Perceptions of Islam

[Matt88]

I bet its gonna be one of these top ten misconceptions:

1. Muslims are violent, terrorists and/or extremists.
2. Islam oppresses women.
3. Muslims worship a different God.
4. Islam was spread by the sword and intolerant of other faiths.
5. All Muslims are Arabs
6. The Nation of Islam is a Muslim group.
7. All Muslim men marry four wives.
8. Muslims are a barbaric, backward people.
9. Muhammad was the founder of Islam and Muslims worship him.
10. Muslims don't believe in Jesus or any other prophets.

1. It is hard to deny thousands of brainwashed buffoons marching in London, saying a 9/11 for Europe is on its way, it's hard to deny that every terrorist attack on the U.S. in the last 20 years or so were perpetrated by muslims, it is hard to deny many abhorrent things committed in the name of islam. A lot of muslims seem to be this way
2. it happens a lot in the middle east
3. yes, they worship a moon god. allah is not the god of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
4. yeah, it was
5. people just think all muslims are arabs, they're the only ones who commit acts of terrorism
6. it says it is
7. now that's just ridiculous
8. middle east
9. i don't really know much on this one
10. they do

 

[leb04ck]

Living in the Middle East and seeing what has happened in my country...driving through muslim areas and christian neighborhoods made me dislike "most" Muslims heavily! I'm not sure how nicer I can say that! I have to say that "most" of them discust me and I feel ashamed to introduce myself as an ARAB I am not an ARAB IF and only IF an ARAB is defined as a MUSLIM.....

 

[Booko]

3. yes, they worship a moon god. allah is not the god of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

Please show me in the Qu'ran where it says this.

You are confusing the name of an ancient idol of the pagan Arabs with the God of Abraham (and Ishmael).

re: Muslims worship Muhammad

9. i don't really know much on this one

That would be "shirk" and is forbidden in Islam. Muhammad was very clear he was not to be worshipped as God.

 

[Judgement Day]

1. It is hard to deny thousands of brainwashed buffoons marching in London, saying a 9/11 for Europe is on its way, it's hard to deny that every terrorist attack on the U.S. in the last 20 years or so were perpetrated by muslims, it is hard to deny many abhorrent things committed in the name of islam. A lot of muslims seem to be this way

• Of the nearly 770,000 violent interracial crimes committed every year involving blacks and whites, blacks commit 85 percent and whites commit 15 percent.

• Blacks commit more violent crime against whites than against blacks. Forty-five percent of their victims are white, 43 percent are black, and 10 percent are Hispanic. When whites commit violent crime, only three percent of their victims are black.

• Blacks are an estimated 39 times more likely to commit a violent crime against a white than vice versa, and 136 times more likely to commit robbery.

• Blacks are 2.25 times more likely to commit officially-designated hate crimes against whites than vice versa.

[ source: http://www.amren.com/store/colorcrime.htm ]

Hence, do I say that all black people are like this? NO! There are a lot of things that we should observe and consider to be the reasons for crime, such as discrimation, poverty, drug, alcohol, violence at home, mental disturbance, emotional stress, lack of education, etc. Hell...my best friend is a black guy. Saying all Muslims are violent is just as absurd and just as blind as saying that all black people are violent.

2. it happens a lot in the middle east

Yes, I agree. This is not what Islam teaches. Most of them are still tied to culture. I understand if people cant differ Islam with arab culture, they seem to blend together, but no, they are different and are not tied to each other.

3. yes, they worship a moon god. allah is not the god of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

Moon god? Lol, no!

4. yeah, it was

Im sorry, it wasnt, use the search future of this site and look for The Truth's post about it.

5. people just think all muslims are arabs, they're the only ones who commit acts of terrorism

Not all arabs are violent, just as not all black people are violent.

6. it says it is

Muslim nation is a nation with majority of Muslims. But not necessarily a Muslim group. Another thing, it is a common misuse especially influenced by the media concerning the term of Muslim nation and Islamic nation. The most proper term to be used is Muslim nation which means above. The term Islamic should only be conjugated with words used for things that ties to the teaching of Islam.

7. now that's just ridiculous

Aye.

8. middle east

Once again, not all.

9. i don't really know much on this one

What Booko said.

10. they do

Aye.

 

[gnostic]

I know that I am bit late in asking, but can we go through a few of your list of misconceptions to clear it up, Judgement Day?

2. Islam oppresses women.

Do women really require to cover up? No beach? No bikini or bather?

Do women and girls require chaperon, if they go out?

Must women walked behind their men?

Is this a Islam rules or cultural customs? What do Islam really say about the above questions?

7. All Muslim men marry four wives.

Does Islam say anything about how many wives a man can have?

And why can't women have more than one husband?

This seemed to be one sided.

1. Muslims are violent, terrorists and/or extremists.

I believed there are extremists in any society, regardless of which religion or race or politics you belonged to.

There are good Muslims and bad Muslims, just as there are good Christians and bad Christians. Good and bad Jews, Hindu, Buddhists, atheists, Arabs, Americans, etc.

The problem with the current image of Islam is because these fanatical terrorists are using Islam as their excuse, to motivate others to join them to attack people. They wave Islam in our face. That's probably why non-Muslims may have wrong view on Islam and Muslims in general.

 

[Judgement Day]

I know that I am bit late in asking, but can we go through a few of your list of misconceptions to clear it up, Judgement Day?

I will try, mate. I should be going to sleep, its 2.23 am here, and I have a final exam tomorrow in the morning, not to mention, I have to work in an hour more. Not to make you feel bad...of course I could answer your question tomorrow. But I feel like answering it right now as far as I can help it.

Do women really require to cover up? No beach? No bikini or bather?

Do women and girls require chaperon, if they go out?

Must women walked behind their men?

Is this a Islam rules or cultural customs? What do Islam really say about the above questions?

The requirement of wearing hijabs for women whether it is obligatory or not, is still debated among Muslims, but the most of them say that it is obligatory because there is an ayah in Quran that says about it:

"O Prophet, tell your wives and daughters and the believing women to draw their outer garments around them (when they go out or are among men). That is better in order that they may be known (to be Muslims) and not annoyed..." (Qur'an 33:59)

But to your question of women walking behind men, I think its rather headed towards customs. Nothing in Islam says that.

Does Islam say anything about how many wives a man can have?

And why can't women have more than one husband?

This seemed to be one sided.

Yes there is:

"Marry women of your choice, two, or three, or four; but if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one." Al-Qur’an (4:3)

So 4 is the limit, but there are certain conditions that you have to be able to fit in first. One of them is to be able to treat your wives equally. Another one is that you cannot have multiple wives if your intention is to fullfil your sex desires. Having multiple wives can only be permitted if your goal is but for the welfare of the widows and the orphans of the wars.

There is a common misconception that Islam started the notion of polygamy, having not knowing that before the Qur’an was revealed, there was no upper limit for polygamy and many men had many wives, some even hundreds. Islam put an upper limit of four wives.

Why cant a women marry more than one man? This is tied to identifying parentage and lineage, because then, Identifying parentage and lineage would then be insurmountable for the offspring. With more than one husband, if a wife were to become pregnant, she would have exceptional difficulties determining who the actual father was.

I believed there are extremists in any society, regardless of which religion or race or politics you belonged to.

There are good Muslims and bad Muslims, just as there are good Christians and bad Christians. Good and bad Jews, Hindu, Buddhists, atheists, Arabs, Americans, etc.

The problem with the current image of Islam is because these fanatical terrorists are using Islam as their excuse, to motivate others to join them to attack people. They wave Islam in our face. That's probably why non-Muslims may have wrong view on Islam and Muslims in general.

I totally agree.

Hope I answered your questions. Feel free to ask more.

 

[gnostic]

Thank you, Judgement Day.

Get some sleep. Good nite.

 

[gnostic]

My biggest problem domestically in Sydney is that some Lebanese and Pakistani men and youths who have been involved in several instances of gang rapes over the last 10 years.

One of the youths in a Lebanese gang had recently shouted out in court after he was found guilty that he committed the rape as it is part of his "rigorous teaching instill into him by Islam". I believed that this declaration must be false, but it is troubling, and it make non-Muslims wonder how many Muslim men and youths believe in such nonsense. Do they all believe this? Or do they use Islam as an excuse, in the hope that the court can't charge them on religious ground/persecution?

 

[Booko]

And why can't women have more than one husband?

This seemed to be one sided.

Not really, gnostic. Aside from the fact that polyandry is a rare occurence in human history, it's not hard to understand why Islam might allow polygamy. At the time Muhammad gave the Qu'ran, women were so devalued that girl babies were often left out in the wilderness to die of exposure. Given that, surely allowing up to 4 wives would be preferable???

In our culture and time, polygamy seems to be less of a protection for women than monogamy, but in Muhammad's time allowing polygamy was actually a protection for women.

 

[Matt88]

not all arabs are violent, but all terrorists are arabs.

 

[greatcalgarian]

not all arabs are violent, but all terrorists are arabs.

Is that your definition of terrorists?

You mean those responsible of blowing up the plane with many Canadians on board are not terrorists since they are not arabs?:biglaugh:

 

[Feathers in Hair]

not all arabs are violent, but all terrorists are arabs.

Please kindly explain to me this listing, which seems to indicate that at least a few of terrorists aren't Arabic. Also, please let me know which of the following generalizations I can make about others that will be fun and satisfying.

Not all Pagans are vegetarian, but all people who like beans are Pagans...
Not all Rebublicans are astronauts, but all space-going people are Republican...
Not all Jedi are Sith, but all Sith are Jedi...
Not all Hobbits are knee-biters, but all people without knees are Orcs...

Say, this is fun! The best part was that I didn't have to do any research!

 

[jamaesi]

Wow. I REALLY wasn't aware the IRISH Republican Army was just chock full of Arabs.

 

[Sunstone]

not all arabs are violent, but all terrorists are arabs.

I hear that line gasped out by talk show hosts all the time, Matt. I always wonder how they account for Columbia terrorists, Irish terrorists, Tamil terrorists, and American terrorists (such as the fine American folks who blew up the Oklahoma City Federal Building)? Have you heard some explanation for why those terrorists aren't real terrorists?

 

[Matt88]

I am talking about those that attack America.

 

[Sunstone]

I am talking about those that attack America.

Don't American terrorists attack America? Don't Columbian terrorists attack Americans?

Also, if you want to understand terrorism as a phenomenon, then why distinguish between those who attack America and those who don't?

Lastly, the notion that "all terrorists are arab" might not be true at all even for Al Qaeda affiliated terrorists. I don't know, but what are the ethnicities of Indonesian terrorists who have attacked Westerners? Of Filipino terrorists who have attacked Americans? Are they all of arab descent?

 

[greatcalgarian]

I am talking about those that attack America.

How about the Oklahoma Federal Building bombing?

In June 1997, a jury convicted Timothy McVeigh of bombing the Oklahoma City federal building, a terrorist attack that left 168 people dead.

Timothy James McVeigh (April 23, 1968 – June 11, 2001), considered by the FBI an American domestic terrorist, was executed for his part in the April 19, 1995, Oklahoma City bombing. Hundreds were injured and 167 men, women and children died when a truck loaded with improvised explosives was detonated in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building as federal offices began business for the day. Later a 168th victim died when a huge chunk of concrete crushed a rescue worker.


Timothy McVeigh after his arrest in 1995
Strange looking Arab???

 

[Booko]

Lastly, the notion that "all terrorists are arab" might not be true at all even for Al Qaeda affiliated terrorists. I don't know, but what are the ethnicities of Indonesian terrorists who have attacked Westerners? Of Filipino terrorists who have attacked Americans? Are they all of arab descent?

Richard Reid, shoe bomber extraordinaire, was not an Arab.

Also, keep in mind that Persians are not Arabs. And if you call them Arabs, they might just get a little persnickety with you about it.

 

[Nehustan]

This post is not really relevant to this later part of the thread (i.e. what you are discussing presently), but certainly to some of the posts herein. It was a short paper I had to write for a module, so I thought I would put it in the articles section, the title is...

“Maumet” was also used [in medieval times] in the sense of idol. He who smashed the hundreds of idols at the Kaaba, whose followers pride themselves on being the only Unitarians and authorize no idols, images or icons, himself was made by Western fablers a deity and an idol” (Hitti, Islam and the West, 1962, p. 55). Explain and analyse this quote. To what extent is the medieval Western preconception about the Prophet Muhammad still alive today? Examine possible reasons for its existence and persistence.

http://www.religiousforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=31985​

 

[A. Leaf]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freelancer7

1) No, A few extremists within the religion that beak the divine rule of Love, which i'm sure hurts Muhammed real bad.
2) Some are some are not, depending how backward the male counterpart is within the head of the family, considering Man and Woman both equal, both with different gifts in the physical world. Plus I entered the physiacl world and am sitting here answering these questions with the thanks of the Bilogical genius of a Woman and that's not taking anything away from my old man.
3) No, Allah, God, the Father, Lord Almighty, Creator, are they not all the same?
4)Created in the name of Love, spread with the Sword no different than all the other major faiths.
5)No
6)Nation of Islam??
7)No, how they treat them I'm sure is in severe instances no different to the way women are treated in other faiths, breaking the divine rule of love yet again.
8)No, just the extremists who have let Muhammed down.
9)Yes and No, the extremists just want an excuse just like in any other faith.
10) They believe in Jesus as a prophet, will not accept him as the son.
Do they believe in prophets apart from Muhammed, some do some don't.

Wow, i'm so happy that you got to know all the answers almost.

For number 9, According to islam, Mohammed is not the founder of Islam but he was the last prophet in islam because all prophets are muslims which means they surrender their will to God by obeying him and worshipping him.

We believe in all prophets before Mohammed "peace be upon him".

Thanks for your contrbution ..

Ref No9:

Perhaps then to certain degree would Jesus Christ not become the Son of Allah and so become Father Muhammed? or Father Prophet? or does that title go to Moses? In your thoughts?