Let me, introduce myself.
My name is Islam.
The root word of peace–Salam,
Or even Salema– meaning submission.
Which to a Muslim is like his tuition.
It’s his ticket in,
But before I begin,
Let me greet you, like I’m supposed to do,
SoAssalamuAlaikum, may peace be upon you!
You know? It’s kinda’ funny…
I’m accused of oppressing, when really I’m oppressed.
I’ve become on the list of things to detest.
I’m screamed in rage, in almost every protest,
& I’ve become the “red scare“, a “threat to the west“.
You see?
If you look at me and all my obligations,
You’ll see why I have such a great population,
It’s cause there’s the motivation,
And that sense of inspiration,
That keeps “Muslim” as their occupation.
To me, being a good Muslim means being a good person.
’cause I’ll never ask you to kill or to slay,
Or to lie at least five times a day.
I’ll never ask yousteal or to hate,
Or to swear or discriminate.
I actually tell you to smile to everyone you see,
Cause a smile’s the best form of charity.
I tell you to not smoke and not to drink,
To stay clean and take showers so you simply don’t stink.
I tell you to care for animals and treat them with care,
So yes, I’m against animal testing and abuse in case you weren’t aware.
I tell you to treat those who treat you bitter…better.
I tell you not to be mad at someone for more than 3 days,
I tell you to respect women and lower your gaze.
I tell you that paradise lies under the feet of your mother,
I tell you to passionately love your significant other.
I tell you to never mistreat your wife!
I mean…if I tell you to care for animals, then what about the love of your life?
I tell you to be precious, and save yourself for the “one”.
So you don’t keep giving yourself away…till you’re literally done.
I tell you to be moderate and that balance is key,
Just in the middle is the perfect place to be.
I tell you to excel in all that you do,
From that essay to that slam-dunk, too!
I tell you to clear your ignorance and to never judge,
To love for your bro what you love for yourself; and to never hold a grudge.
I tell you how to be a good person. A person of peace and a person of love.
And
They say I’m a terrorist,
An extremist.
And you know what?I am.
I am a terrorist; I terrorize terror,
I kill injustice to make this world fairer.
I am an extremist; I am extremely kind.
So beware of my extreme benevolence, to all of mankind.
Yes, there are those who kill and bomb in my name,
But if I don’t approve, then why am I to be blamed?
In every religion, you’ll find those who abuse it,
Thinking they have a permit,
To do wrong.
A religion maybe perfect, but the followers may not be.
So when mine commit mistakes, don’t blame it on me.
I give what I got, and what I got is good.
So if they do otherwise…they misunderstood.
And I’m not here to preach, I’m only here to teach.
I’m a professor in politics, economy and sociology.
In manners and etiquette, I got my Ph.D.
To all my teachings, I have two sources.
The book of God, and the words of the prophet are my resources.
I teach for free and to whoever desires to learn,
It’s all for the sake of Allah, I ask for nothing in return.
And Listen,
I’m not here to convert, but just to clear misconceptions.
With the way I’m viewed and my common perception.
Because yes, it hurts when I’m literally abused,
By some, who do it for pleasure, just to be amused.
& By some, who just follow the “trend” cause they’re clearly confused.
In a nutshell, my name is Islam,
And everything I do, goes back to Salam… peace.
and so as your prof, I need to make sure you pass this test called life.
By Amal Ahmed Albaz reporter at the Toronto Star.
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