...French media coverage of the headscarf controversy perpetuates considerable misunderstanding of Islam and thus the politics of tension between religious minorities in a society where secular is hegemonic. In 1989, in a small town outside of Paris, three girls were expelled for wearing hijabs. The girls were in no way disruptive, or incapable academically, however, the event became a significant media event which the hijab was framed as a ‘veil’ or misrepresented as a chador. Furthermore, public intellectuals in the media promoted concerns regarding “Iran-type” mobilisation in France. A similar incident occurred in 1994, 69 girls were expelled for wearing what was continually labeled in the media as a veils, as in 1989 the ‘veil’ became a point...
Words: 1134 - Pages: 5
...from slavery proved to them God was protecting and watching over them. Beliefs: The Hebrews believed in only one God, Yahweh. They were the first monotheistic religion and the oldest today. Their central element was education, the study and ideas of justice and righteousness. They were obedient to the law and followed the Ten Commandments. They forbid working on holidays or on the seventh day of the week, and having certain foods to eat. There are also certain laws that must be followed. This law is also known as the Mosaic Law. Customs, Practices, and Traditions: Today some Jews are Rabbis. Rabbis are religious teachers. They also celebrate Hanukah. Hanukah is a holiday in which Jews light candles on a menorah. Modern Information: Today over 14 million people in the world practice this religion. Most people practice in a synagogue. All Hebrew don’t always practice the same way they just share their basic beliefs. Controversies: Today Hebrew has problems with who the church declares a saint, and where crosses should be located. Hinduism Historical Information: The Caste System divided Indian society into groups based on a person’s birth, wealth or occupation. The four Varna’s are Brahmins (the priests), Kshatryas (rulers and warriors), Vaisyas (craft people, traders, and farmers), and Sudras (laborers and slaves). About everybody followed the caste system. One time there were over 3,000 castes. Hinduism is the largest religion today. Jainism was based on Mahauira...
Words: 992 - Pages: 4
...Running head: ISLAM : GLOBAL CONCEPT AND PRACTICES 1 Islam : Global Concept and Practices DeVry University Sociology – 350N – Cultural Diversity in Professions Spring Semester 2013 Introduction The history of Islam, its’ concepts and practices is one of the most intriguing yet controversial religions known today. Worldwide, Muslims make up about 23.4 percent of the population, while Christianity makes up about 30 percent (Goodstein, 2011). A study published in 2009 by the Pew Research Center to get global concept of the Muslim population found, “Of the 232 countries and territories included in this study, 50 are Muslim-majority” (p. 5). The Center also found “While 80% of the world’s Muslims live in countries where Muslims are in the majority, significant numbers – about one-fifth of the world’s Muslim population – live as religious minorities in their home countries” (p. 7). With so many countries adhering to Islam and the growth of the Muslim population here in America and worldwide; how will this affect how non-Islamic countries communicate and interact with Islamic countries and how we communicate right here in the United States? If Muslim fundamentalists were not at the forefront of controversy in the war on terrorism, would Islam be a religion that sparks so much debate? Even before September 11th, there had been much controversy related to Islam. However most of it occurred on foreign soil. With significant bombings and terrorist attacks in Europe...
Words: 3389 - Pages: 14
...“Wahhabism” and “Wahhabis” are names, often used and given to the doctrine and followers of Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahab, who, annoyed by practices which he claimed were bordering on kufr, launched a campaign to purify the Islamic faith. Many have compared the Wahhabi campaign to Islamic reformation and revivalist movements in various parts of the Muslim world. Muhammad Abd al-Wahhab was the founder and first modern Islamic fundamentalist and extremists allied to the Al-Saud clan who promoted an extreme version of Salafism which is a term used to describe fundamentalist islamic thought and the jihadist movement or ideology amond Salafi Muslims (Global, 2014). Wahhab made the central point of his reform movement the principle that absolutely every idea added to Islam after the third century of the Mulsim era was false and should be eliminated. Muslims, in order to be true Muslims, must adhere solely and strictly to the original beliefs set forth by Muhammad. The reason for this extremist stance, and the focus of Wahhab's reform efforts, was a number of popular practices which he believed represented a regression to pre-Islamic polytheism. These included praying to saints, making pilgrimages to tombs and special mosques, venerating trees, caves, and stones, and using votive and sacrificial offerings. These are all practices commonly and traditionally associated with religions, but they were unacceptable to Wahhab. Contemporary secular behaviors are even more anathema...
Words: 1442 - Pages: 6
...A. THE QUR'AN 1. First, a little background on the Qur'an. Last time you'll recall we discussed the emergence of the Qur'an and the belief that it is a divine revelation from Allah. According to Islamic tradition, in the year 610 A.D. Muhammad received his first revelation from the angel Gabriel during the ninth month of Ramadan, outside the city of Mecca. I mentioned how,over a period of time from 610 when he received his first revelation to his death in 632, Muhammad had a number of revelations which today compose the 114 chapters or Surahs known as the Qur'an. 2. Now the Qur'an, just to kind of orient you to the Qur'an, is organized in a way that may be somewhat familiar to you in that it is somewhat similar to what we find at least in the epistles of Paul in the New Testament. The chapters of the Qur'an are not arranged according to chronology, but according to size, just the way the Pauline epistles are arranged according to their length, from the largest, the longest - Romans, down to the shortest. In the same way, you have the Qur'an organized according to the longest Surahs to the shortest Surahs without any particular reference to the timeframe in which they're given. 3. This sometimes can create some difficulty or dissonance when reading the Qur'an because the Qur'an also adopts what is known as "abrogation." Abrogation means that an earlier revelation can be abrogated, or overturned, by a later revelation, and so sometimes the abrogation occurs prior to when you...
Words: 3019 - Pages: 13
...The religion of Islam is quite intuitive in that the Qur’an predicts that people will intentionally skew the sacred word of the Qur’an to fit their message. The Qur’an states in 3:7 that “Some of its verses are definite in meaning -- these are the cornerstones of the Scripture -- and others are ambiguous.” Additionally, in Islam it holds true that if Muhammad did not address a certain issue, it is left to an individual’s discretion. Contemplating all the common misinterpretations of Islam due to extremist Muslims who use the Qur’an and Hadith to justify their actions, in our modern world we don’t .do enough to acknowledge the truths in Islam, rather focus our attention on extremist interpretations. Considering how many issues and controversies...
Words: 1447 - Pages: 6
...Running Head: Social Justice- Dhimmitude Social Justice Project- Dhimmitude in Health Care Lindsey Weber LA 105 –Professor McKinnis November 9, 2011 Abstract I found the oddities in the healthcare bill to be quite intriguing. There has been some major controversy over the health care bill as it is, and the deeper one delves, the more one finds about its details. I was particularly curious about a section that supposedly entitles Muslims in this country to practice “Dhimmitude” as part of their health care. It is easy to see the varying opinions on the matter, so I researched these and came to my own conclusion. Dhimmitude The actual meaning of the word “dhimmitude” is the Muslim system of controlling non-Muslim populations conquered through jihad (“The Status of…”). It is interesting because this is used in the healthcare bill. On page 107 of the bill, it states that: “(5) EXEMPTIONS FROM INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS. —In the case of an individual who is seeking an exemption certificate… the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act which certifies that such individual is a member of a recognized religious sect or division thereof described in section 1402(g)(1) and an adherent of established tenets or teachings of such sect or division as described in such section.” (“Are Muslims Exempt…”) The focus within this quotation concerns any religious sect; further reading of the document suggests the presence of Sharia Law. It means the taxing of resident...
Words: 1210 - Pages: 5
...Islam vs. the Rest of the World Islam vs. the Rest of the World Introduction There are hundreds of different religions and cultures throughout the world today and each is interpreted differently within the religious communities, families, or individuals and many of these cultures and religions have been morphed into a different form with different practices based on how each deems appropriate for them. There have been great strides in recent years to reduce discrimination and prejudice towards minority groups that are of a culturally different background than the dominant, more accepted groups and there is still a long way to go to meet total equality. While it is true there have been many improvements for some cultures in recent years, the opposite is true for those of the Muslim decent. Since the terrorist attacks starting from September 11 and since then, Muslims and those of the Islamic faith have been unfairly stereotyped negatively as demons and as many as 46 percent of Americans view the group as a whole as having terrorist tendencies. (Deane, Fears 2006) Not only are their religious practices criticized and viewed negatively, but nearly every other action they commit is thought to be “suspicious”, from the way they dress, to the way they talk, how they practice their religion, and how women are viewed and treated in their culture. Some view their form of lifestyle to be geared towards hatred and violence, with every action being held under a microscope and...
Words: 2356 - Pages: 10
...yes, will you admit it and will you change? Most Americans will deny it, but as a society, we may fear American Muslims or have acted bias, racist, or even prejudice against them. Not all Muslims are terrorist! The Muslim population was once very small but has increased greatly in the 20th century. In 2005, nearly 96,000 people of Islamic countries have become permanent American citizens. Then in 2009, there was another 115,000 Muslims who became legal residents. Muslims in American are not only Arab descent. They are very racially diverse religious groups and come from various backgrounds. “Native-born American Muslims are mainly African Americans who make up about a quarter of the total Muslim population. Many of these have converted to Islam during the last seventy years” (Borelli, & Christiansen 2011). Muslims are populating America in large numbers and are a part of the American society but highly misunderstood (Borelli, & Christiansen, 2011). The tragedy that struck America on September 11, 2001, changed America forever. For some American Muslims, they believe...
Words: 1576 - Pages: 7
...A Thesis statement: • Tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion. • • Is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper. • • Directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel. • • Makes a claim that others might dispute. • • Is usually a single sentence somewhere in your first paragraph that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation. • • • It states the essay's subject -- the topic that you are discussing. • • It reflects the essay's purpose -- either to give your readers information or to persuade your readers to agree with you. • • It includes a focus -- your assertion that conveys your point of view. • • It uses specific language -- avoids vague words and generalizations. • • It may (but doesn't have to) state the major subdivisions of the essay's topic. WHAT TO AVOID Don't Simply State a Fact with your Thesis Statement Last year saw a decrease in the number of "bad girl" roles in Hollywood. WHAT TO DO Try and...
Words: 701 - Pages: 3
...Islam in the World Today Patrick Mallin DeVry University Islam has a major influence within society and not just within the Middle East but all over the world. Depending on what part of the world is looked at, the teachings of Islam are altered slightly just like anything else maybe in different countries. The issue that arises is the thought that Islam has one belief that has been shining in the wrong light, and it is practiced the same way all around the world and by all people. The teaching of Islam will be further explained showing differences in ways it is practiced to prove misconceptions wrong. Another thing that will be focused on is how these teachings compare to Christianity and Judaism which are also found throughout the world. With this information, it allows for interactions of different religious groups to be looked at, and the ability to assess the dynamics of them. With further understanding of each, a more stable society could start to develop. The teachings of Islam are meant for the good of all people, it is designed to eliminate any prejudice and hatred among all people. The basis is that people are all the same, no matter what skin color, job, gender, or social class. Islamic teachings come from the holy Quran which focus’s everything around three principle factors, those being, justice, tolerance, and equality. Justice focusing on the fact that if one would discriminate...
Words: 2117 - Pages: 9
...Christianity and Islam. Both religions have many followers that openly and subtly attack the opposing religion today. The fact that both religions preach strong beliefs and devout lifestyles that contradict each other creates an environment for struggle. Additionally, the expression “two wrongs don’t make a right” helps encapsulate the root of the problems that continue to persist between the two religions. This prolonged hatred is the result from centuries of conflict between religious descendants. In the modern world, social media is increasingly influencing both Christianity and the Islam faith through raising awareness and presenting biased opinions. As Christianity and the Islamic state globally become more aware of each other, the differences in each religion have become an expansion of animosity against the opposing faith. A popular view from both faiths of Islam and Christianity involve a defensive and aggressive stance towards the opposing religion. Islamic followers in many aspects of belief disagree with and reject Christian views. This is created by feedback loop that has influenced many Muslims on different levels towards having a hateful mindset. Largely due to media created opinions, Islamic followers are lead to believe the worst about Christianity. This is only compounded by a conflictual history between the two religions and many people’s unwillingness to forgive. Not unlike the Islam view on Christianity, there are many views of Islam that are popular to...
Words: 1001 - Pages: 5
...light on current British debates, concerning multiculturalism. In everyday’s life I can see in many different branches, like arts, education or business, just to mention a few, how people of different heritage facing each other often competitive and sometimes even negative or racist. This topic caught my interest because I simply do not want more war; and there is no doubt that there is a war against Islam and Muslims, however it may express its power. The special example of Islamophobia, which is a widespread and controversial topic, addresses or rather attacks Islam and Muslims. Not all racist movements manifest their values in political activism. It is rather a matter of educational, cultural, social and ethical norms and values. Therefore I find it necessary to introduce my work with a brief overview of Islamophobia in multicultural British society. In any case, basic background knowledge will be helpful by understanding what is happening with our society and illustrates, or directly names the problems most Muslims facing, day by day and what really causes such a controversy. With my special focus of Islamophobia in the educational sector, I try to...
Words: 3809 - Pages: 16
...law but took many years to achieve. For example even after the Civil War, African Americans were treated badly. They got the worst jobs and were paid poorly. Blacks and white were segregated. In other words, they were kept separate in public places including at theaters, restrooms, schools and in transportation. In the 1950's and 1960's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. became known as the leader for the nonviolent civil rights movement. Malcolm X quickly became very prominent in the movement with his own group of followers. Noted legislative achievements during this phase of the Civil Rights Movement were passage of Civil Rights Act of 1964, that banned discrimination based on "race, color, religion, or national origin" in employment practices and public accommodations (n.a.2009). The Voting Rights Act of 1965 that restored and protected voting rights (n.a.2009). The Immigration and Nationality Services Act of 1965 (n.d), that dramatically opened entry to the U.S. to immigrants other than traditional European groups; and the Fair Housing Act of 1968(n.a 1981), that banned discrimination in the sale or rental of housing. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, an American clergyman, activist and prominent...
Words: 800 - Pages: 4
...Felton Professor World History 112 Since 1500 Date Contending for Islam The rapid spread of secular culture and the intensification of interloping of the west into the Islamic nations in the past prompt hyped debates among affected Muslims. Muslims are in a dilemma on the principals and cultural values to apply and the ones that they should reject. Again, the compatibility of the western culture with the Muslim tradition is also in doubt. Tough questions whose answers remain concealed clouds Muslim traditions over time. The paper gives stout thoughts and ideas of controversies derived from the readings of several authors while supporting various facts using relevant literature sources. It identifies how the authors use history to pass their arguments and the historical context of their appeals. Specifically, the paper will draw its points from the articles titled, Political Islam, Progressive Islam, and Abandoning Islam. Political Islam The document clearly uses history to deliver his message to his audiences strongly. Ayatollah's article is a typical representation of thoughts that fit in the historical time. The document's message refers to a time when the Islamic revolution had just ended in Iran to create a government that was purely Islamic. The author uses historical issues that foster his points further. His reference to the lifestyle of the western people...
Words: 1082 - Pages: 5
