Attacks on Islam have been escalating over the last few years. It's become a fashionable thing to do, and the fact that these "informed opinions" stem from a complete ignorance of the true teachings of Islam and the Quran isn't making it any better. I've had it with these attacks, and as a Muslim, I feel compelled to set the record straight.

In last Tuesday's paper, Kyle Szarzynski wrote in his article ("Islam no defense for extremist action," Nov. 20) about the Muslim response to the insulting cartoons published by Jyllands-Posten and subsequent republishing by many other newspapers including The Badger Herald. He described the cartoons as merely "unflattering," expressed his inability to understand the Muslim response and why "leftists" were making up excuses for them.

First of all, I deeply regret the actions of some of my fellow Muslims, which lead to the deaths of more than 100 people, and for that I make no excuses. What I'm not sorry for is the protests and the economic and political boycotts of Denmark and other Scandinavian countries that occurred after the publishing of those cartoons. There was nothing "courageous" about publishing those cartoons, and publishing them simply because they were newsworthy was poor justification for bad judgment.

It is one thing to criticize a religion, but it's another thing to deliberately insult its followers. Not only were the cartoons a depiction of the prophet — which approaches an idolatry Muslims have fought since the dawn of Islam — but it also portrays the prophet Muhammad as a terrorist. That is why most of the 1.2 billion Muslims of the world, including myself, were outraged by the cartoons. It is certainly our right to protest in every peaceful way possible. Sadly, those in the West smart enough to distinguish between the violent minutia and the outraged but peaceful majority were treated by most observers as sellouts to the Muslim religious right.

However, Western misconceptions about Islam and Muslims are not limited to this issue, but extend to broader areas of beliefs, practices and representation. They are also often the result of the intentional cherry-picking of facts and a copy-and-paste method of understanding Islamic scripture.

Mr. Szarzynski and others claim Islam sanctions oppression of women and non-Muslims, and they claim the sanction for such acts comes straight from the Holy Quran. I say nonsense. I'm sick of these critics, who know next to nothing about the Quran, making such statements without presenting their proof. I'm also sick of how the rest of us seem to take those statements as fact and leave them unquestioned. Islamic scholars spend their lives poring over scripture in an attempt to fully interpret its meanings, and a person who hasn't read the Quran over once suddenly claims to have sufficient knowledge of it.

It is true that under the current governments of most countries with a Muslim majority, some of the aforementioned oppressions exist. The real question here is whether or not those governments represent Islam. I say no. Most governments in the Middle East are oppressive dictatorships that hold unquestionable power over their people, persecuting anyone who opposes them, especially Islamic Reformists. From Egypt to Algeria to Libya, the list of brutal U.S.-backed dictatorships in the Middle East is too long to mention here.

But if you want to see a model of a modern Islamic government, there is no better example than Malaysia. Malaysia is one of the richest Muslim countries in the world and has a booming economy. Women and minorities in Malaysia have fully institutionalized rights such as suffrage, even though the Malaysian people are mainly conservative Muslims. Malaysians also have a prominent role in the Muslim World Conference, where they have stood for Muslim causes around the world. Truly, the Malaysian experience is a role model for all Islamic countries.

Also, those who claim Islam oppresses women ignore the tremendous privileges a woman enjoys in Islam. Women in Islam have no obligation to work, as their closest male relative or husband has the obligation of fully providing for them, and even if a Muslim woman decides to work, all the money she makes is solely hers. Islam gives mothers an honored position and values their sacrifices tremendously. Even the Hijab (the headscarf), looked upon as a symbol of oppression in the West, is actually, as described to me by a Muslim woman, a form of liberation from the burden of obsessing over external appearance and personal aesthetics. It is a symbol of piety and modesty that has its roots in the Bible (1 Corinthians 11:6).

Mr. Szarzynski also claims there is no such thing as "anti-Islamic racism" and since Islam is not a race, its critics should not be called racists. I agree with only half of his statement. Islam is susceptible to criticism, and its critics shouldn't be called racists. However, since most Muslims in this country are of Arabic or South Asian descent, race is still an issue. Instead of trying to play with words and definitions, we should try to find ways to eliminate racism.

Personally, I believe religion is subject to criticism and only through the process of critical thinking can we reach the truth. However, such criticism should be respectful and objective while avoiding hateful sentiments and patronizing spirits. We should strive to understand the other point of view instead of deeming it evil and unworthy of contemplation.

Ammar Al Marzouqi ([email protected]) is freshman majoring in computer engineering.