The June 17 SPe-sponsored lecture entitled 'Misconceptions of Islam' tried to offer a glimpse into the real ideology of Islam and to give possible answers to these and other questions. The lecture was given by Professor Ahmet Akgündüz, Rector of the Islamic University of Rotterdam and an expert in the field of Islamic law.
People often presume that most Muslims are Arabs; the truth is only 20% of them are of Arabian origin. Professor Akgündüz explained that there are different kinds of Muslims, according to their ethnic origin, but not different kinds of Islam. Islam is divided into basic rules derived from the Koran and from sayings of prophets, which are valid for all countries and times (such as prayers, pilgrimages), and secondary rules which depend on local political, economic and social conditions (such as fiscal regulations).
There are many well-educated Muslims, unfortunately there also exist ignorant Muslims who do not know the rules of Islam and whose presence has been exaggerated by the media. According to Islamic rules, there are two kind of non-Muslim countries: lands of war - countries with which Muslims are at war - and lands of peace - which protect the rights of Muslims or their allies but also assert their own laws. This is the case of the Netherlands and most European countries where one can live as a Muslim, while respecting local regulations.
'Jihad' is a misunderstood word since it has various meanings, such as 'prayer' but also 'war against yourself, an inner fight of the human being' or 'to be charitable'. In its essence the word describes 'struggling, trying, striving' in all aspects of human life. Islam officially forbids taking the law into own hands.
According to the Koran, no Muslim should become a terrorist since any attack against innocent people is a grave sin. Muslims condemn attacks against innocent people.
Prof. Akgündüz claims that Islam is a religion of tolerance. According to the Holy Books, 'He who kills a human being is as if he had killed all mankind and he who saves one is as if he had saved all mankind'. One cannot claim there are no murderers in a religious community, likewise one cannot accuse an entire community of the deeds of a few of its members.
The status of the woman in Islamic society is also distorted and misunderstood by non-Muslims. The concept of oppressing woman is not in accordance with Islam. The fact that Muslim women wear scarves is sometimes viewed as proof of their lack of freedom, but most women are not forced to do so. According to Mr. Akgündüz's lecture 'if a woman does not wear a scarf that doesn't mean she's not Muslim. She's still Muslim, but she's violating an explicit Islamic rule'. The superiority of the individual is based on a rule which rejects the idea of sex: 'The best of you are those who are best in combat.' About the beating of wives, there is a verse in the Koran which says: 'You can beat your wife' but the prophet Mohammed specified: 'The best of you are those who do not beat their wives', so theoretically beating is permitted but not recommended.
Muslims, Jews, and Christians all worship the same god. There is no difference between God and Allah, but rather in the attributes of God. According to the Third Law of Life, Muslims believe in the books of God: the Koran, the Bible and other Holy Books. In accordance with the Fourth Law, they believe in God's messengers such as Moses, Christ or Mohammed, making no distinction between them.
The media has fueled misconceptions of Islam by saying that disregarding other non-believers is allowed by the Islamic dogma, but according to Prof. Akgündüz that is not true. All those who follow the words of Mohammed should 'salute all the Muslims and non-Muslims with peace.' Mr. Akgündüz finished his lecture with the words: 'The real threats to the world are ignorance, conflict and poverty. We should all have to live in this world with peace and tolerance.'
