Debunking Misconceptions about Muslims and Islam

Stereotypes about Muslims range from insults about terrorism to misunderstandings about the meaning of the word Allah. Teachers should probably start with a discussion about stereotyping and why it is wrong to paint any group of people with a broad brush. Then the class can move on to the specific stereotypes about Muslims.

Islam is a religion that promotes violence and terrorism.

“Islam totally prohibits terrorism—there is no text that endorses that,” says Ameena Jandali of the Islamic Networks Group. “Killing an innocent person is considered to be the greatest crime after worshiping another god.” Teachers could ask students to brainstorm about other groups that have also engaged in terrorism or violence in the name of a religion and how that behavior ran counter to their faiths’ core beliefs. 

Islam guides followers to oppress women.

Historically, Islam promoted women’s rights. For instance, the Qur’an grants women freedoms that they did not have before, such as the right to inherit property, conduct business and have access to knowledge. “Men and women have the same responsibility before God, the same accountability before God,” says Jandali. “Arranged marriages are more of a cultural practice—and women do have the right to divorce.”  In many cases, the oppression many women face in Muslim countries is caused by cultural tradition, not Islamic law.

Women are forced to wear a headscarf, or hijab, by men as a sign of submission.

Rules about modesty are open to a wide range of interpretations. That is why women in Saudi Arabia must cover everything but their eyes, hands and feet while many women in Turkey observe no special rules about dress. “It’s really because of a desire to please God,” Jandali says of using head or body coverings. The practice comes from a traditional interpretation that says the hijab protects women’s dignity. But wearing any special clothing is a personal choice. Teachers can ask students to find the similarities between the hijab and how some women of other faiths dress, including Catholic nuns, Amish women and Orthodox Jewish women.

Muslims worship a god named Allah.

The Arabic word Allah simply means God, and Islam springs from the same monotheistic tradition as Judaism and Christianity. To Muslims, Allah is the God of Abraham, Moses and Jesus.