Earlier this year the Gallup polling organization provided two intriguing statistics about Americans and their view of Islam: 53 percent of Americans view Islam unfavorably compared with 
42 percent who view the religion favorably. Majorities view other major religions favorably: 91 percent for Christianity, 71 percent for Judaism and 58 percent for Buddhism. The negativity comes even as 63 percent of Americans said they know little about Islam.
It’s no surprise that ignorance leads the way for prejudice. When I set out to write a fictional account of the life of Muhammad, I considered myself free from prejudice. I was raised in India playing with Muslim kids and maintain close ties with Muslim friends. Yet when I began to research the origins of Islam, I found that compared to what I had absorbed about the life of Jesus or Buddha, my knowledge of the Prophet’s life was almost a blank. But in the present climate of antagonism toward Muslims, a blank is good, since so many people started out their knowledge of Islam with two facts: Arabs control the world’s oil supply, and Muslim extremists attacked the U.S. on 9/11. This accounts for another finding by Gallup, that Americans see extremists as woven into the basic fabric of Islam, a view they don’t hold about Jewish or Christian fundamentalists. Would you say that Christians who kill anti-abortion doctors and burn down abortion clinics are basic to Christianity? Yet the protest of moderate Muslims that jihadis are an extremist minority tends to fall upon deaf ears.
There are some moderating facts as well. Only 9% of respondents told Gallup that they had a great deal of prejudice against Islam, and until the recent upsurge of rhetoric against the proposed Muslim center near Ground Zero, the tradition of religious tolerance in this country held strong, with half of respondents saying that they felt no prejudice against Muslims. Right think prevails over wrong think. And yet Muslim-Americans are still a hidden minority in this country. Did you know that they are the most diverse religion ethnically in America? Most people automatically equate Muslim with Arab. Given the image of Muslim women as being strongly oppressed, would it surprise you to learn that in this country, they are : one of the most highly educated female religious groups in the United States, second only to Jewish American women."
By the time I finished writing my book, I had a wealth of knowledge about Muhammad compared to when I started. The most surprising fact about him is that among all the founders of great world religions, he considered himself "a man among men," in other words, the closest to how you and I see ourselves. Even though Muhammad received the Koran as a divine transmission (in keeping with most of the world’s scriptures) and is a sacred figure in Islam, his self-conception was not like that. I found him fascinating, even as I found that the contradictions present in Islam today, such as the clash between religious tolerance and jihadist fervor, have roots going back to the very beginning.
Check out Deepak’s latest book, Muhammad: A Story Of The Last Prophet on Amazon.com
Namaste Deepak. Thank You for exploring & sharing the kaleidoscopic facets of spirituality. Peace InJoy…
May you always be happy, Sir … God bless you …
I'm looking forward for the delivery of my pre-order of your new book about Muhammad to my kindle …can't wait!
Starting at the beginning: Gallup polls, while I am sure they are very useful in some manner, most likely do not represent the majority of Americans accurately I fear. Statistics, to say the very least, do not do the best job of expressing feeling and sentiment.
That Americans may see Muslim extremists as 'woven into the basic fabric of Islam' is highly debatable in my experience. Still, assuming it is true, it could also be the fault of so many reports of Arab Muslims supporting – financially and otherwise – the suicide bombers and calling them 'Heroes'. You can see how that may sway the opinion of some.
To compare anti-abortionist to Islamic extremist is quite a bit off the mark. Christians don't 'kill anti-abortion doctors' by the way. Doctors that perform abortions are killed by anti-abortion protesters, some – not all – of whom , claim to be Christian. Of course 'Thou shalt not kill' being one of the commandments, we can all see how off the mark that is.
The 'upsurge of rhetoric' against the proposed Muslim center near Ground Zero has a lot less to do with racism for many people, and quite a lot to do with a lack of healing. Many New Yorkers – including myself – were stuck in the grips of sheer terror as we watched the events unfold before our eyes. Many of us lost friends and family, and felt our minds almost unhinge as the towers collapsed into dust. Nine years later the emotions still run high, and very raw. Logic is not the ally it should be in such circumstances. Not all Germans backed Hitler, but you 'd be hard pressed to find anyone that would suggest a German cultural center in any Jewish community even now.
That Muslim women are strongly oppressed in the vast majority of Muslim countries is not an image, it is a fact. That most Muslim women are highly educated here, in a free country, is surprising to no one. Again, free country.
It's wonderful that you have studied the life of Mohammed. He is clearly an incredibly interesting historical figure. It's unfortunate that you did not take an equal amount of time attempting to understand the people of the U.S.
Hello Deepak Sir…after a long break am writing to you again. Hoping that you get to read these responses to your blog here. I think it is fine to write abt all the good things of Mohd and Islam. Knowing your intention of selling the book well, I don't think you must have DARED to write anything dark side of him and the religion in the book. You're very smart in these things, we all know that. The question however tho is…Is one being a Fair and a Good Spiritualist, if one is not talking abt the Truth?? Is it really ok not to touch abt the dark side of it??
Allowing four wives, it is ok to have sexual contacts with a girl who is not even a teenager….speaks very high of him and the religion. Knowing Deepak, needless to say you know all this…but as said above…ur not going to talk abt all this. You're going to talk abt the Sweety sweety stuff of Islam and Mohd. Ahh, we want to sell the book, and not get any foolish fatwas.
But thank god, that the world is not foolish not to see the dark horrendous side of it. It is true that hate shud never be replied with hate, but that's classic human nature for you..and it is not going to change by any of ur lectures or books abt Jesus, Buddha or Mohd. I wish!! But it doesn't work that way. You shud be soon able to find out, which way actually it works. I'll come again and write to you, which way it works. Actually your son Gotham knows it better than you on this one.
Bye for now.
Peace&Love….Sachin
You are as ignorant as can be. Even in hinduism, young girls are married off, men can have more than one wife. Expose the truths to that as well. We can look at preteen marriages in india and its very rampant to get the girls married at young ages. Even selling them is quite popular. WOmen in hinduism are beneath their husbands. but lets not be "real"… everyone thinks they're "knowledgeable". I pity you.
The people of the US have to remember what was once done to the Native Americans, before we begin to point fingers at others. We need to remember what was done to African Americans in our country before we point fingers at others. There are good and bad in every faith. The priests who have molested young children are no better than the terrorists you speak of. These insane terrorists do NOT represent all of the Muslim populous, just like those priest do NOT represent all Christians.
Hello Deepak,
It is no surprise that Americans view Islam unfavorably afterall most really didn't and still do not know very much about Islam. Considering that the first they heard of Islam was on 9/11.
Islam was and is a religon that was and is hyjacked by extremists yet there are millions of moderate Muslims who practice Islam. Yet, the voice of moderation, the voice of reason and peace is but a whisper compared to the actions and voices of extermists. And, here you compare the extremists of the anti-abortionist who decides to murder and really it doesn't compare. A murder here and there(really not being flip about the loss of life) is not the same as a terrorist organization that has inflitrated many cities around the world and caused death and mayhem. Suicide bombers being called martyrs and honored in the MidEast because they are seen as sacrificing for their Occupation by the Israelis has been a very acceptable practice by the moderates of the Arab world and practioners of Islam alike.
I personally think Islam struggles with the voice it wants to be heard by Americans and others around the globe. I am not sure why. Though, what I am sure of is that it needs to, and, absolutely can, drown out the voice of extremism that it has allowed itself to be hyjacked by since 9/ll and the rave of martyrdom by suicide bombers.
Most Americans will not bother to read about Muhammed just as they do not bother to read up on Buddha if they are Protestant or Catholic Or Christian. They would be satisfied with the true voice of Isam that still, to this day, has not been heard above the explosions of suicide bombers and 9/11. The vocie is there but it has to come from Islam, strong, and clear and no-nonsense.
"I found him fascinating, even as I found that the contradictions present in Islam today, such as the clash between religious tolerance and jihadist fervor, have roots going back to the very beginning."
It´s intersting that tapas, as part of yoga, tells us to be diliggent, and to put an effort
towards our own evolution. To much effort over oneself brings intolerance. But too much tolerance
brings lack of evolution and stagnation. The world needs to learn the exact right spot in the middle.
Rafael
Wanting the end of Islam is foolish. It´s the sign of higher person to acknoledge the qualities of
others, instead of wasting his time with criticism. Focusing on the qualities of Islam can only make the
world a better place. To opose this is ignorance.