.Get Inspired.

I am Iliana. I am a Muslim.

Yes, i do get tired of people making bad assumptions on Islam by the informations they get from some unvalidated sources and exaggerated media from some part of the world. (answering the indirect Q inquired by some bloggers) And also, yes, i do got tired (and frustrated) of staying shut due to the inferiority i felt that i bear no great knowledge of my own religion. I take that as my own weakness. But no matter how packed the world may be, there's always space for improvement in our lives, isn't it?

While blogwalking, i get to know a site called InspiredbyMuhammad.com. This is the perfect opportunity to help expand the love without having to open our mouth in somehow, sometimes, such defensive manner. So now i would like to share it with you. Mind you, any cool facts and pics you get in this entry are most probably quoted from either Miss Ami Schaheera, credit to her, or the Inspired by Muhammad website. Do check them out :).


And now, LET'S GET TO KNOW US.

The Inspired by Muhammad campaign is designed to improve the public understanding of Islam and Muslims. It showcases Britons demonstrating how Muhammad inspires them to contribute to society, with a focus on women’s rights, social justice and the environment. The campaign coincides with a national poll conducted by YouGov which shows that 69% of people believe that Islam encourages the oppression of women, that just 6% of people associate Islam with justice and that a mere 6% believe that Islam promotes active measures to protect the environment. Overall, nearly half of all people in the UK believe that Islam does not have a positive impact on British society.

some of the ads ideas in Brit.

The Exploring Islam Foundation recently commissioned YouGov to survey public perceptions of Islam, Muslims and the Prophet Muhammad. Here are the results.

Knowledge of Islam

• 60% say they don’t know very much about Islam
• 17% say they know nothing at all
• 33% would like to know more about Islam

Sources of information on Islam

• 57% obtain most of their information about Islam from the TV news
• 41% obtain their information about Islam from newspapers
• Just 3% get most of their information on Islam from Muslim organisations
• 31% feel that information about Islam is not very accessible
• 5% say that information is not accessible at all

Perception of Islam

• 58% associate Islam with extremism
• 50% associate Islam with terrorism
• Just 13% associate Islam with peace
• 6% associate Islam with justice
• Only 16% think that Islam promotes fairness and equality
• Only 6% believe that Islam promotes active measures to protect the environment
• 41% disagree or strongly disagree that Muslims have a positive impact on British society
• 69% believe that Islam encourages the repression of women

How one man continue to inspire billions of lives fourteen centuries after he lived:

Social justice was a term coined in the 1840s and is a guiding principle for all societies today just as it was fourteen centuries ago in the Arabian desert.

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The right to vote, to inheritance, education, a role in politics and civic society were controversial and groundbreaking ideas that Muhammad promoted for women in a seventh century society that regarded them as mere possessions.

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The environment has been the hot topic of the last few decades, yet green concerns were nothing new in seventh century Arabia, particularly not to a man dubbed an environmentalist of his time.

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“Even a smile is charity” said Muhammad who encouraged helping others no matter how small or great the deed.

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“Seek knowledge – even if it takes you to China” was the instruction of Muhammad to his companions in seventh century Arabia.EDIT: Sister Hana Fedora told me that Prophet Muhammad s.a.w never said seek education till China nor till death, it's a doubtful hadith, no strong chain to support this. Whatever it is, Allah knows best.. and education we must seek, as even the first word of Quran is Iqra' which means 'read'.

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“For every disease there is a cure” forms the ethos driving medical researchers today to treat debilitating conditions like cancer.

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While Britain’s oldest animal shelter system was formed in nineteenth century Britain, Islamic civilisation was committed to animal welfare centuries earlier owing to the instructions of Prophet Muhammad.

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The 1948 UN charter on human rights proclaims “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights”, words that echo Muhammad’s practices over fourteen centuries ago.

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The core Islamic principle is that of equality between all of humankind.

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What Can You Do?

• You can link http://www.blogger.com/www.inspiredbymuhammad.com in your blog and share it in your Facebook with that thousands friends of yours! ;)
• You can spread around the pictures and the data above.
• You can go here, save some banners in your computer, display them in your blog or better, print them out as posters for your class, school, college, uni, workplace – any location where heaps of people could have a look at it!
• You can read the content of the website and give the right information to your Non-Muslim friends. Or your unconvinced Muslim friends, for that matter.
• Last but not least, understand the principles ourselves, and practice it. It's the least we could do.

Remember that there are so many false information out there and here on the internet, so beware of what you read, hear and watch. Remember that Holy Quran is our only true, crystal-clear guidance, so be careful of inaccurate versions. Remember that if there’s anything wrong (I think terrorism and misuse of polygamy would be some of the most common examples), it’s the followers (who misunderstand things or were misinformed), not our religion Islam and definitely not our Prophet Muhammad.

Renung-renungkan, dan selamat beramal! ;)