Open house educates public on Islam
Published: Sunday, April 18, 2010
Updated: Sunday, April 18, 2010 23:04
 "Photo: N/A")
Sohail Chaudry speaks to guests about Islam and the prophet Muhammad during the Islamic Center of Morgantown’s open house Saturday afternoon.
West Virginia University students got a chance to experience Islam, the world's fastest growing religion of 1.4 billion followers, Saturday at the Islamic Center of Morgantown's Open House.
The comparative religion-themed event featured booths describing different aspects of the religion.
One booth explained the role of women in Islam. At another, Muslim youths from local high schools described the hijab, the headdress worn by Muslim women.
Attendees learned that, contrary to what is often presented by the media, Islam does not oppress women. Presenters cited verses from the Quran, the Islamic holy book, to support their statement.
They noted one third of new Muslims today are women.
The event's main session was a lecture given by Imam Sohail Chaudry, the spiritual leader of the Islamic Center. He discussed the Prophet Muhammad's role in the Christian Bible.
Islam is also the most misunderstood religion, he said.
"We ourselves have a lot to do with that ignorance, because we do not make the effort to go out and meet Muslims in our area," he said.
"We don't go out to our local Islamic center – we believe whatever the television tells us."
Chaudry explained Muslims believe in Jesus Christ, though differently than Christians.
Jesus is seen as a prophet, born of the Virgin Mary but not the son of God, unlike in Christianity.
Tabatha Fego, a sophomore education major, attended the event to earn extra credit for her world religion class.
"We learned about Islam, and it was just really interesting to come here and sort of see it in action after learning about it," she said.
Catalina Mejia, a sophomore advertising major, agreed.
"I like Islam a lot more now after coming here and learning about it. It's really cool to see how other people practice their religion," she said.
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In Genesis 1:26-27, Adam and Eve were portrayed to be equal, for both were created out of God's image. Despite this, the many allusions to the word "man" in the Bible were, in earlier times, said to be because women were unimportant. Yet in Gen. 5:1-2, God calls both genders "man" – and hence it is understood that such disparity in treatment was actually not what he had intended. There are other references in the Old Testament regarding the status of women - namely in Genesis 2. God looked at a sleeping Adam, and decided that he needed a helper. This helper was created from Adam's rib, and was named "woman" by Adam. These references that women are helpers and were named by Adam however, contradict the earlier presented views that both had equal status. This was especially so in older times, where one was believed to have authority over any item/individual by naming it. Adam’s downfall is also credited to the creation of Eve - for Eve was the one who persuaded Adam to eat the forbidden fruit. This was another excuse for the discrimination against females. For example, Tertullian (known as "Father of the Latin Church") said to his female followers: "You are the devil's gateway". In fact, other than the earlier references that God intended both genders to be equal, and a minimal scattering of passages that seemed to suggest this (eg. Exodus 21:15-17), the Bible's stance can be seen to fiercely biased towards male dominance over females. Thus, females were considered possessions of males (usually their fathers or husbands) - like any house or oxen - as seen in Exodus 20:17. Rape was also considered a less severe crime than homosexuality, and there are multiple passages in the Bible describing man who offer their virgin daughters to others for rape. (eg. Genesis 19:7-8 and Judges 19:23-26) Even Aristotle (a renowned Greek philosopher who was the student to Plato and the teacher to Alexander the Great) thought that women were inferior beings. He famously commented that women were defective because they could not reproduce semen which was the seed of life. He also believed that men were naturally superior by virtue of their greater intellect. Such misogynistic views and remarks depict that society was biased against the favour of women.The rights of women were severely limited as a result of such subordinating views of women. Some of the limitations placed on them include:Unmarried women could not leave their fathers.
Married women could not their husbands.
Married women were subject to any punishment her husband inflicted.
They could not hold any public offices.
They were often considered in the same class as minors, slaves, criminals, the dumb and the mute etc., or in other words, incapable of sounds judgement or worthy of consideration.
They could not testify in court.
They could not speak to strangers.
They needed to wear a veil when not at home.
They could not inherit or hold any property.
They could not even write or receive letters in their name.
Some discriminatory limitations were only removed in the late 19th century for most Christian nations. The slow eradication of such limitations can be credited to the absence of women ordinate. This law (preventing women from being ordained) was repeatedly passed in the first Council of Orange (441), the Council of Epaon (517) and the second council of Orleans (533), which can only be said to be aiding the suppression of women.
--“ the (only) religion (acceptable) before God is Islam." (3:19)
-- " If anyone desires a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted of him." (3: 85)
-- “You are the noblest community ever raised up for mankind.” (3:110)
-- The unbelievers among the people of the book and the pagans shall burn forever in the fire of Hell. They are the vilest of all creatures. (98.6).
-- Surely the vilest of animals in Allah’s sight are those who disbelieve. (8.55)
--The unbelievers are your inveterate enemy. (4:101)
-- Mohammed is God's apostle. Those who follow him are ruthless to the unbelievers but merciful to one another. (48:29).
-- It is unlawful for a believer to kill another believer, accidents excepted. (4:92)
-- Believers, take neither the Jews nor the Christians for your friends. (5:51)
-- Make war on them until idolatry shall cease and God's religion shall reign supreme. (8:40)
-- Fight against them until idolatry is no more and God's religion reigns supreme. (2:193)
-- The true believers fight for the cause of God, but the infidels fight for the devil. (4:76)
-- We will put terror into the hearts of the unbelievers. (3:151)
-- I shall cast terror into the hearts of the infidels. Strike off their heads, strike off the very tips of their fingers. (8:12)
And when the presenter talked about Muhammad, you can bet he did not give the audience these quotes from Muhammad:
-- Allah's Apostle said, "You (i.e. Muslims) will fight with the Jews till some of them will hide behind stones. The stones will (betray them) saying, 'O 'Abdullah (i.e. slave of Allah)! There is a Jew hiding behind me; so kill him.' "
-- Mohammed said, "I have been ordered to fight with the people till they say, "None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and whoever says, " None has the right to be worshipped but Allah , his life and property will be saved by me." (otherwise it will not). Vol. 4:196
-- Mohammed said, "Whoever changes his Islamic religion, kill him." Vol. 9:57
-- Mohammed said, " No Muslim should be killed for killing a Kafir" (infidel). Vol. 9:50
-- Muhammad said: "Fight in the name of Allah and in the way of Allah. Fight against those who disbelieve in Allah. Make a holy war, …"
Nor did he even hint that the most popular manual of sharia law says: "Jihad means to make war on non-Muslims."
And, there is a lot more about Islam which non-Moslems need to know in order to become educated about Islam!
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