Voice of British Muslim Women

Shumaila Iftikhar, London

When we hear about Islam in the news media, the chances are it isn’t going to be positive news. Many of us in the West will be accustomed to hearing associations of Islam to, at best, backwardness and a lack of integration, and at worst, terror and resentment. Seeing coverage of the aftermath of terrorist attacks on our television screens, with words such as “Islamist”, “Muslims” and “refugee” forming the details is far from uncommon.

Even when Islam hasn’t been thrust into the fore when speaking about a terrorist incident, or when a case of social disintegration has seemingly transpired, we still get to hear of some level of alienation to the religion injected in conversations or debates connecting, for example, the hijab with oppression.

In all of this, the news media’s narrative is clear: Islam does not accord with our modern and free society. And it is important to note that this is but a narrative, that should be taken with a large pinch of salt.

Now, it is true that Islam is a religion like no other in contemporary times. With its key features including women observing hijab, the segregation of genders, and Praying five times a day, it is much unlike any other faith practised today. Add to that list, the (oft-misconstrued) concept of Jihad, and to anyone looking in without a clue as to what Islam is all about, it can seem foreign.

However, to treat something with prejudice just because you don’t understand it, is bigotry. Yet, time and again, the news media will be guilty of portraying Islam in such a way that does not align with its true teachings. So, first and foremost, what are some of the things Islam teaches?

To echo the words of the Head of our worldwide Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, His Holiness Mirza Masroor Ahmad, “Islam’s teachings are of peace, love, reconciliation and brotherhood”. Islam “enshrines universal human values and human rights” and “its teachings seek to unite mankind under the banner of humanity and guarantee the rights of every individual to live with freedom, equality, liberty and justice”. [i].

 In other words, it upholds what we consider to be fundamental values in a free, cohesive society. That’s evident from the Holy Qur’an, which comprehends the purest essence of this faith. For example, chapter 13, verse 26 says,

“And those who break the covenant of Allah, after having established it and cut asunder what Allah has commanded to be joined, and act corruptly in the earth – on them is the curse and they shall have a grievous abode” [ii].

Here, Muslims are instructed to both keep to their words and refrain from acting selfishly and causing disorder on the earth. It brings to mind the oath that is made by anyone acquiring citizenship in a country they’ve arrived in, to obey the laws of the land. In this regard, equating such a thing as terrorism to Islam would make no sense at all. However, it happens often, and the term “jihadi” is used to somehow rationalise it.

What, then, is Jihad, and why would it not run adversely to a religion built on peace? Jihad takes root from the Arabic word Jahada, meaning to struggle or strive, and, in Islam, that struggle is in the way of God. Putting it simply, acts of terrorism and jihad are not the same.

Going back to news media, we can’t dispute the fact that the news isn’t a completely true representation of reality. However, it affects our perception of the world it presents, and we accept, often without question, especially when the news makes its claims of objectivity. Yet, the news media thrives on sensationalism, on flashy headlines and the kind of negative framing that catches attention. Fear mongering and ostracising the other are common features of the news media, so when you have something that seems out of the ordinary, they will grab at it. They decide their narrative.

And we as the consumers must understand why something has been presented to us in a certain way, not just what, because the teachings of Islam are of eternal peace and cannot be cherry-picked. It is a complete religion, come for the reformation of the entire world, not just a select few.

 [i] https://www.alislam.org/articles/religious-tolerance-freedom-islam/

[ii] The Holy Qur’an.

[iii] https://www.alislam.org/question/what-does-jihad-mean/