Salam Alaikum.

Islamophobia has been here forever but became most prevalent and acceptable in the U.S post 9/11.

When the faith of Islam is mentioned online whether on social media or a news channel,  most likely it has the words terrorist or extremist in close proximity.

Just simple acts like that have led into anti-Muslim protesters, Muslim bans, and people who are discriminating against religion in a poor or hasty manner.

It is not necessarily all the internet’s fault that leads into that but rather the terrorists who use Islam as a source and misinterpret the Quran, just as the KKK does but with Christianity.

The acts of any Muslim person puts the other 1.6 billion others’ lives in danger. America is one of the most anti-Muslims countries in the west. Islam is a faith, a lifestyle, not a terrorist organization.

The religion of peace has values, morals, and holidays, but when people randomly shout out “Allahu Akbar” or “Muslim terrorist”. It is disrespectful, rude and unnecessary.

Some Americans sadly discriminate against Islam and even want to ban them from this country, even though 82% of Muslims who live here in the U.S were born here.

The disheartening thing about Islamophobia is that it’s so acceptable in this country, that no one even sees it as a bad or wrong thing.

But that’s not surprising when our current President Donald Trump has said multiple negative statements about Islam.

In an interview he had done with CNN he stated, “I think Islam hates us.” Now with the leader of our country saying something like that. It’s no shock that citizens believe Islam isn’t good and it shouldn’t be in this country.

Some may find it difficult to understand that terrorism is not done by Muslims, but rather Muslim extremists, who are in fact not part or any longer associated with the religion of Islam.

“There are times where I see memes that are about Muslims that are inappropriate or tweets where politicians say things that are not appropriate and make it seem as though it is okay to say these things when it really is not. The media is also to blame for these types of things because of the way they report on these different situations and events. But then I see posts of people, like the Hadid family, who are spreading love to the Muslim community, I feel as though there is hope that we as a society will come together and overcome this ‘fear’ that people have of Muslims,” stated by Kadrisha Bizati, a senior at Naugatuck High School.

On most media outlets, they show and portray Islam as violent. As we see in the videos done by Isis or Al-Qaeda or even the Paris attacks, all of the terrorists include Islamic words, phrases and use the Quran as a source of their foundation in their acts.

They even state that what they are doing is for the only way they must live for their faith. It’s no doubt that thousands of non-Muslim people believe that Islam is associated with terrorism.

Though the one thing they know nothing about is that the real Quran and its meaning and what it really says.

As any real Muslim would tell you what these terrorists say is wrong they take out verses of the Qur’an and put it into their own words or interrupt it falsely in order so it can fit into their actions.

If you get a Quran and read it for yourself there is nothing there urging the deaths of innocent people. The real Islam is followed by people who are Muslims who believe and worship in only one God, who Muslims refer to as Allah – the same to which Christians and Jews pray.

Islam teaches to love one another and to know that we are all brothers and sisters. Allah has written in the Quran to lay our forehead in the daily five prayers only for him and him alone.

Islam was not a man made religion but was sent to a man named Muhammad who heard the angel Jibril who told him what he has told all of us.

Muslims are just normal people who eat the same foods as others, who like movies and Netflix, have the same education and like to put cologne on and want to dress well too.

We are the same as any of you, just following a different faith.

Islamophobia ranges. Some may have no problem with Muslims but might with Islamic traditions, values, and or culture.  

Anger is just one letter off from danger. Islamophobic people may commit in nasty crimes or harass those in the Islamic community.

Many may dislike religion altogether.

Yet why does the Muslim community get discriminated against so much today, unlike any other religion or belief?

The lack of knowledge can lead to misconceptions. Which can then result in stereotyping or even violence?

Now Islamophobia isn’t just we see on the news.

Even before terrorism become known to the world, people hated Muslims.

Just for what we believe in or look like.

People tend to tie Arabs and Muslims as one category but what many people don’t know is that not all Arabs are Muslims.

Although Saudi is the birthplace of Islam. Not all Muslims are Arab nor are all Arabs Muslim. Muslims can be found in every part of the world. Islam was made to reach every part of the globe. And it has.

The majority of Muslims that receive Islamophobic comments and or harassment are women who physically look like a practicing Muslim. Even here in the United States, Muslim women can be seen getting attacked and people removing their hijabs.

However, that’s not to say that Muslim men are out of the loop. Many men receive hate as well.

Even walking on the street, talking on the phone in Arabic can seem offensive to some people because, as I said before, people tend to tie Arab to Islam.

Muslims are just normal people trying to live their lives just like every else. We like to watch movies, play sports, and of course, everyone likes to eat food well some do.

Now I’m not saying all Muslims are good people.

There are good and bad in every religion.

Yet that doesn’t mean we have to blame everyone for a couple of people’s bad actions.

The beauty of being Muslim in America is that in 1789 it was written in our constitution that what still abide by today. Is that everyone has the right and freedom of religion.

Muslims respect other people’s beliefs and their choices. Prophet Muhammad attracted people to Islam by his character, and that is what muslims today do, if you have any questions regarding Islam and or Muslims check out free-islamic-course.org , or www.whyislam.org.