English Forum
 



Muslim Celebs Explain Why A Religion Of 1.7 Billion Can't Be Reduced To Ste
 
Muslim World Affairs And Islamic News By Antonia Blumberg

Muslim Celebs Explain Why A Religion Of 1.7 Billion Can't Be Reduced To Stereotypes

Common media representations and political rhetoric would have us believe that the roughly 1.7 billion Muslims on the globe are a homogenous, monolithic group. And this couldn't be further from the truth.

In the latest episode of "The Secret Life of Muslims," a web series directed by Joshua Seftel and featured on Vox, 15 prominent Muslim Americans explain why no single definition of what it means to be Muslim can account for all 1.7 billion faithful.

The episode features Aman Ali, Wajahat Ali, Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, Reza Aslan, Negin Farsad, Mona Haydar, Maz Jobrani, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Zahra Noorbakhsh, Omar Regan, Sebastian Robins, Linda Sarsour, Layla Shaikley, Dena Takruri, and Iqbal Theba.

"I found it so interesting to hear the array of answers we got from this amazing and very funny group of people," Seftel said in an email to The Huffington Post.

At its most basic, the term "Muslim" applies to anyone who follows the Islamic religion, says author and entrepreneur Amani Al-Khatahtbeh in the video. Even more stripped down, author Reza Aslan puts forth: "A Muslim is anyone who says he's a Muslim."

In Arabic, the word "Muslim" means "one who submits." Many take that to mean submission to Allah or to the faith, but some define it more broadly.

"According to my father, a Muslim is any person who submits to a force greater than himself," Zahra Noorbakhsh says in the video. When she introduced her father to her white, atheist boyfriend, Noorbakhsh continues, he had a clever reaction: "'Does he believe in gravity?'"

What it means to b a Muslim can be defined both broadly and narrowly, depending on who you ask and what the context is.

"I think the question of what is a Muslim 100 percent cannot be answered," says comedian Negin Farsad. "We're talking about over a billion people."

For some, being Muslim involves things like daily prayer and abstinence from alcohol and pork. Some Muslim women wear a hijab or another form of veiling, while others do not. Within the faith, there are countless nuances.

"There are some that are very devout and practicing and there are some that are not," explains journalist Dena Takruri, "just like with every other faith."

What does it mean to be Muslim? There are more than a billion answers.

 Posted By Posted On Monday, February 20 @ 20:33:45 PST By MediaEnglishTeam



Comments 💬 التعليقات
 

For Your Membership Comments And Registered Debates Please, See Below Or Register Here :-: للحصول على تعليقات عضويتك و مناقشات الأعضاء انظر من فضلك أدناه أو سجّل هنا

Related Links

· More About Muslim World Affairs And Islamic News
· News By MediaEnglishTeam


Most Read Story About Muslim World Affairs And Islamic News:
Lebanon: Caught Between Flattery And Dishonesty


Article Rating

Average Score: 0
Votes: 0

Please Take A Second And Vote For This Article:

Excellent
Very Good
Good
Regular
Bad


Options


 Printer Friendly Printer Friendly





Associated Topics

Muslim World Affairs And Islamic News



"Muslim Celebs Explain Why A Religion Of 1.7 Billion Can't Be Reduced To Ste" | Login/Create An Account | 0 Comments


The Comments Are Owned By The Poster. We Aren't Responsible For Their Content. Meanwhile, We Invite Readers To Report Any Abusive, Unsuitable And/or Islamophobic Contents



No Comments Allowed For Anonymous, Please Register
 

English Forum
Your Account
Main  | English Stories  | English Forums  | English Members  | Private Messages  | Top 10  | Topics  | Submit News  | Search  | Reviews  | Survey  | Journal  | Stories Archive  | Web Links  | Downloads  | Recommend Us


Ẹsin Islam الدين الإسلامي Religion of Islam Addinin Musulunci Agama Islam Religión del Islam 伊斯兰教 Dini ya Kiislamu Религия Ислам Religião do Islã イスラム教 Esin Islam 이슬람의 종교 Portal African Muslim Website - Arabic English African Islamic Website For World News, Fatwas, Audios, Videos, Muslim News, Articles, Radio, Audio, Video, Quran, Hadith, TV Channels, Fatwas, Muslim News, Newspapers, Magazines Headlines, Forums, College, Schools, Universities, Mosques, Quranic, Sunnah, Fiqh, Prayers, Salat, Ramadan, Vidoes, Books, Fasting, PDFs On EsinIslam.Com And IslamAfrica.Com