Misconceptions about Islam

I organized this afternoon a group workshop at university which consisted of defining 10 misconceptions about Islam. Here are the results –quite interesting:

-    All Muslims are terrorists.

-  All Muslims are Arabs.

- All Arabs are Muslims.

-  All Muslims are fanatics.

- Jihad means sacred war.

- Islam leads to self sacrifice in the name of God – suicide.

-  Islam promotes violence, fighting and war.

-  Islam is always related to political problems.

-  Druze people are Muslims.

-  Islam is not a religion but an ideology.

-  The amplification of the sound of the ‘Athan’ is stated in the Qur’an.

- Sunni and Shia are the same.

- All Muslims are with the Palestinian cause.

-  All Muslims hold the same views.

- All Muslims pray regularly.

- There is a smell of feet in Mosques.

- All Muslim areas are dangerous.

-  All Muslims have bad body odors.

- Muslim women wear a veil.

-  Muslim women are paid to wear a veil.

- Muslim men have a beard and wear special outfit.

- Muslims eat on the floor and with their hands.

-  Muslims oppress women and children. Women are not treated as human beings. They are locked at home. They are bought and their marriages are arranged. They marry at an early age.

- When women cheat on men, they are killed with rocks or are hit until they die.

- When making love to their women, if men turn towards Mecca, it’s a sin.

- Muslims are not allowed to worship objects, nor idols.

- Muslims fast for personal interests.

- Muslims are backward, analphabets, barbarians. They are against technology and evolution.

-  Muslims don’t party. They are over-conservative.

- Muslim societies can’t coexist with other religious communities.

- Muslims hate foreigners (Westerners).

- Muslims sacrifice goats in the public streets.

- Islamic countries = desert and Bedouins.

- All Islamic countries have internet censorship.

-  All Muslims have big families.

- The Qur’an was written by Prophet Muhammad.

-  Muslims don’t believe in Jesus.

-  All Muslim men marry 4 wives. They are all polygamists.

- Muslims marry only Muslims.

- All Muslims are non-alcohol drinkers.

-  A Muslim woman wearing a veil and walking on the street is considered a 'slut' hiding inside her scarf.