What Carson, Trump and others get wrong about Islam and Sharia

Found this interesting article by Yasmina Blackburn about the real truths that Carson and his ilk need to educate themselves on about Islam and Sharia.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/yasmina-blackburn/he-may-be-a-brain-surgeon_b_8227662.html

Ben Carson needs to stick with his day job. Medical doctors are a gift to humanity; and, I thank him for his service. I thank all doctors for their service which includes the 20,000 physicians that happen to be Muslim. That's 10 percent of all U.S. physicians. I thank the curator of modern surgery, a 10th century Muslim physician named Abu al-Qasim al-Zahrawi.

Both my doctor and my children's doctor are Muslim. That's pretty much by happenstance. Those Muslim doctors serving humanity are all over the place -- you trip over them at the hospital. It's no wonder too since us Muslims have a spiritual drive to serve humanity since it's the cornerstone of our faith.

I don't thank Dr. Carson, however, for his warped analysis of Islam, Muslims and "sharia." I don't thank him for his unconstitutional comments that a Muslim should not be President. Are you kidding me? I am born in the United States. I'm Muslim. I have the right to run for President. (Move over Kanye!) My American Muslim children have the right to run for President someday. Give me a break.

Putting aside Carson's blatant disregard for America's tenets of religious freedom and the ideal that no religious test shall be placed upon a presidential candidate, let's talk about some of the stuff that came out of his mouth recently about Islam and Muslims.

With all due respect, it's sort of a scary feeling to hear Islamophobic drivel coming from the mouth of a brain surgeon. I mean ... he performs operations on the human brain. That takes some serious knowledge, skill, practice and acumen. He definitely has the calming persona you might want your brain surgeon to have. But how can someone that operates on the human brain say things that sound, well ... so stupid?

His problem with Muslims being president involve the following:

Sharia: I hear this word spoken out of the mouths of non-Muslims WAY more than I ever hear it coming from the mouths of actual Muslims. Do you want to know why? Because it's become a word (much like the word "jihad," which means inner struggle) that has taken on an islamophobic life of its own. It's a word that is often exploited to invoke fear and divisiveness. Sharia means "law." There is Christian sharia, Jewish sharia, Islamic sharia. Sharia under Islam protects an individual's life, family and religious freedom. Newsflash: Sharia protects the religious freedom of all individuals -- even non-Muslims. I know that's not what your favorite, islamophobic newscaster or brain surgeon tells you -- but this actual practicing Muslim is telling you this right here with my name stamped to it. (And don't worry; I will not be sharing my thoughts on brain surgery. I don't know jack about that subject matter!)

Islam is clear on its tenets of justice for all, living without hypocrisy and following the law of the land in which you live. It is un-Islamic to break the law of the country in which you live. If there is a law that goes against Islam, for example- alcohol being legal, you can abstain from alcohol on your own free will and not interfere with the alcohol industry, people that drink alcohol in society etc. Let's take a look at the alcohol protests and marches in front of bars and lobbying against the alcohol industry that American Muslims have been doing in order to preserve sharia. Oh wait! Those things never happened! It would be un-Islamic.

I'll be darned.

 

Thank you; this was very informative, constructive, helpful.

Can I ask you: Which group is doing more to perpetuate misconceptions about Islam: (1) Carson/Trump/etc. or (2) fellow Muslims?

Which may be more effective: (1) Correcting misconceptions about the true meaning of Islam, Sharia, and Jihad held by Carson/Trump/etc. or (2) Correcting misconceptions about the true meaning of Islam, Sharia, and Jihad held by terrorists?

It is more important that your message and insight into the true nature of Sharia and Islam is heard and understood by: (1) Muslims persuaded to join Isis, or (2) ignorant Republican opportunists?

I'm asking practical questions, not political statements. Touch the hearts of those creating the confusion.

I can appreciate that it's a lot less risky to to take a stand against an irrelevant Republican primary candidate doctor than powerful forces within your faith. But unfortunately, from a practical standpoint, as long as planes are ramming into buildings in the name of Islam, your admonishments to the victims will fall on deaf ears.

 

TRUTH SPEAK ON SISTER.