Let's set the record straight!
Imam Tammam Adi Ph.D of the Islamic Cultural Center, Eugene, Oregon, tackles widespread misconceptions and stereotypes about Muslims and Islam and the sets out the reality.

Allah:  Just means God in Arabic, the same God we all worship.

jihad:  Often mistranslated "holy war," especially against the West, the more accurate Arabic meaning is "struggle."  Jihad is the struggle to control one's lower instincts.  Jihad also means to use a fair war to give a nation freedom of religion if all other means fail.  Islam's main proclamation is "No compulsion in religion" Koran 2:255.  The Afghani Mujahideen (those who do jihad) fought against the atheist Russians to keep their freedom of religion. Unfortunately, chaos ensued.

extremism:  "We made you a nation that should take the middle way in all its affairs before all humanity . . ." (2:143)  "God does not love the excessive ones." (6:141)

suicide "martyrdom":  "Do not kill yourselves." (4:29).  Self-killers are condemned to hell.  Even killing oneself to end extreme pain is unacceptable.  Some radical sects, considered non-Muslim by most, view suicide-killing as legitimate.

 martyrdom:   A martyr (Arabic shaheed=witness) is somebody who dies as a witness for goodness or a witness against evil.  A martyr testifies before God about the evil-doers that killed him/her and about the goodness his/her death creates in society.

terrorism:   The punishment for those who wreak havoc is extremely harsh (5:33-34).  Terrorism has as little to do with Islam as burning a cross to terrorize a black family has to do with Christianity.  Terrorism is often done by haters of Islam, peace and justice to sabotage good Muslims causes such as peace settlements, democracy movements and modernization. No Islamic teaching supports terrorism.

on killing innocent people:  "And do not kill the soul that God gave sanctity to except by law." (17:33)  The Koran tells us that killing one person is like killing all humanity.

family values:  Husbands and wives serve each other.  Muslim families cherish traditional family values and close relations with the extended family.  Women may work and own businesses, but the husband alone has the duty to provide for the family.  Children are expected to take care of their parents when they get old.

treatment of women:  Misinformation about this subject has fanned much of the hatred about Muslims.  Here is what we are really taught:  (1) Paradise is under the "feet" of the mother; (2) a good wife is half a man's religion, (3) men are ordered to "treat them in good ways," (Koran 4:19) and that, in the words of the Prophet Mohammed in his last sermon, (4) "the best of you is the one that is best to his wife."

four wives:  Islam was the first religion to limit the number of wives. But the taking of more than one wife was meant to happen only when there was social necessity, such a during war times when there were a large number of widows and orphans.  A husband is required to treat each wife with absolute fairness and equality and to have only one wife if he doubts he can be fair. Polygamy is illegal in America and, according to Islam, Muslims are bound by American law.

scarves for women:  This is based on a verse in the Koran. "And let them spread their scarves over their shirt openings and not show their natural adornment . . ." (24:31)  If Muslim women choose not to cover their head, there is no Islamic law punishing them or coercing them.  Styles of dress are cultural and vary according to culture throughout the Islamic world.

female genital mutilation:  This is found in some African countries and is a very painful tribal practice passed down to the present day.  It is not based on Islamic teaching.  Many Muslim women, such as the wife of the late Anwar Sadat, are working hard to eliminate the practice.

Deviations from the Islamic norm are cultural or political biases not based on Islam.

Tammam Adi Ph.D is the Director of the Islamic Cultural Center of Eugene, Oregon, USA. Originally from Syria, he is a computational linguist specializing in Arabic.

taadi@earthlink.net

Read other articles by Tammam Adi here.