Violent Religion Research Articles

The Misrepresentation of Muslim Community in Post 9/11 English Fiction: A Political Analysis of The Reluctant Fundamentalist and Terrorist

This study shows that Muslims tend to be negatively framed, and Islam is portrayed as a violent religion in the context of the 9\11 incident. The researchers have highlighted the issue of misrepresentation of Muslims and Islam in John Updike’s Terrorist and Mohsin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist. After 9/11, there came a transformation in the image of Muslims as they have been labelled as fundamentalists, fanatics, and terrorists. The study attempts to explore the politics of Western fiction after 9\11. The Muslims were held responsible for the happenings of 9/11, and this allegation was used as an excuse to augment the antagonism towards Muslims in the name of patriotic sentiments. Western fiction and media have been promoting this pseudo-patriotism since September 11, 2001. It has been depicted in such a biased way that it portrays America and the Western world as a victim of Islamic aggression and bigotry. Muslim bashing has become socially acceptable in the United States and European states. To carry out the analysis, the researchers chose the theory of social constructionism as a basic framework. The study is based on a qualitative research approach and has been carried out by textual analysis of the selected excerpts from the novels. The study attempts to make the world realize the fundamental reasons and core factors that perpetuate aggression and violence in Muslim states. Further, it highlights the main factors behind this intolerance and extremism worldwide. The findings reveal that the neo-colonial approach, imperialistic policies, and vested interests of the superpower breed hatred for it around the world, and such policies are not in favour of its land and people.

The Undeserved Indignity: Making a Case for Muslim Dignity

A simple definition of Human dignity describes it as a worth attached to every human being, by virtue of being born as a human. But is the situation really so simple? Several instances reveal that the notion, nature and operation of dignity evade such simplistic definitions. As we delve deeper, an important question surfaces: how is it that dignity remains most elusive for the Muslim populations? The so-defined age of Terror further justifies such loss of dignity for the Muslim populations. It must be stressed however, that while terror events like 9/11 (the USA) or 7/7 (London, UK) or 9/7 (New Delhi, India), have served to resuscitate the fear of the radical other (that is, the Muslims) these attitudes go back a long time in history. It is reflected in the general outlook towards Muslims. Undoubtedly, there remain a section of terrorists, who borrow from a particular interpretation of Islam. But is this cause enough for the wholesale othering of the Muslim community? Having to live as second- rate people despite being citizens, being saddled with assumed linkages to terrorism; these are just a few dimensions of the otherising discourse. Islam comes into the picture not only because the ‘terrorists’, in some cases, have been Muslims, but also because these radical sections forward Islam as the source of their actions. We need to question the uncritical homogenizing that follows such revelations, viz. all Muslims are terrorists, Islam is a violent religion, Muslims are disloyal and radical, so on and so forth. The perpetual tagging as the potential terrorists causes not only an irretrievable loss of identity, but also a fatal blow to one’s dignity. Here, Kant’s notion of dignity becomes useful for understanding the problem of Muslim indignity.

Cultural Conflict in “Alif Lam Mim” and “My Name is Khan” Movies

This study aims to analyze the social conflict in a film. The objects of this research are "Alif Lam Mim" and "My Name Is Khan" movies. Data were collected by watching the movies, identifying cultural conflicts, and analyzing cultural conflicts in it This research is a qualitative descriptive study which is used to determine the cultural conflicts occurred in these two movies. In "Alif Lam Mim" movie, it shows that cultural conflicts occurred between Muslims and the government where Islam is considered weak, and is easy to be dropped by terrorist Islamic stereotypes for profit. Then, in "My Name Is Khan" movie, it shows that cultural conflict occurred between Rizwan (a Muslim) with American society, where all Muslims are considered as terrorists. The reason for choosing the research in these two movies is because these two movies raised the same topic, which is the negative stereotypes of society on Islam and have same title, which is using Islamic name of characters. Both of these movies have the view that Islam is a violent religion, treason and full of greed. The conclusion that can be drawn from this research is that intercultural understanding is needed to maintain peace between nations and countries.

Re-Imagining Wasatiyyah as a Socio-Theological Mediation of Youth Anger in Accra, Ghana

The paper recognizes that the current coronavirus has caused an anger spike that has brought in its wake global street demonstrations and protests against the ruling elite. In the case of Ghana, this has found expression in some of the young men and women of the country deploying their anger that brings them into conflict with the police – often leading to either death or destruction of property. Much as the issue of youth anger is transnational, in this article, the researcher focuses on two Muslim inner-cities in Accra, Nima, and Maamobi, to reflect on how wasatiyyah could be appropriated to mediate emerging religiopolitical tension in Ghana and the West African sub-region. It is instead for the sake of convenience of the researcher’s familiarity since, as a resident of a Muslim inner-city in Accra, the researcher seeks to destabilize the simplistic assertion that Islam is a violent religion, while Muslim youth in the urban slum is concomitantly incorrigibly aggressive. Thus, deploying autoethnography and ethnographic techniques of in-depth interviews, the article explores the intersections of Ghana's socio-political history and global and contemporary issues, including Covid-19 have spiked anger that needs critical reflection. The paper concludes that the anger in the Muslim communities in Accra is not isolated from the social history of Ghana and the global context. To keep the security of the country intact and offers the youth hope, wasatiyyah will help in explaining existential inequalities as well as reorienting people to deploy moral outrage productively.

The Translation of Jihad Verses After the Emergence of ISIS: Distortion or Reality

The mistranslation, misinterpretation and misquotation of Quranic verses, particularly jihad verses by radicalists reflect an extreme misunderstanding of Islam for being an abusive and violent religion. Thus, this study examines three groups of books, reflecting the attitude towards Islam, jihad, Quran, and radicalist groups. Group one represents western authored books published in 2014 and after (the emergence of ISIS period); group two, presenting Arab and Muslim-authored books; and finally, group three includes books for Western authors which were published before 2014. Three groups scrutinize jihad and war related verses, the conception of jihad, some names of Islamist figures, and stereotypes of Islam. Jihad verses and their interpretations and translations were extracted from those books and compared to their true tafsir and reasons of revelations according to Ibn Katheer tafsir. The results revealed that interpreting and translating Quranic verses out of their context by radical groups especially ISIS to justify their awful deeds has participated largely in increasing the hostility of western authors and western media towards Islam and Muslims and raised Islamophobia internationally. Received: 31 May 2021 / Accepted: 19 July 2021 / Published: 5 September 2021

Dharma and its Discontents

This article critically re-examines the “received wisdom” on Buddhism— its history, traditional lore, monastic institutions, and ritual practices— acknowledging the fact of violence within Buddhism while striving for a nuanced understanding by looking at the life of Kumarajiva (ca. 344–413). A legendary figure in Sino-Japanese Buddhism, Kumarajiva has long been lauded as a wondrous exemplar of the Dharma at work, making accounts of his life valuable resources for understanding Buddhism in medieval China, including the place of violence. My intention is not to condemn Buddhism as a “violent religion” but to encourage us to consider just how pervasive and complex the role of “violence” seems to be within Buddhism (both in the past and in the present), and critically trace out some of its implications.

OPTIMALISASI PERAN SERTA ULAMA DALAM DERADIKALISASI AGAMA

Various acts of radicalism, which brought several disadvantages and anxieties to Indonesia's peace, have captured the attention of various circles. The act of radicalism that follows violence, threats and even murder becomes a separate motive that contributes to the problem of religious affairs, especially Islam. So far a number radical actions has been carried out by certain Muslims and this has been falsely taken to label Islam as a violent religion. Therefore, it is necessary to held deradicalization programs aimed particularly at religious leaders among society. This act counts as the antithesis of violent radicalism.This study aims to illustrate the steps and actions that must be taken by scholars to alleviate the problem of radicalism. This study used description method. The deradicalization programs begin with the socialization of the negative effects of radicalism held by the government agency for countering terrorism (BNPT) to religious leaders, then the leaders preach it through various media.

“The Image of Islam in the Post 9/11 Era in John Updike’s Terrorist”

This research paper is an attempt to explore the image of Islam manifested in the post 9/11 American literary contexts, an image that revives in the Orientalist studies that intellectually emerged as Neo-Orientalism. In their discourses, many neo-Orientalists overemphasize a distorted image of Islam as an anti-modern, anti-democratic, and anti-Western ideology that is based on antagonism and terrorism against the non-Muslim Western ‘Other’. Consequently, Muslims are distortedly depicted as terrorists who hold a Jihadist agenda against Westerners generally and Americans particularly. These neo-Orientalist misrepresentations of Islam and Muslim have highly affected the post 9/11 American literary canon. Published in 2006, John Updike’s Terrorist is considered one of the remarkable novels that centers on examining the nature of Islam and the features of Muslims, within the framework of neo-Orientalism. Pivoting around Edward Said’s anti-Orientalist approach, this study aims at offering a critical reading of the depiction of Islam and Muslims in Updike’s Terrorist. Discussion principally depends on analyzing different quotations from the novel, which represent the nature of Islam and the temperaments of Muslims. The study has concluded that Updike, in Terrorist, misrepresents Islam as an intolerant, antagonistic, anti-Other, and violent religion that constitutes an existentialist threat to the United States

Proving Peaceful Islam through the Application of Al-'Illat Wa Al-Ma'lûl Approach in Reading Qur’anic Verses of War (Interpretation of Q.2: 190-194 and Q.9: 5-15)

This paper will prove Islam as a religion of peace by using al-illat wa al-ma'lûl approach in reading Qur’anic verses of war. Qur’anic verses of war have been a crucial problem in interfaith relation. Non-Muslims used such verses as a weapon to label Islam as a violent religion. Moreover, some terrorists justified their violent action with verses of war. However, Muslims insist that such verses basically do not express violence especially if they are properly understood. Radical understanding of Qur’anic texts is partly caused by the approach that exegetes use. Apart from the approach is the use of literal translation and atomistic approach. Atomistic approach suggests the readers to split a verse and treat it separately without relating it to other parts of the verse. Moreover, it does not pay a specific attention to the historical context of the texts (asbȃb al-nuzȗl). In addition, it neglects the correlation of the verses (munᾱsaba). Some approaches have contributed to the problem includes: 1. System approach, 2. Esoteric interpretation approach, and 3. Historic-contextual approach. However, these three approaches did not solve the problem. Therefore, the writer introduces al-illat wa al-ma'lûl approach. The research question is how to prove Islam as a religion of peace by implementing al-‘illat wa al-ma‘lȗl approach in understanding Qur’anic verses of war? Methodologically, this approach was adopted from the concept of cause and effect in various studies, specifically: Physics, History, Philosophy, Communication as well as Islamic studies, especially: Uṣȗl al-Fiqh, Ḥadȋth and Tafsȋr. The approach runs through 4 steps: 1. Literal analysis of key words, especially "qᾱtil," in Q.2:190-194 and Q.9:5-15. 2. Analyzing macro context of revelation (asbȃb al-nuzȗl al-‘ȃmm) and the micro context of the texts (asbȃb al-nuzȗl al-khȃṣs). 3. Analyzing the correlation of the verse internally and externally. 4. Determine which part of the verse is the cause (al-‘illat) and which one is the effect (al-ma‘lûl). It also determines which verses function as a cause and which ones function as an effect. The result of study shows that: 1. The order to fight unbelievers has been preceded by a cause that unbelievers have declared war. 3. The order to fight idolaters wherever they found them is issued when the war is raging and in certain places and in certain time. 4. The command to fight is upright on a noble purpose namely justice, liberation and self-defense. This command to fight is based on the real condition of Muslims whom were oppressed, persecuted, tortured and expelled. This war is also upright on the ethics of war, such as not killing old men, women and children, not destroying houses of worship, and plantations. To conclude, all command to fight for Muslim is a consequence of the previous events as a cause. Therefore, Islam is a peaceful religion it is a defensive and not aggressive or offensive religion.

Islam and the Middle East in Texas Textbooks

AbstractThis article covers how the history of Islam and the Middle East is covered in the latest K‐12 Texas textbooks. The study examines three world histories, four world cultures and geography and six American history textbooks published by major publishers. This article demonstrates that Islamophobic attempts to present Islam as a violent religion has been successful in Texas textbooks. On the other hand, the “Islam spread by sword” narrative is contradicted by the same textbooks with a recognition of non‐Muslim communities that have lived in the Islamic world throughout Islamic history. The study aims to guide publishers and educators before the next cycle of textbook renewal is initiated in 2019–2010.

Muslims Denouncing Violent Extremism

Abstract This article explores statements made by Dutch Muslims against violent extremism, and explains these statements in the context of the growing pressure exerted on Muslim minorities in Europe to present themselves as peaceful and loyal citizens. It problematises the often-repeated call on Muslims to denounce terrorism, and reveals that Dutch Muslims have condemned violent extremism more often than is commonly acknowledged. However, essentialist statements about Islam as a violent religion often provoke competing essentialisms of Islam as a ‘religion of peace’. In analysing such statements as ‘performative performances’, the author demonstrates how public debate about violent extremism feeds into Muslim perceptions of what Islam ‘really’ is.

Media representation of Muslims and Islam from 2000 to 2015: A meta-analysis

This article reports a meta-analysis of 345 published studies to examine the media’s role in construction of a Muslim and Islamic identity. A quantitative analysis highlights the geographical focus, methods, theories, authorship, media types, and time frames of published studies. A qualitative analysis investigated the most prominent researched themes. Our findings suggest that a large majority of studies covered Western countries, while Muslim countries and Muslim media have been neglected. We also identified an evident lack of comparative research, a neglect of visuals, and a dearth of research on online media. We found that most studies investigated the themes of ‘migration’, ‘terrorism’, and ‘war’. Moreover, our meta-study shows that Muslims tend to be negatively framed, while Islam is dominantly portrayed as a violent religion. Implications of these findings are discussed.

International Politics After Secularism

At the height of the influence of the secularisation thesis religion was understood to be absent from affairs of state and the law, including international politics and international law. As the critique of secularisation gained momentum this master narrative fell apart, and a new consensus began to take shape. The notion that religion had been ignored and should be ‘brought back in’ to International Relations took centre stage among many academics and practitioners. The assumption is that restoring religion in the right way will help address the problems associated with having ignored religion in IR, paving the way for the marginalisation of violent religion and globalisation of religious freedom. This article undertakes a critical analysis of this restorative narrative and the religious and political world it is creating. It then proposes a different approach to the intersection of religion and world politics after secularism. This approach draws attention to the authority of transnational actors such as the United States, United Nations, and European Union to shape the public administration of religious affairs globally. Channels through which this is accomplished include the promotion of religious freedom, humanitarian intervention, foreign aid, nation building and democratisation, counter- terrorism and peace-building efforts, and the pronouncements of supra-national courts.

Peace and Violence in Islam: An overview of Some Muslim Perspectives

The issue of violence has always been existent in world religions including Islam. The image of Islam as a violent religion has been described in various media espe-cially in the case of terrorism. This phenomenon leads to questions on how issues of violence are conveyed in Islamic teachings and how they have been understood differently by Muslims. This article aims to answer such questions by discussing the duty of Muslims, jihad , spirit of the Qur’an, and interpretation issues. The writing found that overgeneralization of a particular case in Qur’anic stories occurred; differences in interpretation are caused by the limitation of human beings in viewing their present reality and the reality of the past; issues of violence in the Qur’an are inevitable since the Qur’an was revealed at a time of extensive violence throughout human life, while the spirit of Islam is in creating peace among fellow human being; and a number of Muslims regard the prophet Muhammad’s life time as the pinnacle of Islamic civilization. These findings lead to the conclusion that issues of violence in Islamic teachings are always interpreted differently in a variety of manners.

Introduction: A Symposium on Peace, Islam, and Counter-Narratives

Introduction: A Symposium on Peace, Islam, and Counter-Narratives

Islam and Political Violence

The global threat of Al Qaeda post 9/11 and ISIL, increased Sunni-Shia conflicts, and violence in the Middle East and Pakistan dominate headlines and challenge governments in the region and globally. Both Muslim extremists and some Western experts and observers speak of a clash of civilizations or a culture war in Muslim-West relations. Both the discourse and violence yet again raise questions about the relationship of Islam to violence and terrorism: is Islam a particularly violent religion? Critics cite Quranic passages, doctrines like jihad and events in Muslim history as strong indicators and proof that Islam is the primary driver of Muslim extremism and terrorism. What do the Quran and Islamic law have to say about violence, jihad and warfare? What are the primary drivers of terrorism in the name of Islam today? This article will address these questions in the context of development of global jihadist movements, in particular Al Qaeda and ISIL, their roots, causes, ideology and agenda.

RADICALISM IN ISLAMIC HISTORY

Islam is love and peace religion that brings justice, equality and moderation. The word Islam comes from salima means surrender, submission and peace. So that being a Muslim means spread and build a peace in the world. In fact nowadays, Islam has appeared as a violent religion bringing hatred. Indeed, this has blotted Islamic message namely peacefulness. Radical movement has a deep historical root in Islam called khawarij. Khawarij emerged when the arbitration (tahkim) conducted between Ali bin Abi Thalib and Muawiyah in Shiffin war and it was a fundamentalist religion movement. The coming out of Wahabi with their militan followers shows neo-khawarij, radical movement in Islam.Keywords: violence, extremism, conflict, radicalism

Addressing Discrimination against Arabs, Muslims, and South Asians: Testimony before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Our nation has a unique, long-cherished commitment to religious freedom. Indeed, the first wave of immigrants came seeking refuge from religious persecution in Europe. The free exercise of religion, regardless of one’s religious beliefs, is a fundamental right guaranteed to all Americans and embodied in the First Amendment to our Constitution. As a result, America has become a diverse nation enriched by its multiple religious communities that practice their faiths freely and peacefully. America’s unique cultural tolerance for religious diversity is due in large part to the enforcement of constitutional rights and statutory laws that protect individuals and congregations from discrimination in public accommodations, education, and employment.While most people in America voluntarily comply with anti-discrimination laws based on a personal commitment to equality and justice for all, religious bigotry exists in American society. One need only review the increasing number of lawsuits filed by the EEOC over the past ten years. In 1997, religious discrimination lawsuits made up only 2.1% of the EEOC’s docket. By 2010, the rate of discrimination lawsuits increased significantly to 3.8%. Similarly, religious discrimination charges filed with the EEOC increased dramatically by 35% from 2001 to 2008. A disproportionate number of religious discrimination charges were filed by employees who wear headscarves, turbans, or beards for religious reasons because these practices carry a stigma that falsely stereotype them as terrorist, disloyal, or suspect.In the years immediately following the tragic September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, there was an upsurge in hatred, violence, and discrimination against Muslims, Arabs and South Asians. Despite the passage of more than ten years, pervasive discrimination persists due to a variety of factors that directly impact the workplace. For example, media images stereotyping, darkskinned, bearded males with Arabic-sounding names as representing the primary threat to the national security of the United States contribute to racial, national origin, and religious harassment in the workplace. Government selective counter-terrorism practices and policies have institutionalized a policy of discrimination against persons perceived to be Muslim, Arab, Middle Eastern, or South Asian on the basis of their name, race, religion, ethnicity, and national origin. The government’s disparate treatment of these communities, based on the pretext of national security, legitimizes workplace harassment. The result is a conflation of the racial Arab or South Asian with the religious category of Muslim coupled with the misperception that Islam is a radical and violent religion. Therefore, efforts aimed at combatting post-9/11 religious discrimination must adopt a holistic approach that rectifies the “bias legitimizing” actions of other government agencies.Accordingly, my recommendations are as follow:1. Adopt creative legal theories of liability and use case briefs to educate judges about post-9/11 religious discrimination;2. Train federal agencies about the adverse workplace consequences of selective law enforcement and immigration enforcement;3. Train private sector employers about the rise in religious discrimination and how to proactively prevent it;4. Normalize images of religious minorities in government publications; and5. Diversify points of contact in outreach to religious communities about their legal rights and remedies.

Telling the Truth about Islam? Apostasy Narratives and Representations of Islam on WikiIslam.net

AbstractThis article analyses six apostasy narratives published on WikiIslam.net and examines how Islam is represented and understood in them. The narratives contain self-referential and autobiographical components, and the truth-claims made in them are often based on the narrator's own experiences as a former Muslim. From the six testimonies it is clear that Islam is presented in a negative and biased way, as summed up in the following three points: (1) Islam is an irrational, illogical way of thought; the beliefs that Islam holds to be true are false; (2) Islam is not about peace, high standards and God; Islam is an evil, selfcentered and morally corrupt religion, and Muslims are hypocrites; (3) Islam is an oppressive, misogynist and violent religion, and is negative for its followers, especially women. These views on Islam, expressed in the apostasy narratives, articulate several themes found in islamophobic discourses and the so called New Atheist movement.

Religious Freedom in Islam: A Global Landscape

This paper presents a global landscape of religious freedom in Islam, a crucial matter for resolving the contentious contemporary debate over whether Islam is a peaceful or violent religion. The landscape shows a general dearth of religious freedom in Islam. This does not mean, though, that Islam is incompatible with religious freedom, for a large percentage of Muslim countries are governed by regimes inspired by western secularism. The paper also argues that religious freedom is neither synonymous nor co-extensive with electoral democracy. Several democracies with low levels of religious freedom exist in Muslim-majority countries, while authoritarian regimes with relatively high levels of religious freedom exist but are rare.