Its no secret that ISIS has been wreaking havoc in the Middle East and slaughtering innocent people in the name of Allah. It is also no secret that on September 11, 2001, Muslim terrorists attacked the United States. These radicals have given Muslims all over the world a bad name, especially in America.

Muslims in America are commonly associated with these terrorist groups and are discriminated against as a result.

Djla Alkubechy (11), a Shiite Muslim student at White Station, was asked by a stranger if Osama Bin Laden was her uncle. Besides being assaulted by ignorant questions, Alkubechy cannot even walk through an airport in peace.

“You can watch the glare of people as you go through the metal detector,” Alkubechy said.

This is not acceptable, especially in a country that promotes religious freedom. The treatment and discrimination of Muslims is based upon false media portrayal and ignorance.

White Station students are not excluded from these distorted views of Muslims. In a poll conducted at White Station the majority of students said that they thought of Islam as a peaceful religion. Yet, fewer said that they would get on a plane with praying Muslims. This is hypocrisy and discrimination at its best, whether we want to admit it or not.

“They’re just assuming based on a stereotype without knowing about the religion,” Sufa Alsibahy (11) said.

Islam is a peaceful, monotheistic religion similar to Christianity and Judaism. Muslims read and follow the Quran, the final revelation, and believe that Muhammad is the final prophet of Allah. They also believe in free will. Because of this free will, there is Jihad, a principle that means to struggle. There are two Jihads, the largest being the individual moral struggle and the smallest being the holy war.

Most radicals and extremists stem their ideas from this holy war. They interpret it as a command to kill those who oppose Islam rather than a moral obligation to defend Islam and God in times of war.

Terrorist groups such as ISIS kill under the assumption that they are acting under the smallest Jihad. However, the majority of Muslims do not interpret the Quran this way and are disappointed in their violent brothers and sisters.

“It angers me and saddens me at the same time. They [radical Muslims] have ruined the name,” Alkubechy said.

Do not allow extremists who misinterpret the Quran to distort your view of an entire religion and its people.