Gaining Perspective

I recently realized that I am part of a political and social world in which there are far too many things I know nothing about. Unfortunately, most Americans are not unlike me, in the sense that they are often ignorant or misinformed about everything from how their own government works to other cultures and religions. I decided to begin extensively researching in order to educate myself, and I am in the process of starting a blog that focuses on things that many people either don't understand or have misconceptions about. My hope is that it will educate people and help them to become more informed.

The recent rise of jihad combined with Western media means that the Islamic faith is something that many people (especially Americans) have made assumptions about to the point of inducing waves of Islamophobia. Obviously these views are misguided and wrong. While I can easily learn the basic tenets of Islam through research, I'd really like a Muslim's view of your faith...what you see as common misconceptions or just what your beliefs means to you personally. Please understand that I post this with the utmost respect and a desire to learn about a culture I am unfamiliar with through the eyes of the people living it.