1.6 billion. 22% of the world population races daily persecution. Why? Because a small group of zealots have convinced the rest of us that all Muslims are terrorists.

Al-Qaeda ruined the perception of Muslims after September 11. Recently, ISIS has continued to shatter the image of Islam. Although the attack in Paris killed over 130, ISIS has killed 699 people Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and other Middle Eastern countries in 2015.

Because of these terrorist attacks, the civilians and government officials labeled Muslims as terrorists. As of November 18, governors from 27 states refuse to accept Syrian refugees, according to vox.com. The refusal stems from gross assumptions and generalizations made by ignorant people.

These governors believe that the Syrian refugees, who practice Islam, will bring with them terror and violence. The politicians, like many people all over the world, believe that Islam is a religion based on violence and the need to kill “infidels” who do not believe.

However, the belief that Islam is a violent religion is not only wrong, it perpetuates hatred. 

Because of the terrorist attacks executed by radical Muslims, people incorrectly assume that the Quran, the Islamic holy book, promotes violence. Outsiders do not understand the radicals who commit all of the horrendous attacks twist the words of this holy book.

“Islam doesn’t promote violence or peace. Islam is just a religion, and like every other religion in the world, it depends on what you bring to it,” said Reza Aslan, Scholar of Religions and professor at the University of California Riverside, in interview with CNN. “If you’re a violent person, your Islam, your Judaism, your Christianity, your Hinduism is going to be violent.”

ISIS’s, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, main goal is to eradicate Western influence. They hope to create a world in which everyone worships Allah, Islam’s God. To achieve their goal, they attack and kill “infidels.”

They wish to make the Islamic States of make Syria and Iraq, their definition of Islam, taking the lives of other Muslims who do not believe as they do.  ISIS has kidnapped, tortured, and killed more Muslims than non-Muslims; they have also bombed mosques, the Islamic place of worship.  

Muslims and non-Muslims are no different in ISIS’s eyes. ISIS is against anyone who does not agree with their radical ideas. ISIS will kill Muslim and non-Muslims to achieve their goal of creating a world free of Western influence.

Extremist groups are the reason Muslims live their lives in fear. Radicals are the reason that harmless people get attacked for wearing something religious garb, why a teenager gets arrested for bringing a clock to school. Extremists are the reason that innocent people die.

Just because a terrorist organization is associated with a religion does not mean the organization represents everyone in that religion. Just because a terrorist says he believes and understands the words of a holy book does not mean he actually represents the true word of that religion.

The phrase “Not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims” is erroneous. The KKK does not represent Christians, and ISIS should not represent Islam.

Terrorism does not have a religion. No religion promotes terrorism. Supporting a specific religion does not make you a terrorist. The world needs to confront and correct its prejudices.

It is time to stop categorizing the oppressed with their oppressors.