When people discuss religion—especially Islam—the conversation often lacks depth. The issue isn’t just misunderstanding theology; it’s the failure to grasp how religion is interpreted, politicized, and instrumentalized by power structures. Religion, including Islam, Christianity, Judaism, and others, is not static. It evolves across time, geography, and culture. But mainstream discourse rarely acknowledges this. Instead, the loudest and most authoritarian interpretations—like Wahhabism in Islam or Christian fundamentalism in the U.S.—are amplified because they align with political control and institutional power. These voices claim to represent the whole, erasing the rich diversity and intellectual complexity that exists within religious traditions.

This erasure causes real harm. People aren’t always wounded by faith itself, but by the institutional mechanisms that weaponize it. Religious trauma often stems from rigid hierarchies that enforce dogma through fear, shame, and control—not from belief or spirituality itself. This is why treating religion as a monolith is both inaccurate and dangerous.

The problem extends to secularism, especially in its atheistic form. In theory, secularism promises neutrality. In practice, it often reinforces the same power structures it claims to dismantle—elevating one worldview (secular rationalism) while marginalizing others. This isn’t neutral; it’s ideological dominance by another name. Atheistic secularism frequently fails to engage religious communities respectfully or meaningfully. It assumes that detachment from religion is the key to fairness, yet often ends up reproducing elitism, exclusion, and even conservatism in new forms.

This is why socialist and liberation movements that genuinely engage with religious pluralism are more successful in building lasting, inclusive coalitions. History has shown us this: from the anti-colonial struggles in the Global South to the multifaith organizing of religious socialists and liberation theologians, movements thrive when they don’t ignore religion but embrace it as a site of solidarity, ethics, and transformative potential. Ignoring religion isn’t neutral—it’s like saying you’re “non-racist” instead of actively anti-racist. Passive tolerance does not dismantle systems of oppression. It simply makes space for a new dominant ideology, equally capable of marginalizing those who don’t fit its mold.

And behind all this is the deeper issue of reflection. In our rush to debate and critique, many forget the role of introspection—of dreams, of subconscious exploration, of looking inward. These aren’t just personal habits; they’re political practices. Dreams reveal the mental architecture we inherit from society. They can expose the internalized biases, the unexamined fears, the habitual assumptions that shape our actions. Without reflection, we stay trapped in patterns of harm—politically, emotionally, and spiritually.

It’s time to rethink how we talk about religion. Not as something to dismiss or tolerate from a distance, but as something to study, respect, and engage with honestly. It’s time to stop pretending that secularism alone can solve our problems. And it’s time to recognize that transformation—personal and political—begins with deep, intentional reflection.