In Search Of Utopia: Stereotyping Muslims...

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November 01, 2005

Stereotyping Muslims...

I had quite a few battles on ISOU V.2 (My Blog that was lost) with people who want to paint all Muslims as either evil or appologist for evil. Dean has written a great piece on the subject.

One way to lose the war on terrorism is to send a message to muslims like these that they are liars, fakers, and fools. It's also a great way to be a flaming hypocrite. How can you support building pluralist democracies in Iraq and Afghanistan, but then spit on any muslims who embrace the values of pluralism and democracy?

Pretty much sums up my thoughts on the subject.

I have several friends who are Muslims. I have known them for years and they were as grieved as I was after 9/11. We have often talked about Islam and the context of world wide terrorism. While their opinions vary based on ethnicity, they all stand on the basic principle that Terrorism is not a solution to their grievances and that terrorist hurt rather than help the cause of Islam.

My experience with Islam has been varied. As a child I was first aquainted with the Islam of the so called Black Muslims, whose hatred if not capacity for action, matched that of Ossama. Later I read the Autobiography of Malcom X and learned that what these bow tie wearing morons were preaching was NOT Islam.

While working for Acer America, I came to know and befriend a group of Muslim men, one from Jordan, one from Pakistan and another from Palestine. We became very good friends and had long soulfoul discussions about religion. Through them I learned all the good of Islam. I met their families. I ate in their homes. I celebrated Ramadan with them. After 9/11, we cried together. They were no appologist for Radical Islam...

So thanks Dean for pointing out what is obvious to anyone who is not already so twisted up in their hatred of Islam, that they cant see that the majority of Muslims are as differen't from Terrorist, as Christians are from Klansmen.

Posted by David A at November 1, 2005 10:37 AM
Filed Under Islam | 347 Words

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Comments

David, the real problem faced by Muslims is that they are devoid of prominent leaders who denounce Radical Islam. A passing "we do not endorse any type of violence" isn't enough, but that's about all that's been offered.

Let those leaders take a hard and fast stand against the belief that infidels must be destroyed, and soundly condemn every leader that proclaims otherwise--by name, preferably.

I've long suspected (and I should read the Koran before stating this, I know), that even truly peaceful Muslims are between a rock and a hard spot because the Koran likely does indicate that infidels are to be destroyed, therefore putting the Muslim who doesn't believe in such violence in the unenviable position of effectually renouncing the book of his faith.

If that's the case, however, perhaps they shouldn't be Muslim anymore.

Nonetheless, though the accusations and stereotypes make quite a few people uncomfortable, one must wonder where the outrage is amongst Muslims towards Radical Islam. Where are the Muslims who are willing to fight in a Jihad against those who are doing such harm to their religion? Where are those who recognize that the integrity of Islam should be preserved by any means necessary, to the point of publicly opposing their fellow Muslims who have been misled by what they would consider heresy?

Those are the questions that we've been waiting to be answered for four years and counting.

Posted by: BoDiddly at November 1, 2005 11:32 AM

Before I read BoDiddly's comment, I was planning to say some of those same things, and will only echo that I wonder where "the outrage is amongst Muslims towards Radical Islam."

Thank you for saying this because we need to hear it and learn. In my experience, the average US citizen has no clue what a Muslin is or that there may be a difference between a normal follower of Islam and the idiots who blow themselves and others up. We Americans are a very naive and uneducated bunch. And add arrogant because most don't know or care about anyone or anything that is alien to their own superficial existence.

Posted by: Winston at November 1, 2005 09:30 PM