New Face of Islam -- Blogger Introby WordsAplenty | More from this Blogger 20 Mar 2006 04:45 AM Muslim. What image came to mind when you read that word? Did you picture an elderly Arab man with full beard and a turban? Did you think of a heavily veiled woman, walking three feet behind her tyrannical husband? Did you picture a wild-eyed young man, bombs strapped to his body? If so, you are not alone. That is how many Americans picture Muslims. Who are Muslims?Would it surprise you to learn that only 20 percent of the world's Muslims are Arabs? Muslims live on every continent in the world, in every country of the world, and in every major city in America. If fact, Islam is the fastest growing religion in the U.S. Who is the Blogger?As you've probably already guessed, I am a Muslim. I am also an American, born and raised in Texas. Until I met my husband, I had never met a foreigner and had never left the South. I was born a Christian and attended church sporadically as a child. I am educated and am reasonably intelligent. Mine is the new face of Islam. If you met me on the street, you would not guess that I am Muslim. I do not wear a sign proclaiming my religion. Like most Muslims, I am rather peaceful. I am appalled at signs of aggression, extremism, or terrorism. I do not wear the traditional Muslim head-scarf (hijab), although most devout Muslims would agree that I should. I dress in the styles of the West, albeit much more conservatively than your average American. No, you would never guess that I am Muslim. The truth is, most Muslims are just your average citizens. We do not make waves; we do not draw attention to ourselves. We just quietly live our lives, observing our religion to the best of our abilities. You do not notice the peaceful Muslims, but they are all around. The extremists are just louder. Purpose of this BlogWith this blog, I hope to answer some of the common misconceptions about Islam and Muslims. I hope to explain some of the customs, laws, and traditions. Hopefully, once you understand a little about Islam, the Muslims will not seem quite so foreign. We just might realize that we have more in common than we thought. I also hope to help Muslims in the West. I will be giving tips on living an Islamic lifestyle in a non-Muslim country. If you have questions or comments, let me know. I would love for this blog to be interactive. I want to write about the things you want to know. Until next time... Assalamu Alaikoum. Relevantmuslim tags relationships | education | sex | Islamic names | Muslim names | divorce | children | parenting | communication | marriage User Comments  Lisa P (24013) 20 Mar 2006 11:31 AMI'm really looking forward to reading these blogs and being able to understand more about Islam. Too much of what we learn about it is negative and sensationalized in the news. It'll be nice to learn from an American Muslim! BTW what does "Assalamu Alaikoum" mean? Maybe you could do a blog on that?  WordsAplenty (4029) 20 Mar 2006 04:05 PMThanks, Lisa. Yes, Islam has a language all its own (namely, Arabic) and I plan to offer IslamSpeak101!  Nicole Humphrey (15757) 21 Mar 2006 01:37 PMWelcome Misty! I only know a handful of Arabic words "La" was my favorite of choice when I visited Egypt. :) Can't wait to read your posts!  Kelly K. (2277) 22 Mar 2006 05:37 AMI am so looking forward to your posts. I admit that I know little of Islam. I am looking forward to seeing a modern woman's views on her religion and how you have adapted to converting. Oh yes, and welcome to families.com! Leisa Wilson (528) 25 Mar 2006 02:39 AMOne question that I have...Is it true that the Koran states that if infidels (nonbelievers) will not convert to Islam, they must be killed? I have heard that on television and wonder if that is true? WordsAplenty (4029) 25 Mar 2006 03:07 AMNo. Actually Chapter (Surah) 109 of the Koran is called The Nonbelievers and it states: In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. [109.1] Say: O unbelievers! [109.2] I do not serve that which you serve, [109.3] Nor do you serve Him Whom I serve: [109.4] Nor am I going to serve that which you serve, [109.5] Nor are you going to serve Him Whom I serve: [109.6] You shall have your religion and I shall have my religion.  Libby Pelham (12880) 27 Mar 2006 05:00 PMIt's so sad when the extremists of any religion scare people so much that they think all who follow that religion are bad people. The show "30 Days" sent a Christian guy to live with a Muslim couple in Deerborn, MI (which I think has the biggest Muslim population of any US city). I loved the show - it was very eyeopening! Lisa P (24013) 29 Mar 2006 04:08 PMThere are so many misconceptions about Islam! Islam is one of the largest religions in the world and is the primary religion of many countries, particularly in the Middle East. What so many people forget is that countries and regions have their own social culture and traditions. It really bugs me when people just assume (or worse yet, take the media's word for it) that any unsavory thing done by a Muslim is due to Islam when, in fact, it could be a cultural issue, a desert or bedouin tradition or just some nutbag with a vendetta! I spent six months living in Turkey and found the people there (primarily Muslim) to be some of the most gracious, hospitable and peaceful people I've ever known. We westerners have so much to learn about the rest of the world! Thank you for being here to provide us lessons in Social Studies as well as religion! Community Tags American Muslim, islam, Introductions, muslim, Muslim convert Discuss this article
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