Islam is Not the Enemy of America Research Paper

Islam is Not the Enemy of America - Research Paper Example America became the envy of other nations as the country was populated by people who knew how to get along with one another, regardless of race, nationality, religion, gender, or beliefs in life. However, all of that changed with the attacks on the Word Trade Center Twin Towers and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. The perpetrators of the crime were proven to be Muslim men who were in the United States on student visas. It was this terrorist attack from within our shores that totally reshaped the way that America came to view immigrants to the country. It most specially changed the image of the Muslims in America. The once tolerant nation now became a nation that despised all things Muslim, for it was the Muslims who shed the blood of Americans and attacked the peaceful nation on its very own soil using their own airplanes against them. It was this mindset that led to the new American belief that Islam, which is the religion practiced by Muslims should be tagged as the enemy of Amer ica. That belief has shaped the beliefs of a new generation of Americans and it has caused divisiveness within the American society at large. It is my belief however, that Islam is not the enemy of America. Rather, the Muslims and the followers of Islam have been lumped together with those of radical Islamic beliefs that have nothing to do with the true meaning of Islam and the Muslim way of life. By writing this paper, I hope to present the reasons as to why Muslims and Islam are not enemies of America. I will be presenting factual evidence based upon authoritative journals, newspaper reports, and quotes from interviews with people who are quite familiar with the aforementioned topic. In the end, I hope to have presented a solid explanation regarding why Americans have a misconception about Muslims and Islam in general. In order to understand more about what Islam truly is about, we first need to know who the Muslims are. Muslims are the people who follow the Islamic faith. Theirs is a religion that spans the globe from the Southern Philippines, the Middle East, Indonesia, and Africa. While a small fraction of the religious practitioners also reside in the Soviet Union, China, North and South America, and finally, Europe. (â€Å"Understanding Islam and the Muslims†). Muslims, just like all other religions believe that there is one unique God under whose authority Man exists. They are the people who believe that Mohammed is the sole prophet of God and that no other God other than the Muslim God exists. By definition, Islam, the religion has been defined by experts as simply meaning â€Å"submission†. Therefore, in religious terms, â€Å"Islam† is said to mean â€Å"... complete submission to the will of God†. The very definition of Islam has nothing to do with violence or terrorism. However, there are some factions