Blog 10: Challenging the Modern View of Islam by Understanding its Origins

In Chapter 9, we learn about Islam. Arguably, this lesson is important to modern day citizens of the world, if not more-so American voters facing Islamophobia. As Donald Trump rages on about a Muslim database in America to keep track of what he assumes to be a hoard of terrorists waiting to act, understanding the origins of this religious group is pretty important.

Islam, a religion based on the teachers of Muhammad, preaches the abandonment of wealth hoarding that was popular by the Jewish faith at the time. Islam also seeks to avoid the exploitation of the poor, the abuse of women, and neglect of the less fortunate, such as widows and orphans. Social justice was a big component of Islam in its conception.

So, with this in mind, how are we to understand modern Islam? With roots in creating positive change for communities previously oppressed by the rich and exploitative, it's challenging to see how radical terrorist groups could arise. But perhaps the most important thing to notice is that the Islamic people seek positive change, and that those who seek to do others harm are not abiding by their own religious framework. This is to say that not all Muslims are terrorists, and in conjunction, not all terrorists are even Muslim. How would a Muslim database keep America safe then, Mr Trump? A question we should all consider before the next election, I suspect.