Questions about Islam and Muslims

The following document lists questions and assumptions about Islam and Muslims as documented during discussions and talks on Islamophobia.

Questions asked during Islamophobia and racism forum on 3/2/15 at Wake Forest University:

1. Why do so many people in the West have such strong, often negative feelings about Islam? Where does the suspicion and at times hostility come from?
2. Doesn’t calling attention to Islamophobia prevent us from being able to criticize Muslims for fear of being labeled a bigot or racist?
3. Politicians and journalists often call upon Muslims to make public statements condemning acts of terrorism. Do you think that’s fair?
4. Does Islam lend itself to violence more than other religions? Is the Muslim world more violent than the West, or is this a myth?
5. Women in Muslim countries lack many of the rights afforded to women in the West. Is it fair to say that Islam is one of the main reasons behind the oppression of Muslim women? Shouldn’t the West do everything in its power to liberate Muslim women?
6. Muslims have reacted strongly to books, films, and other artistic expressions that criticize Islam. Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses, the Danish cartoon controversy, the Charlie Hebdo newspaper attack are three examples that come to mind. Is it fair to say that Muslims are overly sensitive to criticism? Do the teachers of Islam prevent Muslims from embracing freedom of speech and expression?
7. Do Muslims in Europe experience more or less prejudice than Muslims in the US? What explains the difference?
8. What role does the media play in the way many Westerners view Muslims and Islam?
9. What three things you wish more people in the US or Europe knew about Islam?
10. How do we fight Islamophobia? What responsibilities do Muslims and non-Muslims respectively have in this fight?

Questions aksed during Islamophobia and racism forum on 6/15/15 at Pullen Memorial Church in Raleigh:

1. Can you quote one Islamic text that expresses “essence of genuine Islam”?
2. What would happen if we all people (including men) started wearing hijab?
3. Comment on the behaviour of our political leaders – Democrats as well as Republicans.
4. How do we break this awful cycle of violence?
5. Is there some effort to contact the media to counter racism and Islamophobia tilt?
6. Why organize through religion when it has had a history of violence and institutionalized segregation?
7. How do we actively challenge Islamophobia and racism in a wholistic and intersectional way that includes queer (LGBTQ) and trans people?
8. How can non-Muslim activists help Muslims build political power in NC?

Questions aksed during Islamophobia and racism forum on 11/16/15 at Cumberland County Library (Fayetteville, NC):

1. Why certain Muslim scholars preach hatred towards Jews?
2. What is the context of violent text in Quran?
3. Do Muslims want to kill Christians? (questioner asserted their Baptist Church informed them of that)?

Questions aksed during Islamophobia and racism forum on 1/3/16 at Western Blvd Presbyterian Church:

1. What is Sharia law?
2. What if Muslims start calling “Allah” as “God” to reduce hostility towards them in the West?
3. What proportion of the global Muslim population is “redicalized”?
4. Why Muslim population is increasing so fast?
5. What are good sources of news information to learn about wars and conflicts in the Muslim world?
6. Can MERI provide talking points on Islamophobia that we can use when we talk to our relatives and friends?
7. Why do so many people in the West have such strong, often negative feelings about Islam? Where does the suspicion and at times hostility come from?