Stereotypes and facts
Myth and reality | Terrorists or martyrs?
Myth and reality
Some
73% of British people confessed to knowing little or nothing about
Islam according to a survey
carried out by YouGov in 2002 for the Islamic Society of Britain.
On the whole, though, most people seemed to have quite a positive view
of Muslims.
Media coverage of Islam, though, rarely challenges the myths about Muslims that many people believe – in fact, it often seems to add to them. Here are some of the stereotypes about Islam that are common amongst non-Muslims. Some contain more than a grain of truth but they do not give the whole picture.
The stereotype
Muslims are very family-oriented: young people, especially girls, are forced to live very restricted lives, for fear of bringing dishonour on the family.
The facts
Family life is especially important in much of Asia and Africa, where the notion of putting old people in a ‘home’ is considered quite shocking. Immigrant parents from these regions often worry that their children will go off the rails and reject their parents' values.
Their fears may lead them to place their daughters, particularly, under tight control, lest they are seen as 'loose' and therefore unmarriageable. Some girls and young women find this intolerable, as would many of their non-Muslim contemporaries.
These attitudes are not restricted to Muslims but are shared by most mainstream religions. Christianity, for example, like Islam, forbids adultery and has traditionally opposed sex before marriage (and homosexuality). Strong feelings about sexual matters have both cultural and religious roots – though it is never possible to make a clear distinction between the two.
But, parents who try to 'protect' their daughters can find their efforts are counter-productive: young people leaving home for the first time (say, to go away to college) may find themselves totally out of their depth, and risk making serious mistakes.
The stereotype
Muslim women are forced to cover themselves from head to toe.
The facts
Some Muslim women choose to wear 'traditional' clothing of various kinds, sometimes to make a conscious statement about their religion and sometimes because they feel obliged to do so. But there is no general agreement about how women should dress.
The stereotype
Women in Islam are downtrodden and seen as inferior to men.
The facts
Islam was unique when it was founded in giving important rights to women. These included the right to own and inherit property – almost unheard of at the time – and to divorce their husbands. For these reasons, the perception that Muslim women lack rights is hotly contested by many Muslims. However, women in traditional societies in Asia and Africa are frequently accorded lower status than men – as they were, for example, under the Taliban in Afghanistan. Families who settle in Europe and America may carry these attitudes with them.
The stereotype
Muslims are encouraged to be violent towards, and even kill, those they believe have brought dishonour on their families. It is all right, for example, for fathers to kill daughters who 'stray'.
The facts
Violence against women takes place in all communities, but there is a particular problem in societies where the concept of honour (izzat) is strong. This is true of parts of the Middle East and Asia. Cultural influences may lead some parents to see it as their duty to defend the family's reputation to the point of violence – to carry out honour killings. This happened, for example, in the case of a Kurdish student, 16-year-old Heshu Yones, killed by her father in 2002 because she had a Christian boyfriend. Muslim authorities reject such killings as murder.
The stereotype
Marriage is typically arranged, if not forced.
The facts
Arranged marriage is common among people of all faiths in much of the world, particularly in Asia and Africa. Young people expect to make an arranged marriage. Supporters maintain that these succeed better than Western-style love matches – though this may be the result of different expectations, and the fact that marital break-up is less accepted.
Forced marriage was defined in A Choice by Right, a Home Office report published in 2000, as: '… a marriage conducted without the valid consent of both parties, where duress is a factor.'
Forced marriage is an abuse of human rights, and is a particular problem amongst people from the Indian sub-continent, of all religions. It is forbidden by Islam.
However, in a society where young people are expected to obey their parents as a matter of course, the line between forced and arranged marriage may not always be clear. Rejecting arranged marriage can be very difficult if it results in a person being isolated from their family and community.
The stereotype
Islam encourages female 'circumcision' (genital mutilation).
The facts
Female genital mutilation (FGM) is forbidden by Islam, and is against the law in Britain (although it does take place). It is the custom in some parts of Africa and, more rarely, Asia, and takes place among both Muslims and non-Muslims, including Christians. Many Muslim countries in Africa have outlawed FGM and many human rights groups are campaigning against it.
The stereotype
Muslim men can have four wives.
The facts
Islam allows a man to have up to four wives – as long as he treats them all fairly. In Britain, the law only recognises the first one. Some Muslim countries also forbid polygamy while others restrict it by requiring men to have permission from the courts to marry more than once.
The stereotype
Muslims must obey many strict rules, especially with regard to diet.
The facts
The Shariah does indeed lay down a range of rules about daily life, including diet. Not all Muslims adhere to all the rules, but are more likely to obey the 'not to eat pork' rule than some of the other laws governing behaviour.
The stereotype
Islam is a warlike religion that encourages suicide bombing.
The facts
Islam describes itself as peaceful, but it is not pacifist, so Muslims may defend themselves and their community if attacked. It also forbids suicide, so most authorities reject suicide bombing. Islam does not permit murder of non-Muslims any more than of Muslims.
The stereotype
Muslims would like to force everyone else to accept Islam.
The facts
Muslims see Islam as superseding Judaism and Christianity – religions which they respect. They see it as their duty to bring others to the faith, but do not believe conversion can be forced – but that it must come from the heart.
Myth and reality | Terrorists or martyrs?