Islam is one of the oldest monotheistic religions. With a billion and a half followers, it is the second most popular religion in the world. Its founder and prophet is Mohammad. Allah is the name of the god they worship and the Muslim sacred text is called the Quran. In the West, the Islamic religion is most often associated with the September 11 terrorist attacks, violence, and the abuse and oppression of women. Saudi Arabia is one of the most conservative Islamic countries in the Middle East. Islam controls every aspect of the lives of its people. Saudi Arabia is also home to many extremist groups who misinterpret the Quran and is the reason why so many Islamic countries justify abuse against women through the Islamic religion. This misinterpretation of the Quran by Muslim extremists has led to the oppression of women in Saudi Arabia and other Islamic countries. A follower of the Islamic religion pledges absolute loyalty to the Prophet Muhammad and the god Allah. Being a Muslim requires praying five times a day and making a pilgrimage at least once in your life to Mecca, the holy land. Additionally, a Muslim must give alms; stay abstinent and fast during the day during the holy month of Ramadan. Many non-Muslims do not know that the Islamic religion actually promotes peace. In fact, the word “Islam” and the Hebrew word “Shalom” come from the same root; this root translates to “peace”. The main reason people associate Muslims with violence is that the media only reports on the actions of violent extremist groups and not the positive aspects of the religion. The Quran is the holiest and most sacred book of the Muslim religion. It contains the words of Allah addressed to the Prophet Mohammad through the angel...... middle of paper ......middleeast/saudiarabia/7616836/Saudi-Arabia-to-introduce-minimum-marriage-age- after -11-years-wins-le-divorce.html>."Saudi Arabia." US Department of State. April 5, 2010. The web. May 15, 2010. Stack, Megan K. “A Veiled View of Saudi Segregation.” The Los Angeles Times. June 06, 2007. Web. May 23, 2010. “Wahhabi Islam: general overview.” Free Republic. July 17, 2004. The web. May 24, 2010."Women's rights and Sharia law." Islam and modernity. September 22, 2004. Web. May 24, 2010. .Zaid, Saraji Umm. “Women, sharia and oppression: where are the voices of conservative Muslims? » Islam today. 2003. Internet. May 15 2010.