Muslim

Muslims 21-Century

There have been many different opinions recently expressed on the Muslim religion of Islam. Two books that seized a large amount of Muslim attention around the world were, The Trouble with Islam Today, and Why I Am A Muslim. It seems Asma Hasan, author of The Trouble with Islam Today, wrote it for women that were Muslim who lived in the United States. Ms. Hasan follows the way of Ijtihad, (“which is the Islamic tradition of independent reasoning, which allowed every Muslim to practice in light of contemporary circumstances (Manji 50)”). This book captured the attention of many American women, both Muslim and Christian. The second book I mentioned by, Irshad Manji, author of Why I Am a Muslim, wrote a very controversial book. Many people were furious with Manji. In my opinion, they should not have been. I fully agree with Irshad Manji’s work. Her views on Muslim were straightforward, strong, and harsh. Both authors present a strong argument and full evidence on why their viewpoints are for and against Muslim. Manji states that over the centuries the Islamic world has usually been intolerant and opposed to independent thinking. Irshad on the other hand uses her own life to explain why she is a Muslim, Irshad uses seven main reasons on how she became and will always be a Muslim, which in turn she follows Ijtihad.

Irshad Manji makes a point that Muslims are not what they seem, they don’t treat women right, and neither Christians nor Jews are treated any better. Even so they are not kind to their own people, “Destroying all that I have worked for, and that other Muslims have done, to promote the right and true message or Islam (Manji 69).” That was a correspondent that sent a letter to Irshad about her September 11 articles. This, I believe, just shows how Muslims are not connected to the way of Ijtihad as Asma Hasan states. Just like back in the 19-Century, Jews and Christians who lived in the same town as Muslim were also not treated as equals. “A legal scholar advised to Muslim governors on what kind of relations they should seek with non-Muslim. (Manji 63)” Once the scholar returned to the court, he had a list of rules for the Jews and Christians, when in presence of Muslims. “You shall not occupy the middle of the road or the seats in the market, obstructing Muslims, You shall distinguish your headgear by a mark (Manji 63).” The way Muslims were acting in the past and still here in the present, is a vivid sign that they don’t want to tolerate other religions. Because of this, the government of Israel has taken control of the people, and has put a leash around Islam making sure that its stays were it has for thousands of years.

On the other hand, Asma Hasan views herself as an American Muslim, as do many Muslims in American. There is plainly nothing wrong with that, if you look at it closely all the people that live in America who were once outsiders and are now trying to become assimilated. But when reading Why I Am A Muslim, I found that Asma wants to show that being an American and being an American Muslim could be compatible. In my opinion, at this time, that is not possible. Thinking in that way is thinking as a child. Muslim and Americans are like white bread and wheat bread; they just don’t mix together. There will always be people that