Illustration by Josh Hagler

Fear. Horror. Panic. Terror. These are, unfortunately, the emotions that most Americans feel when they hear of Islamic fundamentalism.

The fear is understandable to me, considering all the misinformation that has been released concerning Islamic fundamentalism. Thus it becomes necessary for us to understand exactly what Islamic fundamentalism is.

The term "fundamentalist" was first derived from a 1909 publication "The Fundamentals: A Testimony to the Truth," which proposed five Christian beliefs required for those opposed to the Modernist movement.

This term merely meant a person who believed in the fundamentals of his or her religion. Well, wait a minute. I guess I would be a fundamentalist by that definition - the true definition. I believe in the fundamentals of Islam so I am a fundamentalist, right?

Actually, it depends on which definition you choose to believe. Do you think the true definition of fundamentalist is correct, or do you believe the fabricated definition created by the media and defined as a crazy anti-American Muslim terrorist?

Let's pretend for a moment that the same wrong definition can be applied to Christian fanatics. Some Christians believe that the Bible, which forbids abortion, gives them the right to kill doctors and bomb abortion clinics. Then does that give us the right to assume that Christianity has "roots that are not peaceful and are undoubtedly dangerous to the safety of our country," as stated by my fellow Wildcat columnist Shane Dale in his attack on Islam?

I want to apologize first to Christians who are reading this article (please don't get the wrong idea). I was only showing an example of dogmatic rhetoric. I have nothing against any Christian ideal, but this kind of ignorance and falsification of belief is what leads to fanaticism - not fundamentalism.

This misrepresentation of the word can create confusion between those who develop their opinions before researching an idea and those who make an opinion after they know the facts.

In this discussion between, hopefully, open-minded and educated individuals, we can conclude that the prejudice that exists because of ignorance may not be forgivable, but it is definitely understandable.

This kind of ignorance can only be combated if people get correct information from their sources of news and information. When a person is published, it is important for them to take responsibility for their words. I think we can all agree on that.

The misrepresentation that Islam - a religion that claims a growing 9 million Americans as followers - has suffered numerous times since Sept. 11 suggests a lack of journalistic integrity. And regardless of who wrote it, it is obscene.

Over the past few days, I have received e-mails and requests from my fellow Muslims asking me to clear up some of the confusion that has been created by those in the national and local media who choose to misrepresent Islam.

Wrong information is something that confuses the masses and can create further ignorance. Therefore, I want to take this opportunity that I am so lucky to have and clear this up a bit.

The Holy Quran does not justify the maltreatment of women and the idea of the independent, liberated woman is not forbidden. Women are respected through and through and the role of a mother, a woman, is the highest to any man.

Islam was the first religion to give women the right to own and inherit property. The Prophet's wife was a merchant in seventh-century Mecca and he met her as one of her employees. If this does not prove that liberated women are respected in Islam, I don't know what does.

And if one would like to focus the argument on the idea of women in Christianity you would find again that every religion is vulnerable to misrepresentation. In the Apocrypha, a collection of disputed writings that is largely accepted by the Roman Catholic Church, we find the following quote:

"No wickedness comes anywhere near the wickedness of a woman ... Sin began with a woman and thanks to her we all must die" (Ecclesiasticus 25:19, 24).

Again, I am not judging Christianity or saying that it is wrong. But if I were to present this quote to someone who doesn't know about the history of Christianity, it is easy to see where one might conclude Christianity as a religion that has no place for women.

But one merely has to look at the place that Christians hold for the Virgin Mary and we can plainly see that a quote from any book can be taken out of context. And this is only accomplished through education.

I encourage you to research more about any commentary or opinion you hear before taking it for truth. Demand that writers present you with citations, because in this day and age, it is dangerous to take anything as truth before questioning its validity.