When it comes to misconceptions surrounding Islam and its followers, the list is quite long. While some of these misconceptions are rather dangerous, fueling hate crimes and asserting degrading stereotypes, others are plain ridiculous.
Here's the catch: even educated and high-ranking officials in the West have fallen for such false information, and American attorney, Noel Francisco, is a case in point.
On Wednesday, Francisco, the current Solicitor General of the United States, referred to Islam as a "great country" during his closing arguments before the country's Supreme Court.
His verbal blunder definitely did not go unnoticed and has since become a topic of criticism and mockery online.
"He (Donald Trump) has praised Islam as one of the great countries of the world," said Francisco
As the Trump administration's top attorney, Francisco was arguing in favor of the controversial travel ban known as the "Muslim ban," which bars people from several Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S.
In his closing arguments, Francisco talked about U.S. President Donald Trump's attitude towards Muslims, saying the latter does not intend to ban all Muslims from the country.
He went on to mistakenly refer to Islam as a country, rather than a religion:
"He (Trump) has made it crystal clear that Muslims in this country are great Americans, and there are many, many Muslim countries who love this country. And he has praised Islam as one of the great countries of the world," Francisco said.
Naturally, media outlets and social media users did not let the error slip by. Here's what people had to say:
*Infinite face-palm*
They couldn't help but crack jokes
Shahada is a pre-requisite for Islam's visa
Conspiracy theories ensued
"This person should be the last one to argue the merits of a #MuslimBan"
Some people actually wish Islam were a country
"I'll move there in a heartbeat"
Americans are beyond embarrassed
"It just reaffirms the religious illiteracy and ignorance of the government"
"A government that is ignorant about its people cannot serve them"
This question sums it all up
On a more serious note, what is Trump's "Muslim Ban"?
Soon after Trump took office in January 2017, he sent shock-waves across the world when he signed an executive order imposing Muslim-targeted immigration restrictions.
The controversial executive order, which bars travel to the U.S. from several Muslim-majority nations, has since been contended in courts and amended on several occasions. In its current version, the ban affects travelers from Iran, Libya, Syria, Yemen, and Somalia.
The matter is now in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court, which seems to be leaning towards upholding the travel ban, according to the Huffington Post.