MISCONCEPTION #4: Islam was spread by the sword and intolerant of other faiths.

Many social studies textbooks for students show the image of an Arab horseman carrying a sword in one hand and the Quran in the other conquering and forcibly converting. This, though, is not a correct portrayal of history. Islam has always given respect and freedom of religion to all faiths. The Quran says: 

"God forbids you not, with regards to those who fight you not for [your] faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them; for God loveth those who are just. 60:8)

Freedom of religion is laid down in the Quran itself: "There is no compulsion (or coercion) in the religion (Islam). The right direction is distinctly clear from error". (2:256) Christian missionary, T.W. Arnold had this opinion on his study of the question of the spread of Islam: ".. of any organized attempt to force the acceptance of Islam on the non-Muslim population, or of any systematic persecution intended to stamp out the Christian religion,we hear nothing. Had the caliphs chosen to adopt either course of action, they might have swept away Christianity as easily as Ferdinand and Isabella drove Islam out of Spain, or Louis XIV made Protestanism ..." 

It is a function of Islamic law to protect the privileged status of minorities, and this is why non-Muslim places of worship have flourished all over the Islamic world. History provides many examples of Muslim tolerance towards other faiths: when the caliph Umar (RA) entered Jerusalem in the year 634, Islam granted freedom of worship to all religious communities in the city. Proclaiming to the inhabitants that their lives, and property were safe, and that their places of worship would never be taken from them, he asked the Christian patriarch Sophronius (the patriarch of Jerusalem from 634-638) to accompany him on a visit to all the holy places. Islamic law also permits non-Muslim minorities to set up their own courts, which implement family laws drawn up by the minorities themselves. The life and property of all citizens in an Islamic state are considered sacred whether the person is Muslim or not. Racism is not a part of Islam, the Quran speaks only of human equality and how all peoples are equal in the sight of God. 

"O mankind! We created you from a single soul, male and female, and made you intonations and tribes, so that you may come to know one another. Truly, the most honored of you in God's sight is the greatest of you in piety. God is All-Knowing, All- Aware. (49:13)

MISCONCEPTION #3: Muslims worship a different God.

Allah is simply the Arabic word for God. Allah for Muslims is the greatest and most inclusive of the Names of God (there are 99), it is an Arabic word of rich meaning, denoting the one and only God and ascribing no partners to Him. It is exactly the same word which the Jews, in Hebrew, use for God, the word which Jesus Christ used in Aramaic when he prayed to God. God has an identical name in Judaism,Christianity, and Islam; Allah is the same God worshiped by Muslims,Christians and Jews. Muslims believe that Allah's sovereignty is to be acknowledged in worship and in the pledge to obey His teaching and commandments, conveyed through His messengers and prophets who were sent at various times and in many places throughout history.However, it should be recognised that God in Islam is One and Only. He, the Exalted, does not get tired, does not have a son, for example, Jesus or have associates, nor does He have human-like attributions as found in other faiths.

MISCONCEPTION #2: Islam oppresses women.

The image of the typical Muslim woman wearing the veil and forced to stay home and forbidden to drive is all too common in most peoples thoughts. Although some Muslim countries may have laws that oppress women, this should not be seen as coming from Islam. Many of these countries do not rule by any kind of Shari'ah (Islamic law) and introduce their own cultural standpoints on the issue of gender equity.Islam on the other hand gives men and women different roles and equity between the two is laid down in the Quran and the example of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Islam sees a woman, whether single or married, as an individual in her own right, with the right to own and dispose of her property and earnings. A marriage gift is given by the groom to the bride for her own personal use, and she keeps her own family name rather than taking her husband's. Both men and women are expected to dress in a way that is modest and dignified. The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) said: "The most perfect in faith among believers is he who is best in manner and kindest to his wife." Violence of any kind towards women and forcing them against their will for anything is not allowed. A Muslim marriage is a simple, legal agreement in which either partner is free to include conditions. Marriage customs thus vary widely from country to country. Divorce is not common, although it is acceptable as a last resort. According to Islam, a Muslim girl cannot be forced to marry against her will: her parents simply suggest young men they think may be suitable, yet it happens today due to culture not religion. 

MISCONCEPTION #1: Muslims are violent, terrorists and extremists.

This is the biggest misconception in Islam, no doubt resulting from the constant stereotyping and bashing the media gives Islam. When a gunman attacks a mosque in the name of Judaism, a Catholic IRA guerrilla sets off a bomb in an urban area, or Serbian Orthodox militiamen rape and kill innocent Muslim civilians, these acts are not used to stereotype an entire faith. Never are these acts attributed to the religion of the perpetrators. Yet how many times have we heard the words 'Islamic, Muslim fundamentalist. etc.' linked with violence. 

Politics in so called "Muslim countries" may or may not have any Islamic basis. Often dictators and politicians will use the name of Islam for their own purposes. One should remember to go to the source of Islam and separate what the true religion of Islam says from what is portrayed in the media. Islam literally means 'submission to God'and is derived from a root word meaning 'peace'. 

Islam may seem exotic or even extreme in the modern world. Perhaps this is because religion doesn't dominate everyday life in the West,whereas Islam is considered a 'way of life' for Muslims and they make no division between secular and sacred in their lives. Like Christianity, Islam permits fighting in self-defense, in defense of religion, or on the part of those who have been expelled forcibly from their homes. It lays down strict rules of combat which include prohibitions against harming civilians and against destroying crops,trees and livestock. 

NOWHERE DOES ISLAM CONDONE THE KILLING OF INNOCENTS.. The Quran says: 

"Fight in the cause of God against those who fight you, but do not transgress limits. God does not love transgressors." (Quran 2:190)

"If they seek peace, then seek you peace. And trust in God for He is the One that heareth and knoweth all things." (Quran 8:61)War,therefore, is the last resort, and is subject to the rigorous conditions laid down by the sacred law. The term 'jihad' literally means 'struggle'. Muslims believe that there are two kinds of jihad. The other 'jihad' is the inner struggle of the soul which everyone wages against selfish and egotistical desires for the sake of attaining inner peace. 

Can you really put a number on Immigration?

Iain Duncan Smith has said Britain faces a "crisis" of increased immigration from Romania and Bulgaria, as all three major parties consider their response to the UKIP Eastleigh surge.

Called to the Commons to explain how the government plans to deal with new immigrants from within the European Union once some restrictions are lifted next year, the work and pensions secretary said he was working to "tighten up" what benefits were payable to new arrivals.

"There is somewhat of a crisis over this," he said. "Some people want to come here solely to claim benefits."

Duncan Smith told MPs that the this approach was "very damaging to the concept of an EU that works for all its members".

The biggest question that many MPs are asking and some are even trying to audaciously answer is how many Romanians will come to this country next year?

It really depends on who you ask this question. Politicians from a party known for its xenophobia  insist that 29 million Romanians and Bulgarians will invade British shores. Generally I will laugh at these stupid claims, as this figure represents the entire population of both countries combined (stupid UKIP).

Another survey confirmed that 0.56% of Romanians are interested to find jobs in Britain. In both evaluations the total number is 15-20,000 people. Finally, a report commissioned by the UK Government in 2010 estimates that 8,000 Romanians will come to Britain in 2014. From 8,000 to 385,000 it is a huge field open to speculations exploited by tabloid media and UKIP.

14 million EU citizens live today in another EU country. A poll surfaced that Britons massively overestimate the number of foreigners in the country - guessing on average that 31% of the population were immigrants, when the actual figure is 12%, (a bit like the benefits spending) . But no one in the EU migrates more than British people do. According to a 2011 World Bank report, 4.7 million British people live outside their own country, and almost half of them have settled elsewhere in the EU. There are thousands of British people who work in Romania. Surely, if we claim to look for work in another country, they should be able to do the same in ours? That is only fair.

So, how many Romanians will come to Britain in 2014? There will probably be a lot fewer than in the previous years.

Are you Heating or Eating?

Sir John Major challenged ministers to exercise a windfall tax this winter on energy companies’ profits to protect the neediest in society. He thought the Government would have to step in to choose between heating their homes or putting food into theirs and their families mouths. He said that the Government needs to reconnect with the North of England, who have been pushed out to the political periphery, as well as the people living on council estates, who have been demonized by politicians and the media that they feel their opinion counts for nothing. 

I find it extremely ironic and audacious that David Cameron has the cheek to tell people just to "put on an extra jumper", when he is trying to give MPs a 11% pay rise. When has he had to worry about choosing between eating or heating? His father was a big stockbroker in London and his grandfather was Sir William Mount, 2nd Baronet. He has no idea. 

I completely agree with John Major when he said “It is not acceptable to me, it ought not to be acceptable to anyone, that many people are going to have to choose between keeping warm and eating.” 

This isn't an exaggeration; people will DIE if they have to choose between heating or eating. 24,000 people died last year due to the cold in their homes. The shocking toll will increase fears that the number will be even higher this year because of further increases in energy bills and warnings of a particularly cold winter.

The only problem I have with John Major's outburst is that he was once Prime Minister, why didn't he do anything? He talked about Lloyd George ideal about making "homes fit for heroes". I'm pretty sure Lloyd George was a bit before his time, it is very easy for him to say it now when he doesn't have the responsibility. 

 To be brutally honest, many MP are completely out of touch with people outside their Eton-Oxford lifestyle, they just do not understand the challenges that others face due to the cold winter and the energy crises. 

Ed vs Paul Dacre

I do not really like many politicians and Ed Miliband is no exception, but what the Daily Mail did was completely unjustifiable and inexcusable.

The Daily Mail described the late Marxist scientist, Ralph Miliband, as "The Man Who Hated Britain", in the Saturday pages of the Mail itself. The Labour leader had a column in the Mail in which he puts foward a robust defence of his dad, the renowned Marxist political scientist who passed away in 1994, and accuses the paper of a "character assassination".

The first two paragraphs are worth reading in full:

"It was June 1944 and the Allies were landing in Normandy. A 20-year old man, who had arrived in Britain as a refugee just four years earlier, was part of that fight. He was my father. Fighting the Nazis and fighting for his adopted country.
On Saturday, the Daily Mail chose to publish an article about him under the banner headline 'The Man Who Hated Britain.'

"It’s part of our job description as politicians to be criticised and attacked by newspapers, including the Daily Mail. It comes with the territory. The British people have great wisdom to sort the fair from the unfair. And I have other ways of answering back. But my Dad is a different matter."

And his last paragraph:

"There was a time when politicians stayed silent if this kind of thing happened, in the hope that it wouldn’t happen again. And fear that if they spoke out, it would make things worse. I will not do that. The stakes are too high for our country for politics to be conducted in this way. We owe it to Britain to have a debate which reflects the values of how we want the country run."

Despite all of this, the Daily Mail refuses to back down, which is extremely ironic, in my view because was it not this newspaper that described the public reaction of |Margret Thatcher death as a total "lack of respect for the dead" and described it as "a disturbing new low in British life", a bit hypocritical, don't you think?

After all of this, the Daily Mail stand by "every word" in their article. I'm quite sure Paul Dacre will regret his decision of digging a bit too deep into this...