Abstract

Section I: Growing up in the west, Muslim youth face many problems when exploring their faith. Some associate these problems with Islam, but in reality, the problems are a result of questionable cultural traditions, many of which contradict the Quran and Sunnah, Islam's holy texts. Thus, my project seeks to clarify the difference between cultural traditions, such as marrying from amongst one's relatives or tribe, and religious ones, like memorizing specific verses from the Quran. …

…cause for the confusion of traditions in the first place. The paper challenges its readers to pause before drawing conclusions without having facts to support their claim. I hope that the next time a person comes across a situation involving Middle Eastern versus Islamic tradition, that they will stop and think before mistakenly characterizing the situation as a religious tradition, when in reality, it is really an old cultural tradition, disguised as a religious one.