Islam
questions answered at CSULB
By Alexis Kindig
On-line Forty-Niner
A
group of Cal State Long Beach students gathered
in the University Student Union to have
their questions about Islamic faith and
life answered by an expert Thursday.
Yasser Fazegah described his job of being
an imam was much like that of a Christian
minister or Jewish rabbi. He said he feels
it is unfortunate that America has learned
about Islam the way it has, through news
about terrorist attacks and the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict.
Fazegah said that the thing he most wanted
CSULB students to know about Islam is that
it promotes peace, integrity and social
justice. He said that the elimination of
social ills is very important to Islam,
and that the name Islam itself means “peace”
or “submission.”
“It is peace in the sense of peace with
all creation, and
submission to the will of God,” Fazegah
said.
Fazegah, a native of East Africa, also emphasized
that Islam is the world’s fastest growing
religion.
He said it has greatly impacted the world
for the better and “should not be judged
for the actions of a few.”
He mentioned that 75 percent of all converts
to Islam in the United States are college
graduates, and that one of America’s most
famous personalities, Muhammad Ali, is Muslim.
Islam is the name of the religion itself,
while followers are called Muslims.
Fazegah also detailed Islamic family life.
He said that marriage and family are very
important in Islam, and most Muslims marry
relatively early, usually in their early
20s.
Fazegah said that Muslims are strongly encouraged
to have many children, and that several
generations of extended family often live
together in Islamic households.
According to Fazegah, interfaith marriages
are not encouraged because of the marital
problems they can cause. However, Fazegah
said that a Muslim man can marry a woman
who is Jewish or Christian — what Muslims
call “people of the Book,” since they share
many of the same scriptures.
Mulsim women, however, are only allowed
to marry a man who is also Muslim, according
to Fazegah.
Fazegah also discussed the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict from the Palestinian point of view,
saying that he feels the American media
are heavily biased toward Israel. Fazigah
said that instead of condemning Palestinian
suicide bombers outright, people ought to
look at their motives.
Fazegah said that Palestinian bombers do
what they do because they feel it is the
only means they have to gain freedom for
their people.
Kevin Poleyumptewa, who attended the event,
said that he learned a lot from Fazegah.
He said he felt that his knowledge about
Islam before the talk was superficial, but
walked away with a deeper understanding
of the religion. He said he attended the
talk because he is interested in different
cultures.
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