Islam as Identity: Religious Awareness

Media plays a major role in introducing Muslims as oppressors, ignorant and backward. People tend to believe, unconsciously, what is introduced to them without doing the effort to review or search what was presented to them. This article attempts to address what is Islam, why learn about it, and some common misconceptions dealing with Muslims methodologically. By methodologically, I mean to introduce the Qur’anic verses dealing with misconceptions. In other words, using the source of Islamic law as the main reference. The article starts with an introduction of how the media presents Muslims and why people need to learn about Islam. Then it introduces the six pillars of faith, the five pillars of Islam, and the most common misconceptions, and how the Qur’an deals with them. This would help in learning about the others who might be living next door or in our area in order to living in a peaceful world built on the facts and not on our unconscious racism.