The west didn't invent soap - little details like this one were so interesting to me in both the documentary and in the reading of Who Speaks for Islam, especially when the east is depicted as a dirty, poor region (as seen in media such as Slum Dog Millionaire). I really enjoyed the section about Mohammed - a man of trading, peace, knowledge. He was not a man who preached terror and intolerance as many in the west are ignorant to. He was a great trader, exposing the world to true cultural diffusion in Mecca, a place of peace and exchange. My high school history teachers did teach us that the middle east was a trading ground, but they also seemed to lack this knowledge on the influence the middle east had on the world - or maybe they just skipped over this detail to focus on the west. Why is it that I have never learned about Mohammed, but I have been exposed the Jesus a number of times in my public high school? Even in college - I have not been exposed to the Quran at all besides this class, and yet, I was required to read the Bible for humanities. After 9/11 it's no wonder why people began to target Muslims. They were ignorant to their history, and only associated them with the radicals instead of with the Islamic tradition of peace and tolerance.
"They hate us for our freedoms..." How, as a nation, can we be tolerant if our leaders are setting our nation up to persecute by making ignorant statements?