AFTER 9/11, lots of things were said about Islam, some of them contradictory, and many of them by people with believable credentials. My spouse and I didn't know what to think, so we started looking into it. We read lots of materials — pro-Islam books, anti-Islam books, and classic Islamic doctrines, like the Quran. We've been on an thirteen-year learning binge.We have become disgusted by people whose criticisms of Islam are motivated by bigotry and racism. And we've also become frustrated by people who know nothing about Islam but are so vehemently against the racist bigots that they say and believe foolish things about Islam — things that anyone with even a smattering of knowledge would know is not true.
Islam is an active and vital religion, and it is growing. It is having an increasingly powerful influence on world affairs. And most people in the free world do not even know the most basic facts about it, and yet make the assumption that Islam must be similar to other religions they are familiar with. This widespread assumption could have unexpected consequences because Islam is, in fact, different than all other religions in many important ways.
My spouse and I are not Christians or Buddhists or Jews or Hindus. We are not the members of any religion. I thought this was important to point out. We don't have a religious ax to grind.
The purpose of this site is to begin the education process for non-Muslims who don't know much about Islam but are curious about it. Once your interest has been piqued, your next step is to read the Quran yourself. Fortunately, reading the Quran has been made relatively easy. Learn more about that here: An Easier Way to Read the Quran.
Below is a table of contents for this site. You will find the same table of contents in the upper right sidebar of every page. The pages can be read in any order. Here they are:
Prevent Bigotry and Racism
What Makes Islam So Successful?
An Eight Minute Video About Islam
Islam and Women's Rights
Do You Know Much About Islam?
A Muslim Woman Speaks About Islam
Gentle Jihad
An Easier Way to Read the Quran
Critique of Pure Islam
Criticism of Islam Versus Bigotry
Why Know About Islam?
Do Islamic Texts Encourage Violence?
What is Taqiyya?
Perfectly Legal Jihad
The Allegory of Pleasantville
A Conversation About Islam