i am muslim essay

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Course: ap®︎/college art history > unit 2, introduction to islam.

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Origins and the Life of Muhammad the Prophet

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Home — Essay Samples — Religion — Muslim — Great Things About Being a Muslim

Great Things About Being a Muslim

Categories: Muslim

About this sample

Words: 327 |

Published: Apr 11, 2019

Words: 327 | Page: 1 | 2 min read

Being truthful, honest and principled, regardless of the price one may have to pay for being that way;
Being fair and equitable in everything one says or does, regardless of whether it pertains to a dear one or a bitter enemy;
Pursuing excellence in conduct, attitude and dealings with people -- forgiving those who do wrong, helping those who deprive; joining those who break; responding to evil with goodness, being more charitable than one can afford, spreading smiles and greetings, etc.
Serving humanity -- helping all those who need help and being available to those who need support;
Excelling in serving one's parents and one's neighbours;
Maintaining a balance in fulfilling one's obligations to Allaah, to others and to oneself;
Avoiding alcohol or drugs of any kind that negatively affect one's mental faculties, staying away from indecencies, and shunning extremes and exceeding limits;
Saying only what is useful and avoiding argumentation.
And We have already sent [messengers] to nations before you, [O Muhammad]; then We seized them with poverty and hardship that perhaps they might humble themselves [to Us].(6.42)-why some people is poor and why we need to be humble.
O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.

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Ask About Islam

Am I a True Muslim?

Salam Dear Abdullah,

Thank you for your question and for contacting Ask About Islam.

Surprisingly enough, your dissatisfaction with your self is a good sign. If a person finds himself saying, “Ok, I’m not perfect, but I’m doing all right…in the end I’ll be just fine,” then most likely he has been deceived by Satan.

Furthermore, it is often difficult for a person in this state of self-delusion to pass into true humility before Allah. A self-reproaching person, on the other hand, will have a much easier time progressing spiritually if he rolls up his sleeves and makes a concerted effort to reform himself. But let us not be disillusioned—this is no easy task.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said, “If a person were to remain in prostration from the day of his birth until the day he died, to please Allah Exalted, then nevertheless on the Day of Resurrection he will consider this deed to be small” (Reported by Ahmad).

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In other words, it is impossible to thank and praise Allah enough for all the blessings that He has given us. Even the ability to recognize a single bounty and to thank Allah for it is taken from Allah’s quality of guiding and leading towards righteousness, and thus demands further gratitude. As such, we can never merit Allah’s pleasure, and it is only by His mercy that we will achieve success.

How much would you sell one of your eyes for? You have two—couldn’t you spare one of them for a million dollars? How about a billion dollars? Assuming your answer is no, then you are admitting that your eye is worth more than a billion dollars. How grateful would you be to a person who gave you a billion dollars? How much in his service would you be? Now carry this analogy to Allah, and we must also consider how much more He has given us.

In terms of practical advice, your companionship is key for building your iman . Even if your friends are regular in their prayers and attend the mosque regularly, this doesn’t necessarily mean that they will increase your faith. Ask yourself, how much of your conversation is spent in discussing other people behind their backs?

You mentioned people of bid`ah , and I would strongly urge you not to spend your time discussing these matters with your friends. It’s enjoyable to discuss other groups and sects because it makes us feel better about ourselves, but keep in mind that this is exactly what Satan wants us to do.

Let us assume that a group of people is deviant; is our discussing them and backbiting them improving the situation? Which scholar said that they are deviant? Is there a difference of opinion among the scholars, and if so, then why do we choose to consider one sheikh’s line of reasoning to be the only truth?

With all this in mind, there are three types of “religious” companions: those who talk about others, those who remind you of Islam, and those who remind you of Allah.

The first category we discussed above. While they may even come in the guise of sheikhs, they base their Islam on the denigration of all other people, both Muslim and non-Muslim. Keeping the company of these people will lower your iman and take you farther away from Allah the Exalted.

The second group of people remind you of Islam in one form or another. They may be interesting to listen to or read, and often times they will be of great benefit towards your knowledge and even practice.

Nevertheless, they will not raise your iman per se. Included in this category are talks on systems, aspects, and models within Islam (the Islamic economic model, etc.), and even the study of tawheed (oneness of Allah) as a theoretical science, among many other types of talks and discussions.

Finally the group who reminds you of Allah has understood the meaning of the verse:

{And continue to remind, for surely the reminder profits the believers} (Ar-Rahman 55:51).

They are able to take any conversation away from worldly matters and redirect it back to the Creator of all. They don’t teach tawheed as a theoretical science; rather they explain it practically and realistically.

They have the reality of worshiping Allah alone, without partner, such that if they face any hardship, they immediately resort to Prayer and supplication without a second thought. These people will raise your iman , with Allah’s permission, though they are hard to find these days.

Nevertheless, they do exist, and Allah, in His mercy, has spread them throughout the globe in different forms and languages in order to benefit all of mankind. Pray to Him to lead you to righteous companionship.

You mentioned the situation with your parents, and my suggestion is patience, humility, and crying for their guidance in the middle of the night. Never confront them with Islam, and never raise your voice to them even if they are trying to anger you.

Even though they are non-Muslim, the scholars say that you must obey them in everything short of breaking the Sacred Law.

If your father asks you to help him with something, you must do it immediately, with a smile, and with the intention of opening his heart to Islam, even if he may seem like the farthest person in the world to becoming Muslim. If he asks you to get him a beer or skip your Prayer, then you should kindly and tactfully excuse yourself, but do not get angry.

Satan will try and take your da`wah with them away from talking about Allah and the need for iman in Him, and he will try and get your parents and you to debate secondary issues. We’ve all heard lines from our parents like, “Well, why is it bad to just have one glass of wine? Why don’t you eat pork? Why do you think dogs are unclean?”

It is our job as inviters to Allah to take the conversation away from these secondary issues that do not win hearts in and of themselves, and bring it back to a reminder of Allah, the purpose of our existence, and the shortness of this life.

Of course, since these are the people that raised us since we were wetting our pants, it is extremely difficult on their egos to learn about the purpose of life from us. For this reason, the utmost tact and wisdom must be employed at all times with our parents. If we sense that our talk is hurting their pride or getting them angry, we must immediately change our approach in winning their hearts.

The true Muslim is able to take any situation, no matter how wicked, and improve it through his character and conviction. His iman is strong and stable through sacrifice for the sake of Allah. If we strive for the sake of Islam, sacrificing our time and energy, Allah will reward us with iman and guidance, for He says in the Qur’an what means:

{And [as for] those who strive hard for Us, We will most certainly guide them in Our ways; and Allah is most surely with the doers of good} (Al-Ankabut 29:69).

And, in this verse lies the complete answer to your question.

Thank you and please stay in touch.

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Mystical Meditations and Other Miscellaneous Musings

Sample Page
Introductory Essay

Before taking this course, my knowledge of Islam had primarily been informed by the mainstream media. Unfortunately for the probable thousands of Americans who shared this in common with me, there are so many misconceived notions of Islam depicted by these media outlets that may never be rectified unless an active search for truth is realized. Much of what the younger generations have seen in their lifetimes regarding Islam has been shrouded by dialogues of terrorism, war, and fear. It is a very instinctually human phenomenon to form an opinion and stick to it for pride or vanity’s sake. These opinions once formed are rarely able to be transformed, unless genuine open-mindedness and empathy are present. But fortunately for me, I came into Harvard almost entirely set on concentrating in the Comparative Study of Religion. Coming from a tremendously devout Catholic family, I had attended parochial school my whole life. Though I fell in love with my Catholic faith from a young age, I knew that reserving my religious studies to Catholic theology alone was detrimental not only to my conception of Catholicism, but to my conception of religion as a whole. Taking a class on Islam was a top priority on my list as I was aware of my own ignorance of both the religion and the culture. But people are not stringently bound by their ignorance that perpetuates destructive stereotypes. Misconceptions and misunderstandings can be easily cured with knowledge. And that is something I learned this semester.

In his book Infidel of Love, Professor Asani says: “It is one of the great ironies of our times that peoples from different religious, cultural, racial, and ethnic backgrounds are in closer contact with each other than ever before, yet this closeness has not resulted in better understanding and appreciation for difference. Rather, our world is marked with greater misunderstandings and misconceptions, resulting in ever-escalating levels of tensions between cultures and nations.” (page 1) These tensions that arise between cultures hardly exist on account of reasons other than ignorance. Nobody could ever come to truly know or appreciate another person, community, or culture without truly understanding that person, community, or culture. Learning about Islam therefore becomes an undertaking that requires the study of the historic, social, and political contexts that envelop the religion, before diving into the study of the modern-day conflicts existing within and surrounding some Muslim nations. Throughout this class, not only did we look at these political and historical contexts, but we also, more uniquely, examined Islam through the lenses of art, literature, poetry, and music. Peering into our subject through these aesthetic lenses provided an experience unlike any other approach to learning I’ve yet encountered. I hope the viewer will catch a glimpse of this from my blog posts.

In this blog, I present my own personal interpretations of and responses to Islamic art, literature, poetry, architecture, music, and culture. Each entry presents a reflection of the corresponding lecture material or weekly readings beginning with Week Two’s “Constructions of Islam” and ending with Week Twelve’s reading of Persepolis and Sultana’s Dream. As I mention in some of my blog posts, my spiritual life was fairly established before taking this class; but with each coming week and its accompanying lectures, my eyes were opened to so many new possibilities of approaching faith and life as a whole. Though I came to this class with a limited knowledge of Islam and, moreover, a mistaken belief that the religion along with all it promoted had no place alongside my own convictions, I am now ending the semester, delighted to have been proven wrong. My deepest hope is that someone stumbling upon this assortment of “mystical meditations and other miscellaneous musings” might recognize the collective revelations that have allowed me modest glimpses into enlightenment over these past 13 weeks, and even better, might also be inspired to think differently themselves.

In my first blog post, “Constructions of Islam,” I focus on the distinction between the terms “Muslim” and “muslim.” This was perhaps one of my favorite units in the semester because it set the stage so perfectly for all of the other misconceptions I was subconsciously harboring that would be broken throughout the rest of the course. I think that the aforementioned villainization of Muslims that has been presented in the media post 9/11 has created a false notion that at the core of Islam, exists a claim to salvation that precludes any non-Muslim from God’s mercy. But, something I learned in week two, primarily through Professor Asani’s second chapter of Infidel of Love, is that True Islam values all human life and recognizes the fact that fundamental human rights are not only universal, but that belief in this is a principal tenet of the religion. Contrary to the misconception, True Islam emphasizes that inherent dignity of humanity is derived from the same creator and therefore, rejects any possibility of ethnic, racial, or religious supremacy. As a recently declared concentrator in the study of comparative religion, I find this pluralistic message all the more critical for the development and fostering of understanding. I am a firm believer that we should not be content with the end-goal of tolerance. Tolerance implies a certain degree of complacency towards a subject, when what we should be striving for is appreciation for difference, and an eagerness to learn more about viewpoints countering our own.

My second blog post turns towards a more aesthetic side of Islam. In week six, we discussed mosque architecture and heard from two guest lecturers who spoke about the fluidity and multidimensional nature of Islamic art. In Ismail R. Al-Faruqi’s Misconceptions on the Nature of Islamic Art, he prefaces the text by noting that “the Western scholars of Islamic art…have failed in the supreme effort of understanding the spirit of that art, of discerning and analyzing its Islamicness…they sought to bend Islamic art to its categories.” (page 29) This recurring phenomenon of Western societies misappropriating cultures outside of their own is one of, if not the singular, leading cause of the culture clash that Professor Asani references in the first excerpt from Infidel of Love. Not only are misrepresentations of these cultures counterproductive to the quest for understanding, they are simply erroneous and lazy assessments in which these Western scholars attempt to fit every other culture and society into the confines of their own constructed conventions. What I found so beautiful and unique about Islamic art is that despite the wildly varied modes of interpretation and expression, all “derive their theological aesthetic from the same principle, namely, tawhid, the acknowledgement and assertion of God’s uncompromised unity and transcendence.” (Rendard, Seven Doors to Islam , page 128) The artistic liberty afforded by this principle combined with the lack of a rigid architectural template for masjids leads to endless creative possibilities. I chose to follow up Week Two’s blog with Week Six because I think the plurality message tied into the first blog also comes through in this visual project. The incorporation of three cultures into the Spanish mosque architecture is a prime example of the productive relationship that can exist between nations, and the beauty that arises as a result of their cooperative effort.

The blog inspired by Week Five deals with the importance of historical contexts and the role history plays in shaping a culture. The relationship between the father, the son, and the grandfather in Elie Wiesel’s quote is one that helped me understand the importance of the Ta’ziyeh much more clearly. So much of history relies on story-telling and the passing on of customs, but many people undervalue the importance of preserving tradition. And yet, tradition is what so often lies at the heart of religion and group identity as a whole. Without tradition and a rich history, meaning can be entirely dissolved from a culture. I have seen firsthand the essentiality of this preservation within my own faith. It’s easy to question the Truths within your religion when you realize that you only subscribe to it because of your parents, and their parents, and their parents’ parents. But once you realize the weight of tradition, you grow to appreciate the history behind your own roots, and suddenly, there is so much more meaning underlying your convictions.

Transitioning into the second half of the course, my fourth blog revolves around Week Nine’s subject of Islamic poetry. This type of faith expression and the difficulty discussed in lecture of confining a spiritual experience to fit within the parameters of language is one that I was easily able to relate to. Throughout my life, I have had innumerable encounters with areligious people that lack even the slightest trace of faith. Trying to verbalize your own faith experience is almost an impossible feat, and anyone who has been in a similar place could likely attest. When the Transcendent is so infinitely above the worldly realm that we exist in, it would be a futile task to limit an encounter with It to time or space. This poem grapples with my inner battle between constantly seeking social validation and ultimately realizing that “the one who made the stars, for my heart freely yearns.” This sense of security of self that I find within my own faith is something that people in my life who have never experienced this may never understand. My sense of self is secure because it rests in the opinion of my creator, and I have realized more and more throughout this course that I do not stand alone in this conviction. I am convinced that the bond which exists between people of faith is unlike any other interpersonal connection that human beings could share. Not only does it transcend language and time, it automatically places you on an elevated state of understanding.

This sense of unity among the community of believers is exactly why I chose to shift into Week Ten’s Conference of the Birds. In choosing seven birds and seven languages denoting “God,” I hoped to encompass this theme that, despite possessing impossible differences, no single religion holds a monopoly over salvation. Like the Buddhist parable of the blind men and the elephant, I believe all religions strive towards the same understanding of the Divine and arrive at different interpretations. These differences, far from excluding any one faith from attaining the “other-worldly,” unite believers on a common journey of enlightenment. The lessons from this search for truth illustrated in The Conference of the Birds was one of my biggest takeaways from this course. I think people do themselves such a disservice in believing that their way contains the only Gospel Truth. There are so many different routes linking this world to the next. If a believer genuinely perceives the Divine as infinite, how would this not be the case?

This multiplicity of paths to the Divine is what inspired Week Twelve’s imitation of Persepolis. Though dealing more with my own spiritual journey, the comic strip template allowed me to depict the variety of examples necessary to highlight this theme. In high school, my sophomore year theology teacher taught us about Divine Revelation and the different ways in which God unveils Himself to humanity. There are so many areas of my life in which I see proof of this divinity so plainly. I’ve spoken with non-believers who are frustrated by the fact that if God exists, why shouldn’t He come down or show Himself to us? I find it so hard to stop myself in those moments and scream, “He’s right there! He’s in you, He’s in me! He’s in everything! Don’t you see it?” But evidently, the answer is ‘no.’ If I truly believe in an infinite, omnipotent God, shouldn’t it make sense from this conception that a direct revelation would be too much for my finite mind to comprehend? This thought helps me to search for the beauty and good in everything around me and recognize it as having its roots in the Divine. Whether that be reflected through love, through kindness, through nature, or even through suffering, all of these help me to appreciate my faith and broaden my own conception of my creator on a much grander scale. This past semester has only reinforced this belief. I was challenged, enlightened, wounded, healed, distressed, and relieved all at once and I could not be more thankful for this period of tremendous growth. It is my sincere wish that readers of this blog might experience the joy and hope offered by faith at some point in their lives, or if they already have, to hold onto it for as long as they live. Life is hard and suffering does not discriminate, but with faith, our burden is made much lighter.

My Personal Beliefs in Islam Essay Example

I am Muslim by birth and proud to be a Muslim. I know Islam is a true religion and I am on a right track. There are other religions too. Why was I not attracted to them? The main reason is my strong belief in Islam. Religions like Christianity and Jewish are also sent by Allah but Islam is the last religion sent by Allah through the last Prophet Muhammad (S.W.A). After the religion Islam came into being I respect books of different religions too because they are also revealed by Allah but believe and act on the teachings of Holy Prophet Muhammad (S.W.A) and the last book Quran. I always refused and rejected to believe in other religious beliefs, no matter what community I lived in or around. The Quran is the only book that I can trust blindly because Allah Himself took the responsibility of protection of the Quran till the Day Of Judgment. There are many things in religion Islam due to which not only a Muslim cannot leave Islam but believers of other religions are also attracted towards Islam. I like Islam because it is not spread through force. None Muslims cannot be forced to accept Islam.

Islam teaches me to respect elders and love children and peace. Islam promotes justice and equality. You are treated equally either you are Arab, Non-Arab, White, or Black you are treated equally in Islam. Islam taught me that every person is born pure. The most interesting, important, and valuable things that I learned from all major religions are the offerings of prayers regularly which give you peace of mind. Remembering God in our life will make our heart and soul pure of divine light, getting guidance through teachings of your health. Good character and thinking about equality in every aspect of life where color and race do not matter in your life. The guidance by the word of god and teachings of the prophet will lead us to live life in this world with great comfort and the best religion to follow and achieve success everywhere. This improved my belief in humanity and made me optimistic. I had a bad habit of not keeping up with my prayers and doing the five pillars and I needed to change it after reading the Quran, understanding it, and knowing the beliefs. The five pillars that identify me as a Muslim are the profession of Faith, Prayers, Alms (charity), Fasting, and Pilgrimage (hajj). In Islam Fasting in the month of Ramadan is to make us realize how poor people sometimes live without food and water so it tells us to give zakaat and sadqa to poor people. I started to be more consistent in the five pillars. The process of changing to be a better Muslim, attaining religious knowledge, and trying to strengthen my consciousness of, and relationship with, my Creator. This also means I am constantly trying to better myself, my actions, and my relationships with others and the world around me. I know I'm not perfect by any means but having a clearer understanding of my role as a servant of God and recipient of his blessing gives me clearer meaning and direction in life and better means to deal with the challenges that come my way. After all my effort in trying to catch up with my prayers and five pillars, I started to become more comfortable with myself and feel more peaceful in my life.

Belief in Predestination, as a Muslim I believe that God is all-knowing. He knows what actions we will take before we take them. God knew before we were created how we will live our lives and every action that we will do. This does not mean that God controls us. We, humans, were given free will and we have full control over our actions. However, God simply knows all events that have occurred in the past or will occur in the future. Therefore, even though it is very difficult for us to understand, God is all-knowing. Even though we have free will, God is aware of what we will do. Us Muslims believe that if God wants to stop something from happening or force something to happen, he is certainly able to do so. Therefore, everything occurs because God has allowed it to happen. Islam has given me purpose and direction in my life. So Islam provides us complete code of life and tells us the purpose of our life. Islam tells us everything about how to live an excellent life in the world and go to Paradise in Hereafter. Islam has brought peace to my life. Believers of other religions, Jews believe that they are chosen people and loved by God the most. Christians who believe in Christ believe that they deserve to be saved and loved by the Lord. But according to the Quran God loves only those who are useful to people. Islam is open for all that is why it is spreading rapidly throughout the world. Islam and science are not only compatible with each other but Islam could even motivate scientific innovations.

Overall, Islam did not come up as an unexpected happening. The ideas of Islam are in some way approximating to the original basic thoughts in Judaism and Christianity which are there in their books. So, Islam was not a surprising religion that came up from an unexpected God, with unexpected changes to the beliefs of older jews, particularly. But, Isalm was a continuous message which was revised and reviewed successively to fit different nations' styles and eliminate deviations, made by people, from its sole. According to me, Islam is the best religion for all and in Islam, you will get everything you need in Quran and Sunnah. So these are some reasons that I believe in Islam because we have a lot of beliefs in the Quran and anyone can know it and understand it throughout time. I think getting closer to my religion and getting to educate myself about it has helped me to understand my beliefs and I understand life more. It did take me time to understand my religion and I’ve learned how to become patient because nothing comes easy without patience. “ Those who, when Allah is mentioned, their hearts are fearful, and [to] the patient over what has afflicted them, and the establishers of prayer and those who spend from what We have provided them,” (Surah Al-Hajj Ayah 35). This is the key that has helped in the process of not rejecting my religion and being more understanding of it. The most valuable things in Islam are respect for women, family, and achieving good behavior and character. I feel blessed following this religion and I am blessed to be born and die in the religion because the meaning of Islam is peace and the biggest earning in life to earn peace in life, which I got from birth and I will die in peace following the same religion.

Works cited

HISTORY.COM EDITORS, islam

UPDATED: AUG 20, 2019 ORIGINAL: JAN 5, 2018

https://www.history.com/topics/religion/islam

Islam: basic beliefe

https://www.uri.org/kids/world-religions/muslim-beliefs

Huda, Islamic Abbreviation: SWT, Meaning of “(S.W.T)” in Islam

Updated on January 25, 2019

https://www.learnreligions.com/islamic-abbreviation-swt-2004291

Ahmed Abdulla | Hadith, “21 HADITH AND QURAN VERSES ABOUT VIRTUE OF PATIENCE” Updated on Apr 18, 2021

“ Those who, when Allah is mentioned, their hearts are fearful, and [to] the patient over what has afflicted them, and the establishers of prayer and those who spend from what We have provided them,” (Surah Al-Hajj Ayah 35).

https://myislam.org/hadith-on-patience/

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College Essay: The veil: ‘A means of empowerment’

Being Muslim isn’t something I can hide. I wear it in my dress and I show it in my actions.

My heartbeat increased and my palms started to sweat as I slowly walked by my neighbors’ house, hoping they didn’t notice me. Even though I wasn’t looking at them, I could feel them staring.

I expected myself to be brave and stand up straight, but I couldn’t. I tried to tiptoe my way past their front yard.

I thought I was free from his attacks, but then I heard my neighbor say, “Terrorist.” When I heard that, I bit my lip to try to contain myself from exploding on him.

These are the attacks I get for being a Muslim woman.

Being Muslim isn’t something I can hide. I wear it in my dress and I show it in my actions. Through these insults, I’ve realized that I can’t change people’s opinions of Muslims by fighting or arguing with them, but through education I can teach people about my faith and what it means to be a Muslim woman. These situations have strengthened my faith and devotion to Islam. I view my veil not as a weakness but as a means of empowerment.

As a child I never realized people didn’t wear hijabs. Since I was born in Somalia, I was surrounded by people who dressed like me and practiced my religion. I didn’t feel different.

Then the civil war hit, and I was forced out of my country. My family of seven found ourselves in a refugee camp in Kenya. Later, we had permission to fly to the U.S., not knowing I would leave a physical struggle only to enter an emotional one.

When I arrived in America, it was a culture shock for me. Everything was different, from the way people dressed to the way they ate. It was the small things that stuck out to me.

For example, in Somalia, my neighbors were more like family. If someone saw you wandering around, they probably knew your family and would take you home. In America my neighbors were distant. They didn’t visit, say hello or ask how I was doing. We were more like strangers. As a child that made me feel alone.

In order for me to not forget my culture, my parents enrolled me in a charter school that has a big Somali population. I was slowly exposed to other cultures, but I made sure not to forget mine. Growing up in America, I’ve seen many Somali kids change themselves to fit in, losing religion and culture. Some fully assimilate, leaving behind their family, while others accept some concepts of American culture but still keep their traditions.

Wearing the hijab is a reminder of my beliefs. I wear it through the heat of the summer, through the cold of winter and despite the curious stares. It takes willpower. Many would give up, but I’m not the average person. I wear my hijab because it’s part of who I am.

I am very dedicated and I don’t give up easily when things get tough. Negative comments don’t get to me anymore, because my experiences have made me more devoted to my faith.

I was 12 years old when my neighbor called me a terrorist. Back then I would always have a reply ready for him, but now I realize all he wanted was a reaction.

At age 17, I do things differently. I’ve realized people will try to put you down, but you can’t let that impact your actions or decisions.

My struggles in life have made me a stronger person. Wearing the veil has made me the strong Muslim woman that I am today. But to succeed, and to help my neighbor understand me, I need an education that teaches me how to share my stories with the world and help the Somali community voices be heard.

ThreeSixty Journalism,

a nonprofit program of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of St. Thomas, uses the principles of strong writing and reporting to help diverse Minnesota youth tell the stories of their lives and communities.

I Am a Muslim: The Personal and Social Impact of Islamophobia

Have you ever been a subject of discrimination or one of society’s victims? Whether it is sexism, racism, Islamophobia, or homophobia. Everyone believes they are accepted by society until one person makes a bad decision that leads to the suffering of the group of people they’re associated with. For instance, due to the 9/11, Muslims, Desi people, and Arabs around the world are being punished for a horrible event that was pinned on them. Racists and Islamophobic people assume all Muslims/Arabs collectively agreed to take down the Twin Towers.

Even after a decade, recent generations still face the consequences for something they had no control over.

Studies show that 2 of 5 Canadians across Canada have faced discrimination. No matter how valuable you think you are to society, anyone will turn on you in an instant, regardless of your status. In a second, everything changes. Huge celebrities, such as Zayn Malik, have faced harsh discrimination for their identity, as well as your average person, such as as myself and many others.

Being accepted by Western society is very difficult. In order to be a part of society you must be disconnected from your cultural identity. Being Muslim is quite difficult because we are hated across the world. For instance, Zayn Malik is a well known artist. Zayn is originally from Pakistan, born and raised in England, and also used to be Muslim. He was a part of a teen boy band, known as One Direction. When One Direction fans found out that he was Muslim, he received a lot of unnecessary hate.

Proficient in: Islamophobia

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Sources say the discrimination Zayn Malik faced is the reason behind him leaving the group. Zayn prefers not to be associated with Pakistan or Islam. He was pushed away from his religion and cultural identity.

North American society will never accept you for who you are. Think about any big celebrity, they rarely take pride in their culture or religion. This is because of the discrimination they face. In 2018, Zayn Malik posted a picture of him and his girlfriend in cultural Pakistani clothing, but he deleted it shortly after. Sources state that he received endless hate on the picture and the only solution was to delete it. It’s upsetting that minority groups don’t get the chance to share their culture, because when they do, they receive a lot of unnecessary judgement. This forces celebrities to choose between their career or beliefs.

Another example of cultural discrimation occurred with a local Indigenous dance crew. They received a lot of hate on a video of them performing a cultural dance. The comment section was filled with rude comments which were mocking and insulting their culture.

Furthermore, over the years, Islamophobia became normalized. On April 3, 2018, a UK man wanted to create “Punish a Muslim” day, so he went around giving out letters to people to encourage to participate. For each act of violence towards a Muslim, you would receive points. Burning a mosque down, throwing acid, harassing Muslims, and many more. He was later arrested. Due to society, I am portrayed and labeled as dangerous. Muslims are constantly victims of hate crimes. We will always be the outcasts in the eyes of close minded people.

In China, there is a Muslim genocide happening right now. Some people call it the Muslim Holocaust because of how similar the concentration camps are to the original Holocaust. There are between 1.5 million-3 million inmates at the camps. Women and kids are gang raped by the officers while their husbands, fathers, and brothers watch. The men are beaten with metal bars, sticks, and wires while they are naked and shove metal bars where the sun doesn’t shine. The officers also take skewers and stab the hostages with them under their nails, in their eyes, ears and their private area. They are starved and are forced to practice other religions. While awake, children are cut open, with no anesthesia, so that their organs can be harvested. Muslims in China are tortured daily because of their religion.

They are also forcing the Muslims to become infertile by performing surgeries on them so that they don’t reproduce Muslim babies. This has been happening since 2017 and only surfaced on the news in 2019. Recently, president of the United States, Joe Biden, and Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, have been looking into the genocide.

The Chinese representatives has been denying the genocide and state that it is simply a “re-education camp”. Islamophobia is everywhere, and it is very scary because Islamophobes are not openly Islamophobic. They are unpredictable, especially in Canada since Canadians are “so nice and accepting”. A lot of people don’t believe that there are people around them who are Islamophobic. It could be your teacher, classmates, neighbour, or sometimes your own family.

Islamophobic hate crimes have made us Muslims fear being openly Muslim. Punish a Muslim Day and the Uygurs Genocide is evidence to the fear Muslims have in their hearts. A few years ago, while i was walking home from school, a tall white man, probably in his late 40s approached me. He was walking fairly fast and shouting, “Go back to your f**king country, you f**king terrorist” and “Take that s**t towel off your f**king head”. He also told me that my “kind” do not belong here. I was 13 years old at the time so I didn’t think much of it since it wasn’t the first time I’ve heard such nasty words. I get called a terrorist, oppressed, dangerous, and scary.

Another example would be when I was in the 5th grade. My classmate started wearing the hijab but it was a different than the ones me and my Muslim Arab friends wore. The teacher told my classmate to take it off because she didn’t believe that it was a hijab. Being 10 years old, I tried my best to explain to my teacher that the hijab she was wearing is a very common hijab in North African as it is a part of their culture. While reading the 9/11 essay written by Ms.Qureshi, I felt upset and unsettled because this essay showed an accurate representation of what racism is like towards Muslims.

Although the essay was written in 2013, to this day I am still able to relate to the fear Ms.Qureshi described as being a Muslim American. I am a Muslim Canadian and I underrstand the difficulties she mentioned in the essay. Being a mulsim in a Western society is very difficult due to the stereotypes that are made about Muslims, which are most likely tied to the 9/11 incident in some form. Reports state that Osama Bin Laden said Islam is the reason behind all his violence and that Islam promotes terrorism.

Osama Bin Laden was behind a lot of terrorist attacks in the United states, and possibly the horrific 9/11 incident. He is one of the reasons Islam is portrayed negatively. Since then, there has been a barrier between Muslims and society. Muslims and Arabs living in America were afraid to say they were Muslims or Arab, just as Ms. Qureshi mentioned in her essay. We try to hide our identity in fear of discrimination and becoming possible victims of Muslim hate crimes.

In conclusion, we all assume we are a part of society and that we are accepted. Although, if one person from a minority group does something illegal or harmful, the group they are a part of will be labelled as dangerous, and your average person who had nothing to do with the incident, will be punished. Racist, sexist, and Islamophobic people of society will then make your life miserable. They will make you feel as if you don’t belong. Terrorist attacks such as the 9/11 incident have nothing to do with Muslims, even if Mr. Laden was behind it. In Islam, we believe that if you harm one person it is as if you’ve harmed all of mankind, it is a great sin.

Unfortunately, Islam is tied to terrorism because of a few people felt like their life was meaningless so they committed crimes in the name of God. There are bad people in every race, sexuality, culture, and religion, but that doesn’t mean we should label everyone of the same group as bad or dangerous. We are responsible for our actions and our actions alone. No one should be a victim of hate. As an Arab Muslim women, I am able to speak from personal experience and it is very difficult for one person to stand up against a racist society. Here’s what you can do to help, Instead of assuming everyone of a specific group is the same, you should take time and get to know them.

Everyone in this room is part of a group that has been portrayed inaccurately by society and social media. As minorities, we must stand by each other to prove that the stereotypes made about us are never accurate. Sharing our experiences and being open about what we go through will make those around more aware of the mental, emotional and physical abuse caused by stereotypes and it will encourage people to be more conscious of the invalid facts related to racial statements.

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Advanced Essay #2: Success for Muslim women

Introduction:

The purpose of my essay is to connect my own personal scene of memory with an outside source. I chose to write about this topic so I can be able advise Muslim girls that we can be able to fit into society and become successful like everyone else. I am proud of my quote analysis because I related it to myself. I followed a format taught in class which helped me to improve. From writing this essay I learned many new creative techniques; how to analyze quotes, and how to connect with outside sources. I want to improve my essay by being more descriptive and by focusing more on a specific event.

Hijab, is something that most Americans had questions about. Everyone would ask me what is the hijab, why do you wear it, what is the purpose. I loved answering these questions because being able to explain the significance of this headscarf made me feel proud. On the other hand, there were always ignorant people that were rude and asked me, “Do you even have hair under that? How are you not hot?” Different emotions would run in and out of my head. As I put on a fake cheerful smile on my face hiding all the anger, I would take a deep breath and be respectful like what my mother taught me and I answer, “I wear this for god not to cover my bald head. In fact, I have a lot of natural, real, long, thick hair.” I would always describe what my hair looks to give them a visual picture of it

Most people would sit there in shock. I loved leaving people shocked and I loved emphasizing how real and natural my hair is. The satisfaction inside of me felt surreal. If only people understood what the hijab represented. I would keep asking myself, why couldn’t it be taught in schools these people need to understand and respect other people’s culture. “Forget Samera you teach them,” I told myself. I tried to remove this envy inside of me and started to thoroughly and passionately explain to them about my hijab, what it represent, how this is who I am, and I love it, instead of bragging about my hair. By doing this brought light into my heart and slowly turned my fake smile into real emotion.

These kinds of questions most frequently happened in school. The school was the hardest place for me to find a way to fit in. I’ve always asked myself why is this so difficult. My personality isn’t bad, I am a nice person. As the years passed by my knowledge started to grow. I started to realize why people would rather be around other girls than a hijabi Muslim. It had nothing to do with my personality, it was all about my identity, the stereotypes, what people saw first, my hijab.

In 7th grade, during history class, I was told that I’m going to be a terrorist when I grow up. I didn’t say anything to stand up for myself. The pain from hearing those words caused me to have a breakdown in class. When your fellow classmate says negative comments to you about your identity makes you feel bad about who you are. It made me lose hope in becoming a doctor, I started to think well now it just looks like I am going to be an ordinary housewife nothing more than that.

Another time was when I was in the park. I was with my siblings when a lady burst out of nowhere and yelled, “go back to your country.” The anger built up inside me and I just wanted to yell, “how the hell am I supposed to go back if I am already in my country.” Instead, I stayed calm and ignored but deep down my siblings and I were terrified. These words that were said to me caused me a lot of emotional and mental pain. It made me realize that I am nothing in this country people would never acknowledge my success because of my religious background.

Being a Muslim woman in America is extremely difficult. This is because the society and the media have built these hateful stereotypes. For example, Muslims are known to be terrorists, women are trapped and are meant to be in the kitchen. This causes young students emotional pain. Not just me but everyone. People set low expectations for us, gives us fewer opportunities to become the best. Societies expectations and negativity not only shut us down from great success but also affects us personally. Most Muslim women who want to be successful are afraid to be judged by society.

Halima Aden, the first hijab-wearing fashion model, explains in a Ted Talk about not being afraid to make herself visible: “It’s about using yourself as a vessel to create change and being a human representation for the power of diversity.” The significant idea Halima demonstrates about taking risks and changes and how this is what being a minority is about. Putting yourself out there making a change is a way to make a difference in society. This quote exemplifies that the hijab isn’t just a piece of clothing that stops Muslim girls to become something successful. It is a way for me to show other people that I am more than just a regular Muslim girl that won’t be able to do anything in life. I am someone just like everyone else; achieving dreams and exceeding societies expectations that are set for me.

It all started to grow in me and affected me. Not being able to fit in, being pushed around because I am a small Muslim girl. Negativity surrounded my head. I’ve started to follow people’s footsteps to satisfy myself and them. It wasn’t just the hijab stopping me it was also the stereotypes that people used that stopped themselves from getting to know me.

Amal Kassir, a Muslim pre-law student, explains in a Ted Talk about what society portrays of her: “On the news, it’s ISIS, Jihadi, suspect, radical, my name is could your Muslim neighbor be an extremist.” Amal explains how hard a Muslim woman works for success but at the end of the day to society think you are nothing. This is because of what the news, social media, and the society depict of Muslims. This quote exemplifies that society has a way to put Muslims down. The stereotypes toward us have had an effect on me

This society has a fixed mindset that Muslim Women are meant to “obey” men and are nothing more than housewives imprisoned in their home with children. Halima Aden and Amal Kassir are two role models that represent all Muslim Women. They proved to society that Muslim women are capable of being successful in life. They justify that we are just like everyone else and have a right to be able to step into the American society and carry on success and better change.

All these negativity toward Muslims causes us to go down and think negatively. It puts us in the wrong mindset and makes us wonder, what is the point of even trying if others are always going to overpower us. I want to prove everyone wrong and show them hijabi Muslims are much more than what society has fixed for us.

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I Am Malala

Table of contents, introduction, religion, freedom, and religious extremism : islam, the talibanand sharia law, the power of education, girl’s rights, analysis of the character, essay 1 : ’malala demonstrates that there is power in unity and persistence.’ discuss..

Essay 2 : ’Although Malala is an inspirational example to others, she cannot achieve change on her own.’ Discuss.
Essay 3 : In the memoir ‘I Am Malala’ religious extremism is to blame for the restrictions that are forced upon Malala’s life. Discuss.
Essay 4 : Discuss the ways that relationship is shown to have a significant impact on Malala and her fight for justice in I am Malala.
Essay 5 : How does the author of I am Malala explore the role of sacrifice when campaigning for a cause? Discuss.
Essay 6 : ’The memoir I Am Malala illustrates that it is our moral responsibility to speak up against injustice, regardless of personal risk.’ Discuss.
Essay 7 : ’I began to see that the pen and the words that come from it can be much more powerful than machine guns, tanks or helicopters.’ How does the memoir I Am Malala demonstrate that words can be more powerful than any other weapon? Discuss.
Essay 8 : “One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world.” The memoir I Am Malala demonstrates that education is powerful. Discuss.

Brief Historical background

In her memoir ‘I Am Malala’, Malala Yousafzai relays the story of her experiences as a young girl in Pakistan, which lead to her being targeted and shot by the Taliban. Malala, who describes herself as a devout Muslim, talks at length in her memoir about the disconnection between the Taliban and their activities, and the true meaning of Islam. Malala states that she is “proud that our country was created as the world’s first Muslim homeland.” (75) However, she also observes that the people of Pakistan do not agree on what this actually means. Her sense that the true meaning of Islam has been lost or distorted appears frequently in the text. It is especially prominent when Malala reflects upon the impact of religious extremism on both the outside and inside perceptions of what Islam is. She blames the influence of the extremist views enforced on the people of Pakistan by the Taliban as the cause of this distortion. Malala quotes the speech that the founding father of Pakistan, Muhammed Ali Jinnah, gave when Pakistan was created, using his words to express that Pakistan was not created as a safe haven for religious extremism. “You are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed- that has nothing to do with the business of the state.” (75)

ANALYSIS OF THE THEME

Religion and Freedom

Malala is aware early in her life that religion shapes her existence in almost every way. As a Muslim living in an Islamic country, Malala knows that there are religious laws which are imposed upon both men and women. These laws reflect Malala’s Sunni Muslim heritage. As a small child these laws do not seem important, however as she becomes older Malala is more aware of the restrictive and unfair ways in which her religion seeks to control over her as an individual, but also as a female. In Chapter 4 Malala becomes aware that women were obligated to cover their faces whenever they went away from their house, or ‘purdah quarters’. Further, women were not allowed to talk to meet or talk to men who were not their close relatives (54). For Malala this was just another part of her cultural landscape, however, as a young teenager exploring her identity she was determined not to cover her face. She recalls a time when a male relative angrily asked her father “Why isn’t she covered?” Malala’s father’s response was to defend her. “She’s my daughter. Look after your own affairs.” (54) Malala states that “I am very proud to be a Pashtun but sometimes I think our code of conduct has a lot to answer for, particularly where the treatment of women is concerned.” (54) Malala’s growing awareness of the inequality that exists in her society causes her to question her own place in it, and as such she is very privileged to have a father who is determined to protect her freedom. Malala’s father talks to her about the difficulty of life for women in Afghanistan under the Taliban, and of the ways in which the Taliban sought to control and restrict their personal rights and freedoms of women. Malala shudders when her father tells her “…the Taliban had even banned women from laughing out loud or wearing white shoes as white was a ‘colour that belonged to men.’ Women were being locked up and beaten just for wearing nail varnish.” For Malala, freedom is very important, and she has been raised by her father to believe in her own freedom, regardless of their religious traditions. “I read my books…and trusted in my father’s words: ‘Malala is free as a bird.’” (55) Without Malala’s father value of his daughter’s freedom, Malala’s life would have been quite different. He reassures her that “I will protect your freedom, Malala. Carry on with your dreams.” (55) Malala is not forced to confront the idea of a life without her freedom until the Taliban move in to Swat and impose their own brand of Islam upon them. “When I heard the stories of the atrocities in Afghanistan I felt proud to be in Swat. ‘Here a girl can go to school’, I used to say…For me the valley was a sunny place and I couldn’t see the clouds gathering behind the mountains.” (55)

The word Sharia means “a well-trodden path to water,” and therefore represents the path to Allahi. In Islam, Sharia is Islamic law which should not be confused with civil law. This means that it sets out the elements and principles of the Islamic religion based on the teachings in the Quran, dictating what each individual Muslim must perform and abide by in order to reach Allah (God). Sharia law also sets out the patterns that believers must follow in worshipping Allah: prayers, charity, fasting and pilgrimageii. All religions use organising principles to guide and instruct. In this sense Sharia is no different. Within Sharia, there are five tenants that must be preserved: life, learning, family, property and honouriii. There are also five categories to organise the actions of the congregation of Islam: obligatory, recommended, permitted, disliked or forbiddeniv. Malala uses the word haram to describe things that are forbidden by Sharia law. The word halal is used to describe the things that are permitted. Interestingly Sharia law does not state that women should be completely covered from head to toe (including the face). The choice of cover is specific to certain areas in the world and dictated by cultural and political influences rather than stipulated by Sharia law, which requests only modest dress. Sharia law also commands specific punishments for specific crimes.

Unlike the form of Sharia law enforced by the Taliban, women and men are described as equals in original Sharia and are seen as partners in promoting the common goodv. Western politicians and media have interpreted Sharia law as presented by the Taliban to be its true meaning, something that has caused a significant increase in Islamophobia and a general misunderstanding of the principles and intentions of Islam. Many of the extreme reactions to Sharia law around the world stem from a misinterpretation of Islam because of the actions of a

minor few: namely, the Taliban and its supporters.

The Taliban and Religious Extremism

Following the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York, the Taliban eventually comes to Swat Valley. In the memoir I Am Malala, the Taliban arrive in Swat in Chapter 9 when Malala is ten years old, bringing with them their special brand of religious extremism. Malala describes them as “strange-looking men with long straggly hair and beards and camouflage vests over their shalwar kamiz…” (91) The name Taliban describes a movement of religious students (or, talibs ) from the Pashtun areas of Afghanistan. Malala’s father Ziauddin was himself a talib when he was a young man. He received instruction from a senior talib and was only able to eventually see through the religious zeal because of his questioning mind, however this was not the case for many other young men in his situation.

In 1994, five years after the withdrawal of Russia from Afghanistan, the Taliban (which is Pashto for ‘seekers of knowledge’vi) emerged in Afghanistan as a small, clerical movement which sought to provide protection to residents from opportunistic criminals that were capitalizing on the chaos occurring at the timevii. They formed a government in Afghanistan in 1996, ruling as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan until 2001. Over time, the Taliban magnetically attracted other like- minded talibs; generally co-ethnic Pashtuns who had been educated in traditional, Islamic schools or madrassas along the western frontier of Pakistan. The madrassas schooled their students in the tradition of the Deobandi movement, originally created by Indian Muslim scholars who felt that British colonialism in India was corrupting Islamviii. One of the hallmarks of the Taliban was its extreme interpretation and enforcement of Sharia Law, which saw women in Afghanistan and then Pakistan deprived of basic human rights, such as an education. When the Taliban perverts the religious laws of Islam in this way, they do so as a way of exerting power and control over people.

In Chapter Nine the political climate in Pakistan merges with a national disaster in the shape of a severe earthquake to create the perfect entry point for the Taliban to enter the Swat Valley. The earthquake measured 7.6 on the Richter Scale and was felt as far away as Delhi and Kabul. Malala notes that “When the TV news began to show the devastation we saw that entire villages had been turned to dust.” (85) The remote location of the Swat Valley, along with the destruction of the roads around meant that officials were not able to enter to give much needed aid. Although the Pakistan army set up a task force to assist, Malala states that the majority of volunteers that made it through to the valley were from Islamic charities or organisations. In Chapter Eight Malala observes, “Earthquake victims praised the activists who had trudged up and down mountains and through shattered valleys carrying medical help to remote regions no one else had bothered with. They helped clear and rebuild destroyed villages as well as leading prayers and burying bodies.” (87/88) This is how the Taliban comes to the Swat Valley, initially presenting themselves as helpful allies, devout but peaceful.

Disillusioned by the corruption rampant within the Pakistani government, the earthquake of 2005 was a turning point for the people of Swat. Caught in a difficult position, the people of Swat welcomed the Maulana Fazlullah and his people. “People thought he was a good interpreter of the Holy Quran and admired his charisma. They liked his talk of bringing back Islamic law as everyone was frustrated with the Pakistani justice system which had replaced ours when we were merged into the country.” (93) However, these groups used the frustration of the people against them and wasted no time in preaching that the earthquake was “a warning from God…caused by women’s freedom and obscenity.” (88) The people of Swat were warned: “If we did not mend our ways and introduce sharia or Islamic law…more severe punishment would come.” (88) Within six months after the earthquake, Fazlullah was exerting his power over the people of Swat and exploiting their ignorance of the Qur’an (which must be interpreted by a special scholar because it is written in Arabic) with warnings that “if the people didn’t stop, they would again invite the wrath of God.” (92)

Malala and the people of Swat were rapidly engulfed by the regime of the Taliban. In Chapter 10 Malala states “First the Taliban took our music, then our Buddhas, then our history.” (102) Aside from forbidding citizens to listen to foreign music or watch television, the Taliban also destroyed any object or edifice that was not a part of the Islamic culture. This included the precious Buddhist statues and stupas that were over 1000 years old and stemmed from the time of the Kushan kings. The Taliban “believed that any statue or painting was haram , sinful and therefore prohibited.” (102) Malala states “The Taliban became the enemy of fine arts, culture and our history. They destroyed everything old and brought nothing new.” (103) Malala is rightly angry and upset by what she sees as the Taliban’s attempts to control them like “little dolls” (103). What upsets both Malala and her father the most is the fact that nobody speaks out or tries to stop the Taliban. People were either too afraid or in agreement with them. Malala’s father tries to speak against them but is warned not to. “Someone came up to him and whispered, “Don’t speak any more in this way-it’s risky.” (104) Malala is also dejected that the authorities do nothing to intervene. The lives of the people of Swat, already devout Muslims, are negatively changed by the religious extremism enforced by the Taliban.

Another major theme of I Am Malala is her conviction regarding the importance and power of education. Throughout the text Malala makes many references to her love of learning, and also of her father’s passion for education. The two are intertwined as Malala is very influenced by her father and his views. The struggle that they share when Malala is forced to stop going to school and is then shot by the Taliban for being outspoken against them, highlights the way in which father and daughter are connected by their love of learning. Further, the eventual forced closure of Ziauddin’s school, along with the bombing and closure of most of the schools around them, brings into focus the importance of education within society, and what it represents symbolically. Malala and Ziauddin are united in their mission to fight for what is important, not only to them but also for the sake of their country and the other women and girls within it.

From a very early age Malala looked up to her father, Ziauddin, as an example of someone who had worked hard to attain his goals in life. Despite the fact that Ziauddin’s father had wanted him to become a doctor, he desired most to become a teacher. This was a point of conflict in his life because in his early years Ziauddin struggled with a stutter, something that his domineering and brusque father berated him for. “‘Spit it out, son!’ he’d roar whenever my father got stuck in the middle of a sentence.” (21) Despite this, Ziauddin loved words and poetry and was determined to master his stutter and gain his father’s respect. His strength of character is shown in his effort to become a confident orator, something that his father was already well known for. He also demonstrates immense strength of character in the way he overcomes the harshness of his father’s treatment of him and is determined to be a different kind of father to his own children. Regardless of his struggles with his father, as an adult Ziauddin remembers him most for the love of learning that he instilled in him. “ Baba also gave him a deep love of learning and knowledge as well as a keen awareness of people’s rights, which my father has passed on to me.” (30) Although it is Malala’s story, Ziauddin’s character and passionate belief in education is central to the memoir and its message.

Malala directly benefits from her father’s education and beliefs while growing up, as aside from being a well-educated man, Ziauddin also demonstrates a healthy perspective and sense of fairness in his thinking, which is informed by his open- mindedness and belief in the power and importance of knowledge. A good example of this can be found in the chapter where a local mufti tries to close her father’s school. When someone warns Ziauddin that this is happening, he responds with: ‘Just as we say, “Nim hakim khatrai jan” – “Half a doctor is a danger to one’s life,” so, “Nim mullah khatrai iman” – “A mullah who is not fully learned is a danger to faith”,’ he said.” Through his response to the Taliban, and his approach to his own daughter, Ziauddin expresses ideas that are clearly progressive and more balanced than those of the extremists around him. This is interesting as Malala explains that during his teen years, when Russia was stuck in Afghanistan, Ziauddin wanted to become a jihadi. “It was, he says, a kind of brainwashing. He believes he might even have thought of becoming a suicide bomber had there been such a thing in those days.” Despite this, Ziauddin’s natural intelligence and tendency to question things meant that he was able to steer away from this path. Ziauddin’s own views are shaped by the tension he experienced while existing between extremes: secularism and socialism on one side, and militant Islam on the other side. “I guess he ended up somewhere in the middle.”

Malala’s own appreciation and passion for education, while shaped and encouraged by her father, is very much a part of who she innately is. Through her father’s connections and political figures such as Benazir Bhutto, she finds examples of strong and well-educated women who become her role models. Even as a young girl Malala is aware that she must study hard if she wants to fulfil her future dreams of becoming a politician like Benazir Bhutto and help the people of Pakistan. She is competitive with her friends at school and works hard to remain the top student in her class. Her anecdotes about school and her rivalry with Malka e-Noor and her best friend, Moniba for top marks are entertaining as well as revealing of the happiness and joy she felt in this environment. “It was school that kept me going in those dark days.” (112) School is a haven for Malala, somewhere that she is able to dream about her bright future despite the violent attempts of the Taliban to take that away from her and all the other girls in Pakistan. “Our school was a haven from the horrors outside.” (114) Malala’s love of learning and love of her school life forms a large aspect of her belief in the power of her education to make a difference in her life, and Ziauddin uses the example of Nazi Germany to encourage her to use her knowledge of history to speak out against what was happening. “I knew he was right. If people were silent nothing would change.” (117)

Malala’s self-worth as an individual is innately connected to her worth as a young, intelligent woman who, among many other things, wants to fulfil her academic potential. This is something that cannot be split up or compartmentalised and is also something that makes her outspokenness so threatening to the Taliban. At the end of her memoir, Malala again asserts that in her culture, education is the basic right of every girl and boy. “Islam says every girl and every boy should go to school. In the Quran it is written, God wants us to have knowledge.” (263) Although Malala’s passion for education was ignited by her father, by the end of her memoir it is clear that she has found her own voice, along with her life-long vocation. “I don’t want to be thought of as ‘the girl who was shot by the Taliban’ but ‘the girl who fought for education.’ This is the cause to which I want to devote my life.” (261) By the end of her story it is clear that despite the trauma of her near-death experience, or maybe even because of it, Malala’s belief in the power of education and a child’s right to receive it grows stronger and extends further than her own country to encompass the whole world. When Malala deliver’s her speech to the United Nations in New York on her sixteenth birthday, her message powerfully reflects the strength of this belief. “I wore one of Benazir Bhutto’s white shawls…and I called on the world leaders to provide free education ‘Let us pick our books and our pens,’ I said. ‘They are our most powerful weapons. One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world.’” (262)

Girl’s rights, or the rights of girls and women within a society, is a central theme of the text. It overlaps with the theme ‘The Power of Education’ because Malala as a girl cannot separate the two issues, and because the Taliban tries to stop her and all other girls in Pakistan from attending school. Consequently, it also intersects with the theme ‘Religion, Freedom, and Religious Extremism: Islam, the Taliban and Sharia Law’ because of the Taliban’s extreme religious agenda. Malala’s story represents one of the most discussed human rights issues of the 21st Century: that of a girl’s and a woman’s right to be treated as equal to a boy or a man. While many would say that girls and boys or men and women around the world in the 21st Century enjoy equal rights the truth is that this is not the case.

Women and girls in the 21st Century are still fighting for their basic human rights in many countries around the globe. In Pakistan alone, women and girls still face alarming conditions. Aside from the Taliban’s attempts in Swat, Pakistan, to ban girls like Malala from getting an education, women and girls in Pakistan also suffered and still suffer from the injustice of honour killings, arranged child marriages, illiteracy and confinement to the family home under the Sharia law of purdah (conduct and seclusion from the world for the purpose of modesty). Malala was very fortunate to have a father like Ziauddin. He treated her with balance, respect and equality, encouraging her to reach her full intellectual potential through her education. Sadly, this is not the case with most women in Pakistan, as under Sharia law a female’s entire life is controlled by her male relatives. Examples of this can be found in the

text where Malala’s friends are pulled out of school by their fathers or brothers once they reach puberty (the age girls enter the state of purdah ), and under direct

pressure from the Taliban. Malala’s own mother never went to school. “My mother started school when she was six and stopped the same term.” (32) She is illiterate, having considered education as something she would not need as a wife and mother. She later tries to learn to read and write and is at her first lesson when Malala is shot. Malala reflects upon how her mother felt that there was no point in getting an education. “There seemed no point in going to school just to end up cooking, cleaning and bringing up children.” (32) Unfortunately, Malala’s mother is one of many in this position in Pakistan, and in many under developed countries around the world today.

Malala’s own story of being shot because she believed she had the right to receive an education is not only generally tied to the issue of women’s and girl’s rights, it is specifically tied to the rights of women and girls in Islamic countries ruled by Sharia law. Ziauddin talks to her about the women in Afghanistan, and of how their rights under the Taliban are affected. “He said that the Taliban had even banned women from laughing out loud or wearing white shoes as white was ‘a colour that belonged to men.’ Women were being locked up and beaten just for wearing nail varnish. I shivered when he told me such things.” (55) Malala is aware that when the Taliban took over Afghanistan a year before she was born, they burnt down girl’s schools. Their sinister agenda was aimed at restricting women in their everyday life to the point where they no longer had the ability to make any choices for themselves. Malala is blunt in her assessment of this. “We felt like the Taliban saw us as little dolls to control, telling us what to do and how to dress. I thought if God wanted us to be like that He wouldn’t have made us all different.” (103) When the girls of the Red Mosque madrasa begin terrorising the streets of Islamabad, Malala makes note of the Taliban’s hypocrisy. “When it suits the Taliban, women can be vocal and visible.” (105)

For Malala, a young girl brimming with ambition and potential, the opportunity to broadcast the struggles of girls in Pakistan under the Taliban to the rest of the world is something that very quickly becomes her mission. She becomes aware when she gives an interview on television with a group of girls in her school that she has the ability to speak out where so many girls in Pakistan did not. “Afterwards I thought, ‘The media needs interviews. They want to interview a small girl, but the girls are scared, and even if they’re not, their parents won’t allow it. I have a father who isn’t scared, who stands by me. He said, ‘You are a child and it’s your right to speak.’ ” (117) Malala refuses to be defined by the Taliban and has the courage and the ability to speak out. Her story is as much about her rights as a girl as it is a story about the power of education, the impact of religious extremism, and of her courage

as an individual.

Both Malala and her father Ziauddin show incredible courage in the way they are prepared to speak out against the Taliban regardless of the danger. Ziauddin is Malala’s role model for many things, but he is especially inspiring in the way he encourages her to find the courage she needs to defend her right to go to school. In the memoir, the majority of did as they were told by the Taliban out of fear for their own safety. “It seemed that people had decided the Taliban were here to stay and they had better get along with them. ‘When you are in the Taliban you have 100 percent life security,’ people would say.” (125) Ziauddin, however, refuses to be intimidated. Despite the fact that he receives threats for speaking out against the Taliban, he does not waiver in his courage. He uses the example of Nazi Germany to illustrate to Malala the grievous outcome when people are too afraid to speak out against what is wrong. “He hated the fact that most people would not speak up. In his pocket he kept a poem written by Martin Niemoller, who had lived in Nazi Germany…I knew he was right. If people were silent nothing would change.” (116/117) Ziauddin demonstrates the kind of moral courage that is rarely seen in difficult and life-threatening situations, and Malala is inspired by him. “My father said we common people were like chaff caught between the two stones of a water mill. But he still wasn’t afraid. He said we should continue to speak out.” (128)

Malala is determined to do what she can to protect her right to an education. Following her father’s lead, she uses an opportunity to give a group interview on television about girls dropping out of school due to militancy to speak out against what was happening in Swat. She is aware that as she gets older, the friends that she once did group interviews with are no longer permitted to do so by their fathers and brothers because they had reached the age where they were required to observe purdah. Malala is able to see that she is in the position to use her voice where her friends are not, and she leans on her devout faith in order to find the strength to be courageous. “In my heart was the belief that God would protect me. If I am speaking for my rights, for the rights of girls, I am not doing anything wrong. It’s my duty to do so. God wants to see how we behave in such situations. There is a

saying in the Quran, ‘The falsehood has to go and the truth will prevail.’” (117)

Both Malala and Ziauddin did everything they could to speak out against the increasingly violence tactics embarked upon by the Taliban in order to stop girls from going to school. As schools were targeted with more frequency, Ziauddin gave media interviews to renounce what was happening, all the while speaking out about the value and importance of girls. “Once he spoke at a big gathering and held up an audience member’s baby girl and said, ‘This girl is our future. Do we want her to be ignorant?’ The crowd agreed that they would sacrifice themselves before giving up their daughters’ education.” (119) At the end of 2008 the Taliban decreed that girls must stop going to school in January 2009, and Malala comes to realise the true value of education. “We hadn’t realised how important education was until the Taliban tried to stop us. Going to school, reading and doing our homework wasn’t just a way of passing time. It was our future.” (121/122)

Although those around her lose heart, Malala shows that she is determined to fight through her fear just as her father would. As the situation in Swat grows worse, Malala finds new ways to bring her story to the world. One of these opportunities is given to her through a friend of Ziauddin’s. Abdul Hai Kakur, a BBC correspondent comes to Ziauddin looking for a female teacher or schoolgirl to write a diary about life under the Taliban. Malala overhears them talking and offers herself as the writer. “Why not me? I wanted people to know what was happening.” (129) The parallels are drawn between Malala’s life and the life of Anne Frank, the 13-year-old Jewish girl who had hidden from the Nazi’s in World War Two and who kept a diary which survived and was published years after her death in a concentration camp. The sense of secrecy, danger and authentic experience, present in both, is expressed in their youthful words, and in the impact of their stories. The popularity of Malala’s diary entries demonstrates to her the power she holds in her own hands. “The BBC even made a recording of it using another girl’s voice, and I began to see that the pen and the words that come from it can be much more powerful than machine guns, tanks or helicopters. We were learning how to struggle. And we were learning how powerful we are when we speak.” (131) The violence inflicted upon the people of Swat during the Taliban occupation was brutal, and Malala regularly speaks about how this affected her. When a suicide bombing occurs in a nearby high school in Mingora, killing more than 55 people, 10 of whom were relatives of Malala’s friend Moniba, Malala asks her father if he is finally scared. “‘At night our fear is strong, Jani,’ he told me, ‘but in the morning, in the light, we find our courage again.’ And this is true for my family. We were scared, but our fear was not as strong as our courage.” This courage, which enables Malala and her family to confront the danger of speaking out against the tyranny of the Taliban, stemmed from their strong belief in the idea that it was their responsibility to do so. Regardless of the danger, Ziauddin and Malala both feel passionately about standing up not only for their own rights, but also for the rights of those around them. Ziauddin receives many death threats, but it is not until later when Malala’s life is also threatened that her father responds with fear, taking the threat seriously. Even when he is suggests to Malala that they should stop campaigning she displays courage, reminding him of the reasons why they must continue. “‘How can we do that?’ I replied. ‘You were the one who said if we believe in something greater than our lives, then our voices will only multiply even if we are dead. We can’t disown our campaign!’” Regardless of the threat to her own life, Malala shows the strength and courage to continue campaigning against the Taliban.

Malala Yousafzai Malala is the central figure of the memoir. She is named after a Pashtun poet named Malalai of Maiwand, a great heroine of the Pashtun culture who Malala describes as being their very own Joan of Arc. However, Malala’s grandfather tells her that her name means ‘grief-stricken’ and is considered unlucky. The memoir is told through Malala’s eyes, using her voice, and spans across her childhood and into her teenage years. Malala grows up in Pakistan, surrounded by her family and friends. As a member of the tribal Pashtun culture, Malala’s heritage is one of great pride and close kinship as well as poverty and archaic customs. As a Muslim, Malala is raised with a strong sense of religious and spiritual purpose. However, she is also very influenced by her educated father who teaches her to think for herself and to believe in her right to be educated. This is in strong contrast to the general population where girls are controlled and restricted by their male relatives and must observe the rule of purdah at the age of puberty. Malala was only 10 when the Taliban comes to Swat Valley and was 15 when an assassination attempt was made on her life for being outspoken against them. Malala survived the shooting, but was airlifted to Birmingham, England, where she remained with her family. In October 2017 she became the youngest person to win the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 17 for her efforts in standing up to the Taliban and for and raising awareness of girl’s rights in Pakistan.

Ziauddin Yousafzai Ziauddin is Malala’s father, and one of the most positive influences in her life. Ziauddin’s father wanted him to become a doctor, which is the most respected profession in Pakistan. However, Ziauddin had a passion for education and wanted to become a teacher and one day open his own school. He realises his dream, although he is not the greatest business man, and things are not always financially easy for his family. Ziauddin had a stutter as a child and is bullied by his own father who was a respected teacher and orator. Ziauddin learns to give speeches in public in order to impress his father and overcome his speech impediment. Unlike many men in Pakistan and the Pashtun culture, Ziauddin values the opinions of his wife, Tor Pekai and is thrilled to have a daughter. He raises Malala to be courageous and to speak out when things are not right, and he supports her fight against the Taliban and their ban on girl’s education. Ziauddin’s values and ideals are a beacon of light in her memoir, and illustrate the importance of having positive role models to look up to.

Tor Pekai Yousafzai Tor Pekai is Malala’s mother. She is described by Malala as a devoutly religious, practical and hard-working woman who loves her family and community. As a Pashtun Muslim woman, Tor Pekai strictly observes the religious law of purdah, or modesty. This means remaining secluded in the home unless accompanied outside by a male relative and staying covered from head to foot. Tor Pekai did not receive a formal education, although Malala states that she was unusal for her village as her father and brothers encouraged her to go to school. Tor Pekai was illiterate for most of Malala’s childhood, however Malala describes her as a strong and intelligent person. Tor Pekai has a very close relationship with her husband, Ziauddin who seeks her opinion on most matters, another thing that Malala describes as unusual in the Pashtun culture. At the time that Malala was shot by the Taliban, Tor Pekai was taking her first literacy class.

Khushal Yousafzai Khushal, named after a famous Afghan poet, is Malala’s younger brother. Khushal and Malala fight like all siblings, and Malala makes frequent, dryly humorous references to their sibling rivalry. When they are both older, Khushal goes away to boarding school in another town. He complains about having to go to school when Malala is faced with not being able to go because of the ban the Taliban place on girl’s education, causing Malala to become angry with him. • Atal Yousafzai Atal is the youngest of the three children, and another brother for Malala. He is also called Atal the Squirrel, because of his agility in jumping and climbing. As the youngest child he is 7 years younger than Malala, the eldest child. Atal is seen to be more interested in games than anything else.

Rohul Amin Rohul Amin is Malala’s Grandfather and Ziauddin’s father. He is described as a brilliant orater, teacher and scholar, but also a difficult and impatient father. He bullies his son Ziauddin for having a stutter when he is a child and makes Ziauddin determined not to be like him when he has children of his own. Despite this, Ziauddin appreciates the fact that Rohul has given him a love of learning and sees that his influence has not been all bad.

Moniba Moniba is Malala’s best friend in Mingora, and they go to school together. Moniba traditionally comes second to Malala in their exam standing, and she regularly quarrels with Malala about her friendships with other girls. Moniba shares a passion for learning and politics with Moniba.

Malka e-Noor When Malka e-Noor comes to Malala’s school, she quickly overtakes Malala as the top student. Because Malala has held the number one position for so long she is shocked and becomes very competitive, striving to win back her position as the best student in the school. Eventually, Malala and Malka also become friends.

Hidayatullah Hidayatullah is the college friend with whom Ziauddin sets up his school. After much stress the friends part ways and Ziauddin keeps the school. • Malauna Fazlullah Malauna Fazlullah is the leader of the Taliban in Pakistan. He married Maulana Sufi Mohammad’s daughter and became his successor when the latter was imprisoned after a round up of militant leaders. Fazlullah sets up an illegal radio station to begin transmitting the ideas of the Taliban, initially prefaced as the ideas of Islamic reform. HE is initially considered by the people of Swat to be wise and devout, however his mask soon slips, and his true agenda is revealed. They gain a foothold in Swat during the aftermath of a terrible earthquake as they are among the only organisations who come to deliver aid and assistance. One of the ways they put pressure on the people to support them was by telling them that natural disasters were punishment from God for not adhering to their strict interpretation of Sharia law. Fazlullah is responsible for ordering the assassination attempt on Malala, as well as the many violent deaths via suicide bombings and beheadings that occurred leading up to it.

Benazir Bhutto Benazir Bhutto was born into a wealthy family, and her father was elected as the Prime Minister of Pakistan in 1973. She became the first female Prime Minister of Pakistan, as well as the first democratically elected female leader in a Muslim country in 1988, and her political career endured many dramas and scandals. She was assassinated in 2007. Benazir Bhutto is one of Malala’s role models.

Mohammed Ali Jinnah Mohammed Ali Jinnah was the first Prime Minister of the newly created Islamic state of Pakistan, which split off from India in 1947. Jinnah is one of Malala’s role models, and she talks about his original hope for Pakistan that it be a place where people of all religions could be free. Jinnah’s ideological example has a strong influence for Malala, and she reflects on it frequently when talking about Pakistan and its corruption and strife.

Madam Maryam Madam Maryam is the principal of the Khushal school and another role model for Malala. She is the person who goes with Malala to hospital because her mother cannot go. She is very kind and caring and Malala describes her as a second

Dr Fiona Reynolds Dr Fiona Reynolds is a British doctor specialising in intensive care for children. She was in Pakistan advising the army on how to set up the first liver transplant program when Malala is shot. She and fellow doctor Javid Kayani travel to Peshawar to report back to General Kayani before they leave Pakistan, who then asks them to see Malala. She is instrumental in saving Malala’s life from a post- surgery infection, and Malala is eventually transferred to Birmingham Childrens Hospital where Dr. Reynolds is a staff member.

Dr Javid Kayani Dr Kayani is travelling in Pakistan with Dr Reynolds. He is an emergency care consultant at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in the UK. He is asked by General Kayani to consult on Malala’s case, however as Dr Reynolds was a specialist in children’s intensive care he recommends that he talk to her first.

Colonel Junaid Colonel Junaid is the young army surgeon who performs life-saving surgery on Malala.

Ataullah Khan The Taliban soldier who claims responsibility on behalf of the Taliban for shooting Malala.

Usman Bai Jan Usman Bai Jan is the driver of the school bus that Malala is on when she is shot.

Kainat Riaz and Shazia The other girls shot and injured in the attack. Both girls survive.

P6. “I was the only girl with my face not covered.”

P9.’When I was born, people in our village commiserated with my mother and nobody congratulated my father.’ (start of chapter 1)

P11. “my father told the story of malalai to anyone who came to our house.”

P17. ‘My mother is very pious and prays five times a day’ … ‘she disproves of dancing because she says God would not like it’

P20. ‘Malala will be free as a bird.’

P24. ‘No struggle can ever succeed without women participating side by side with men.’

P33. ’Ziauddin believed schooling should be available for all, rich and poor, boys and girls’.

P57. “I felt a terrible sinking feeling in my stomach.” P58. “since that day I have never lied or stolen.”

P66. ’Though my mother was not educated, she was the practical one in the family, the doer while my father was the talker. She was always helping people.’

P72. “Rubbish-dump children” “we should help” & “God, give me strength and courage and make me perfect because I want to make this world perfect”

P91. “The Quran teaches us sabar—patience—but often it feels that we have forgotten the word and think Islam means women sitting at home in purdah or wearing burqas while men do jihad.”

P92. “[Fazlullah] warned people to stop listening to music, watching movies and dancing. Sinful acts like these had caused the earthquake, Fazlullah thundered, and if people didn’t stop they would again invite the wrath of God.”

P95. “Pashtun women are very powerful and strong”. Malala

P100. “Ziauddin, you have charisma, you can speak up and organise against them. Hidayatullah.”

P103. “My father said people had been seduced by Fazlullah.” Malala P117. “I have a father who isn’t scared, who stands by me.” Malala.

P117. “If one man, Fazlullah can destroy everything, why can’t one girl change it? I wondered.” Malala.

P117. “If people were silent nothing would change.” Ziauddin.

P117. “In My hearts was the belief that God would protect me…” Malala

P122. (Malala) “We don’t have any option. We are dependent on these mullahs to learn the Quran,” he said. “But you just use him to learn the literal meanings of the words; don’t follow his explanations and interpretations. Only learn what God says. His words are divine messages, which you are free to interpret.”

P128. “Sometimes I was very afraid but I said nothing, and it didn’t mean I would stop going to school.” Malala.

P131. “ I began to see that the pen and words that come from it can be much more powerful than machine guns, tanks or helicopters.” Malala

Sunday 29 January 2017

A good muslim/person english essay for 5th and 8th class.

A GOOD MUSLIM OR A GOOD PERSON:

About Maher Afrasiab

Hello, I am Maher Afrasiab a founder of Ratta.pk and some other websites. I have created ratta.pk to promote the eductaion in Pakistan. And to help the students in their studies. Find me on Facebook: @Maher Afrasiab

3 comments:

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Watch CBS News

White House hosts downsized Ramadan gathering

April 3, 2024 / 9:13 AM EDT / CBS/AP

Washington — Last year, President Biden hadn't even spoken a word at the White House celebration of Ramadan before someone shouted out "we love you." Hundreds of Muslims were there to mark the end of the holy month that requires fasting from sunrise to sunset.

There are no such joyous scenes during this Ramadan. With many Muslim Americans outraged over Mr. Biden's support for Israel's siege of Gaza , the White House chose to hold a smaller iftar dinner on Tuesday evening. The only dinner attendees were people who work for his administration.

"We're just in a different world," said Wa'el Alzayat, who leads Emgage, a Muslim advocacy organization. "It's completely surreal. And it's sad."

Alzayat attended last year's event, but he declined an invitation to break his fast with Mr. Biden this year, saying, "It's inappropriate to do such a celebration while there's a famine going on in Gaza."

After rejections from Alzayat and others, he said the White House adjusted its plans Monday, telling community leaders it wanted to host a meeting focused on administration policy. Alzayat still said no, believing that one day wasn't enough time to prepare for an opportunity to sway Mr. Biden's mind on the conflict.

"I don't think the format will lend itself to a serious policy discussion," he said Tuesday afternoon.

In a statement to CBS News, a White House official said Mr. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris hosted a meeting with Muslim leaders and were joined by senior administration officials.

Mr. Biden and Harris "know this is a deeply painful moment for many in the Muslim and Arab communities," the statement said. "President Biden made clear that he mourns the loss of every innocent life in this conflict. The president also expressed his commitment to continue working to secure an immediate ceasefire as part of a deal to free the hostages and significantly increase humanitarian aid into Gaza."

Dr. Thaer Ahmad, a Palestinian-American ER doctor based in Chicago who recently went to Gaza, attended the meeting.

He told CBS News Mr. Biden spoke first, delivering "very vague comments."

Ahmad said he spoke next and then walked out in protest after handing the president a letter he said was written by an 8-year-old orphaned girl named Hadeel who is now sheltering in the southern Gaza town of Rafah. He told CNN he was disappointed that he was the only Palestinian who had been invited to the White House.

Democratic sources told CBS News that a number of Arab Americans who supported Mr. Biden in 2020 were disappointed that they weren't invited to the meeting and suspect they were excluded because of their recent social media posts about the president's Israel-Hamas war policies.

It wasn't clear how the White House selected the attendees.

Political clouds thickening

The refusal to break bread — or even share a room — with the president showed how fractured the relationship between Mr. Biden and the Muslim American community has become in the six months since the latest Israel-Hamas conflict began.

When the Democratic president took office three years ago, many Muslim leaders were eager to turn the page on Donald Trump's bigotry, including his campaign pledge to implement a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States."

But now Democrats fear that Mr. Biden's loss of support among Musli ms could help clear a path for his Republican predecessor to return to the White House. This year's election will likely hinge on a handful of battleground states, including Michigan, which has a large Muslim population.

"There are real differences between the two," Alzayat said. "But emotionally, there may be no differences for some folks. And that's the danger."

He added, "It's not good enough to tell people Donald Trump is going to be worse."

Several Muslim leaders attended Tuesday's meeting. The White House wouldn't name them.

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said "community leaders expressed the preference" of having a "working group meeting," which she described as an opportunity to "get feedback from them."

As far as the iftar, Jean-Pierre said Mr. Biden was "going to continue his tradition of honoring the Muslim community during Ramadan."

No journalists were allowed to capture either the iftar or the meeting with community leaders, a departure from previous years. Neither was listed on the president's public schedule. Some people who had attended events in previous years, like the mayor of Dearborn, Michigan, Abdullah Hammoud, weren't invited.

Outside the White House, activists gathered in the rain for their own iftar on Tuesday evening in Lafayette Park. Organizers distributed dates, a traditional food for Ramadan, for people to break their fasts at sundown.

The boycotting of Mr. Biden's invitation is reminiscent of a trip that White House officials took to Detroit earlier this year. They faced an icy reception from Muslim American community leaders in the swing state, where more than 100,000 Democratic primary voters cast protest votes for "uncommitted" as part of an organized showing of disapproval for Mr. Biden's approach to the war.

A similar campaign was underway in Wisconsin, another political battleground. Organizers encouraged residents to vote "uninstructed," the equivalent of uncommitted, in Tuesday's Democratic primary.

The fighting began on Oct. 7, when Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis in a surprise attack. In response, Israel has killed roughly 33,000 Palestinians. The number comes from the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. It's unclear how many were combatants, whom Israel accuses of operating in civilian areas, but the ministry said two-thirds of the dead were women and children.

The Biden administration has continued to approve weapon sales to Israel even as the president urges Israeli leaders to be more careful about civilian deaths and encourages them to allow more humanitarian assistance into Gaza.

Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said he encouraged other Muslim leaders to decline invitations to the White House if they received them.

The message, he said, should be "unless he calls for a cease-fire, there will be no meeting with him or his representatives."

"I believe that the president is the only person in the world who can stop this," Awad said. "He can pick up the phone and literally tell Benjamin Netanyahu, no more weapons, just stop it, and Benjamin Netanyahu will have no choice but to do so."

Awad has previously clashed with the White House over his comments on the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas. Gaza has spent years under an effective blockade by Israel — with help from Egypt — and Awad said he was "happy to see people breaking the siege" so they could "walk free into their land that they were not allowed to walk in."

After the comments were circulated by a Middle East research organization founded by Israeli analysts, the White House issued a statement condemning "these shocking, antisemitic statements in the strongest terms."

Awad called it a "fabricated controversy" and said he had criticized the targeting of Israeli citizens in his same speech.

More from CBS News

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A True Muslim Essay Quotations
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Я мусульманин. Моя религия
Musalman Ek Hona Hai

COMMENTS

Reza Aslan: Why I am a Muslim
A Persian, a Turk, an Arab and a Greek are traveling to a distant land when they begin arguing over how to spend the single coin they share in common. The Persian wants to spend the coin on angur ...
Why I am a Muslim
These days, […] Why I am a Muslim. I believe in one God, I believe in justice and equality and that is why I am a Muslim. These days, my belief is constantly challenged by words like "Islamic Terrorist". It is as if Islam and terrorism cannot be separated and terrorism is an invention of Islam rather than a victim.
Introduction to Islam (article)
I am very thankful to Dr. Elizabeth Macaulay-Lewis that she has done a wonderful job during searching of the art of islam that I am a muslim …. and I don't have any problem with this article or essay but it minus the manners of our prophet how it look's like and the originally of islam does it play any role of the terrorism in the world ...
College Essay: I Am Muslim, I Am Black
July 2021 Yasmin Abdurahman College Essay, Summer Camp, ThreeSixty Magazine, Voices. I am Yasmin Mohamed Sheikh Abdurahman Noor Sheikh Mohamed Hussein. I am Somali. I am American. I am Muslim. I am a Black woman. I used to believe that being all of these things at once was nearly impossible. Walking into my first class at my first public school ...
Why I Am Muslim
Essay Writing Service. Islam teaches me to respect elders and love children and promote brotherhood. Islam promotes justice and equality. You are treated equally either you are Arab, Non-Arab, White or Black you are treated equally in Islam. In Islam Fasting in the month of Ramadan is to makes us realize how poor people sometimes live without ...
Great Things About Being a Muslim: [Essay Example], 327 words
Get original essay. According to my understanding of Islam, some of the great things about being a Muslim are: Being truthful, honest and principled, regardless of the price one may have to pay for being that way; Being fair and equitable in everything one says or does, regardless of whether it pertains to a dear one or a bitter enemy;
Am I a True Muslim?
While they may even come in the guise of sheikhs, they base their Islam on the denigration of all other people, both Muslim and non-Muslim. Keeping the company of these people will lower your iman and take you farther away from Allah the Exalted. The second group of people remind you of Islam in one form or another.
Introductory Essay
Taking a class on Islam was a top priority on my list as I was aware of my own ignorance of both the religion and the culture. But people are not stringently bound by their ignorance that perpetuates destructive stereotypes. Misconceptions and misunderstandings can be easily cured with knowledge. And that is something I learned this semester.
My Personal Beliefs in Islam Essay Example
I am Muslim by birth and proud to be a Muslim. I know Islam is a true religion and I am on a right track. There are other religions too. ... ⚠️ Note: All essays placed on IvyDuck.net are written by students who kindly donate their papers to us. Thus, these essays are of lower quality than ones written by experts.
Essay: I'm a Muslim Arab-American. Here's Why the Immigration Ban is
These people are genuinely scared that the 1.7 billion Muslim people worldwide exist purely to kill Americans because they "disagree with American values.". Of course, that isn't true, but ...
I Am A Muslim Parents Essay
Open Document. I am Muslim. Muslim parents are authoritative. My parents have rules and pretty good reasoning behind them. They are strictly against parties and anything that could cause trouble in my near future. But I really wanted to experience a party. So, one day I decided to rebel and go to a friend's party one night, without them knowing.
William Rowe's Essay 'Why I Am A Muslim'
Muslim accomplishment in science especially in medicine, mathematics, and astronomy were equally remarkable. More than that Muslim people studied wide variety range of science topics including astrology, geography, physics, chemistry, optics and other.
I Am Muslim Essay
I Am Muslim Essay. Here's some shocking news; I'm Muslim. Most people do not expect to hear that I associate with the religion of Islam because what they see is a tall, white girl with red hair and green eyes who would walk outside in a sports bra and shorts. Contrary to what my image may suggest, I do pray, fast, and attend Mosque in my hijab.
College Essay: The veil: 'A means of empowerment'
College Essay: The veil: 'A means of empowerment'. September 2016 Bilan Mohamed College Essay. Misguided saviors trying to save a simple Muslim girl but they can't seem to comprehend that I don't need to be saved, for I have my own strength and wearing the veil is one of them. - Bilan Mohamed. Being Muslim isn't something I can hide.
I Am a Muslim: The Personal and Social Impact of Islamophobia
Although the essay was written in 2013, to this day I am still able to relate to the fear Ms.Qureshi described as being a Muslim American. I am a Muslim Canadian and I underrstand the difficulties she mentioned in the essay. Being a mulsim in a Western society is very difficult due to the stereotypes that are made about Muslims, which are most ...
Advanced Essay #2: Success for Muslim women
The purpose of my essay is to connect my own personal scene of memory with an outside source. I chose to write about this topic so I can be able advise Muslim girls that we can be able to fit into society and become successful like everyone else. I am proud of my quote analysis because I related it to myself.
I Am Muslim by Dina Zaman
I am Muslim is a selfish journey of faith. Dina meets shamans, nationalists, moderates and gets into all sorts of scrapes, to discover what Islam means to Muslims in Malaysia. Heartbreaking, angry and downright funny. Dina Zaman's articles about being Muslim in Malaysia today capture the multifaceted aspects of difference and alterity in ...
Living life as an Muslim-American
Featured Essays Essays on the Radio; Special Features; ... Even though I am a Muslim, I am also an American citizen. As you can see, I am considered as a Muslim and on the other side I consider myself an American. Some may label themselves as just an American despite the fact that they are Muslims. The reason why they consider themselves ...
Are we True Muslims of Allah Free Essay Example
We must realize that everything we have is from Allah. Therefore, in conclusion, in order to be considered as true servants of Allah, we must be very careful of the three things. 1. We must know and remember at all times that we are His slaves and He is our Master, and so we must submit entirely to Him. 2.
I Am Malala Study Guides & Sample Essays
Essay 3 : In the memoir 'I Am Malala' religious extremism is to blame for the restrictions that are forced upon Malala's life. Discuss. ... As a Muslim living in an Islamic country, Malala knows that there are religious laws which are imposed upon both men and women. These laws reflect Malala's Sunni Muslim heritage.
A Good Muslim/Person English Essay for 5th and 8th Class
A good Muslim is one by whose hands and tongue, the other Muslim or his brother is safe. Such Muslim is a true Muslim and a very good person too. He prays five times a day. He acts upon the teachings of the Holy Prophet (PBUH). He never tells a lie. He is always ready to serve the suffering humanity.
For I Am a Muslim
Featured Essays Essays on the Radio; Special Features; ... They might be different from each other but I am the one that sticks out the most, for I am a Muslim. Heaven is my mighty goal. I pray and thank Allah for what I have got because of all the things I know, many have not yet seen the light and some will never see. Though I might sometimes ...
McDonald's buying back its franchises in Israel as boycott hurt sales
He said the impact of the boycott was "meaningful," without elaborating. McDonald's fourth quarter sales disappointed analysts. In franchised restaurants outside the U.S., comparable sales fell 0. ...
Why I Am Muslim
I am Muslim by birth and proud to be a Muslim. I know Islam is a true religion and I am on a right track. There are other religions too Why I was not attracted towards them? The main reason is my stro ... Essay Services; Essay Writing Service; Assignment Writing Service; Coursework Writing Service; Essay Plan Writing Service;
White House hosts downsized Ramadan gathering
A downsized White House Ramadan gathering offered fresh evidence of how fractured President Biden's relationship with the Muslim American community has become due to his polices on the Israel ...