The Comment Factory

In the last few years, especially after the 9/11, it has seemed that all over the world people are afraid of Muslims. I can see why it’s so easy to fall into the trap. The media has a big responsibility. There is a whole hatred campaign against Muslims. Wherever you turn your head you will see an article or a documentary about how dark and violent this religion is. How little boys are being taught to hold guns and act violently or how women are depressed and have no rights. Suddenly in every TV show worldwide there is at least one episode about a terror attack by the “bag guys” — the Muslims. In every article in Israeli newspapers about crimes in the family it will be mentioned, like it was by mistake, that the motive for the crime was “honor in the family”, and that fact will immediately alert the readers that the one committing the crime was a Muslim.

Well let me tell you: the majority of domestic crimes in Israel are not committed by Muslims, but by Israeli Jews, not because they are more violent then others, but because of the simple fact that they are, by numbers the majority in Israel. So how is it that the only articles getting lots of coverage and a lot of comments by readers are those about the Arab Muslims who live in Israel?
If you look at the big picture you could have the impression that someone is desperate to make sure that the world keeps thinking that Islam is a dark, evil and violent religion. You can ask yourself who gets the biggest profit from this witch-hunt. And once you have the answer to that, you will know who is behind this propaganda; it’s not an enigma.

I think it’s about time that the world learns some facts about Islam and Muslims. First off, I feel an obligation to say that I’m not a Muslim and I do not preach for Islam, I was born Jewish but I’m an atheist, and all I know about Islam is from wanting to learn the truth about all religions. I learned about the Bible, the New Testament and the Koran. And I now believe that the religion which pursues peace most out of the three is Islam.

The name of the religion comes from the word SALAM – that means peace. So a religion that named itself peace probably didn’t have an agenda to end up being the biggest enemy in the universe. In the Koran, there is a whole chapter about Islamic women’s rights and obligations and there is not one word about oppression there; on the contrary, Islam is the only religion that gives equal rights to everyone regardless of race or sex. Men and women are equal in the Koran:

“And their Lord has heard them and says: ‘I don’t let the work of any worker be lost be they male or female. You both proceed one from the other.”
(Koran 3:195

And opposite to common perceptions about Islam, it has nothing against other religions; on the contrary it is acceptable to marry a Christian or a Jew by the Koran.

I’m not naive, I know that there are Muslims that kill in the name of Islam and I’ve talked about it in another article, but as I said before: they are abusing the faith, the same way fanatical Jews and Christians are abusing they religion. There are unreasonable fanatics in all religions. We can’t let them make up our minds. The majority of all people want to have a peaceful, happy life. And I believe that a person who hates someone or that is afraid of someone just because what he is and not who he is a racist.

So you are either a person who believes in mankind or you are one who let other fanatic people dictate your life and thoughts; which one are you?