Despite heightened interest in the study of the Muslim faith, for many people Islam remains shrouded in mystery and confusion. What really is Shariah law? How is a Muslim to understand Jihad? Does Islam oppose Western values such as free speech or freedom of religion? What place do women have according to Islam?
Understanding that this confusion has as much to do with the behavior and words of Muslims as it does with allegations made by anti-Islam activists, Demystifying Islam offers refreshingly bold answers to provocative questions about Islam today. Harris Zafar-lecturer, writer, teacher, and national spokesperson for Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA-is forthright about issues on which Muslims disagree, and he digs into history to track the ori gins of differing beliefs. From the burqa to the role of Jesus in Islam, Demystifying Islam is an essential resource and a con cise guide to understanding the fastest growing religion in the world.
HARRIS ZAFAR is a public speaker, writer, and national spokesperson for Ahmadiyya Muslim Community USA among the oldest Muslim organizations in America where he is also the national director of youth outreach. He speaks nationwide about Islam, interfaith dialogue, and pluralism, and he teaches courses about Islam's doctrines and history at two colleges. Zafar has published articles in USA Today, the Washington Post, the Christian Science Monitor, the New York Daily News, BeliefNet, the Oregonian, and more, and he blogs for the Huffington Post. He regularly appears on national media, such as the O'Reilly Factor, to provide commentary on current issues from an Islamic perspective. Follow him at @Harris Zafar.
Do you find yourself unable to understand the religion of Islam or certain aspects of its teachings? Certainly, it feels like endless books, commentaries, articles, and speeches have been written since September 11, 2001, that offer either an opinion about Islam and Muslims, or a basic introduction to Islamic teachings and history. There are many Muslim and non-Muslim writers who have painted Islam as a beautiful and peaceful religion, founded by a prophet who sought to reform people and restore their connection with God. At the same time, there have been a growing number of publica tions in the past several years opining that Islam is a vile, violent, and op pressive religion that is incompatible with the values of the modern world.
These combating views have created a difficult landscape for the study of this rapidly growing religion. For the average reader, it can be a chal lenge to grasp even the basic tenets of Islam, let alone the more advanced and deeper topics about its theology. What complicates matters even fur ther is that media reports from Middle East nations have shaped opinions or judgment regarding the teachings of Islam. It is no secret that there are Muslims as well as nations that are predominantly Muslim-who have said or done some very shocking things over the past several years. Such incidents of irrationality, savagery, ignorance, and barbarity have not only shocked people in the West; they have also caused many to feel conflicted on the justification for these actions within the teachings of Islam.
Although Muslim groups in America and abroad have condemned or rejected such acts of violence, injustice, and inequity, a growing number of non-Muslims feel at least conflicted on several matters they see as Islamic practices. Even worse is the growing resentment in the West toward be havior and beliefs perceived to be inspired by Islam, which is built upon misconceptions about the faith that have never been properly addressed.
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