law is a set of morals that Muslims are meant to follow. It is very similar to what the Bible is for Christians. According to Amy Sullivan, “More than a specific set of laws, sharia is a process through which Muslim scholars and jurists determine God’s will and moral guidance as they apply to every aspect of a Muslim’s life.” The Sharia is almost more like a way of life for Muslims. It covers every aspect of life for Muslims. According to Feisal Rauf, “Not only do American Muslims have no scriptural, historical or political grounds to oppose the U.S. Constitution, but the U.S. Constitution is in line with the objectives and ideals of sharia.” This meaning that the U.S. Constitution is similar to the rules of the Sharia, so why would they want to impose the Sharia Law on the U.S. Constitution if they are already somewhat similar.

As you can see, not all Muslim Americans are terrorists, Muslim women aren’t oppressed, and lastly they aren’t trying to impose the Sharia law onto the U.S. Constitution. Muslims Americans are Americans too, that’s why they are called Muslim Americans. They are American citizens and that’s why Americans that are not associated with the Muslim religion need to be more understanding of the Muslim religion so that Muslim Americans can get the respect and understanding that they need.

Works Cited

Abdelkader, Engy, “7 Myths about Muslim Americans” Beliefnet, 2017,

http://www.beliefnet.com/faiths/islam/galleries/7-myths-about-muslim-americans.aspx.

Accessed 16 November 2017.

“Myths and Facts about Muslim People and Islam” Anti-Defamation League, 2017,

https://www.adl.org/education/resources/tools-and-strategies/myths-and-facts-about-musl

im-people-and-islam. Accessed 16 November 2017.

Rauf, Feisal. “Five Myths about Muslims in American” The Washington Post, 1 April 2011,

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-myths-about-muslims-in-america/2011/0

3/30/AFePWOIC_story.html?utm_term=.48fb770be36e. Accessed 16 November 2017.

Sullivan, Amy. “The Myth of Sharia Law in America” Huff Post, 15 August 2011,

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/amy-sullivan/sharia-myth-america_b_876965.html.

Accessed 16 November 2017.

Stacey, Aisha. “Does Islam Oppress Women” The Religion of Islam, 10 January 2010,

https://www.islamreligion.com/articles/3344/does-islam-oppress-women/. Accessed

26 November 2017.

Amiri, Abid. "The Paradox of the Muslim-American Community." MOST, 2017, https://www.mostresource.org/storybank/the-paradox-of-the-muslim-american-community/ (picture) Accessed 4 December 2017. (picture)