By: Cazzy Lewchuk, Staff Writer
Over two billion people follow Islam across the world. People who follow Islam are also known as Muslims and at least 50 countries are majority Muslim. With such a big number of followers, it’s important to understand that those who practice Islam come from all backgrounds and viewpoints. Muslims don’t follow Islam in the same way.
Two major branches of Islamic thought exist: Sunni and Shi’a. While similar, the two historically diverged on who should be the Prophet Muhammad’s chosen successor. They also have some differences on practices and interpretation of religious texts. Most Muslims are Sunni. However, there are several other belief variants within and outside these categories.
Lots of people, myself included, are “culturally Christian.” I don’t consider myself religious. But I celebrate Christmas and attend events like weddings or funeral ceremonies in churches. Even people who identify as Christians may only go to services on holidays or not subscribe to some aspects of Christianity. The same applies to Muslims.
Humanity has worldwide issues with democracy, authoritarianism, and human rights. Muslim-majority countries are no exception. Levels of personal freedom vary among Muslim-majority countries. But people are not their governments. Like with other faiths, different Muslims hold different political positions.
The term “Muslim” is often conflated with “Arab,” which the Philosophy Institute describes as “an ethnic and linguistic category, not a religious one.” Though Islam is the primary religion practiced among Arabs, there are also “prominent Jewish, Christian, and Baháʼí communities, not to mention Zoroastrianism and many others.” Moreover, Islam is not the sole religion of West Asia. And interestingly enough, the largest Muslim population lives in South Asia.
Many past and current dress code laws result from rising authoritarian governments with specific interpretations of Islam. But Muslims lived in these areas long before those developments.
Many people assume all Muslim women are always required to wear the head covering known as a hijab. For people who wear coverings and the areas that enforce them, specifics vary by region, age, and values. Many past and current dress code laws result from rising authoritarian governments with specific interpretations of Islam. But Muslims lived in these areas long before those developments.
Additionally, a lot of Muslim women across the world wear the hijab as a form of religious self-expression and bodily agency. Like other religious texts, the Qu’ran contains verses that are used to control women’s bodies by society. This doesn’t mean the Qu’ran is inherently oppressive.
Thinking of Muslims as a homogenous group leaves out the worldwide diversity, complexity, and fullness of people who practice Islam. The prejudice that all Muslims are the same leads to division, constitutes Islamophobia, and creates a worse society for us all.
