Something's Been Bugging Me

[coolduck123456 0]

The thing that has been bugging me is something that I saw on t.v. It was a report about Islam and it showed the may racisim that has been associated with it. On this report, they talked to people about Islam to get thier outlook on it. Many people had stressed how Islam provokes violence and how all muslims are "terrorists". Come'on, are people that ignorant about a religion to say things about it. What bugs me so much is that people with NO knowledge about the religion are going to say negative things about it. Also, one sterotypical remark was that all Arabs had to be Muslim, which isn't true again! I am a Muslim and I am African American. Really, I have never gotten any racist remarks directed towards me about my religion, what offends me is that Arabs, who are Good Muslims, are getting that negativity and hate towards them.

When I first came to Xisto, I witnessed some racial remarks coming from the shoutbox that truly offended. A remark came from one member, I won't use their name, that Muslims are horrible people because of how they reacted to some cartoons about the Prophet, and how they are terrorists and many other things in that nature. Let me clear the air a little because Truly many people are too ignorant enough to not learn the religion and to just think what they see.

These facts were produced by MeccaCentric.com.

"Islam" means "peace through the submission to God".
"Muslim" means "anyone or anything that submits itself to the will of God".

Islam is not a cult. Its followers number over 1.5 billion worldwide. Along with Judaism and Christianity, it is considered to be one of the three Abrahamic traditions.

"Allah" is an Arabic word that means "God". Muslims also believe that "Allah" is the personal name of God.

Allah is not the God of Muslims only. He is the God of all people and all creation. Just because people refer to God using different terms does not mean that they are different gods. Spanish people refer to God as "Dios" and French people refer to God as "Dieu", yet they are all the same God. Interestingly, most Arab Jews and Arab Christians refer to God as "Allah". And the word Allah in Arabic appears on the walls of many Arab churches.

The Islamic concept of God is that He is loving, merciful, and compassionate. But Islam also teaches that He is just and swift in punishment. Nevertheless, Allah once said to Prophet Muhammad, "My mercy prevails over my wrath." Islam teaches a balance between fear and hope, protecting one from both complacency and despair.

Muslims neither worship Muhammad nor pray through him. Muslims solely worship the unseen and Omniscient Creator, Allah.

The Holy Qur'an was not authored by Muhammad. It was authored by God, revealed to Muhammad, and written into physical form by his companions.

Terrorism, unjustified violence and the killing of innocent people are absolutely forbidden in Islam. Islam is a way of life that is meant to bring peace to a society, whether its people are Muslim or not. The extreme actions of those who claim to be Muslim may be, among other things, a result of their ignorance or uncontrolled anger. Tyrant rulers and those who commit acts of terrorism in the name of Islam are simply not following Islam. These people are individuals with their own views and political agendas. Fanatical Muslims are no more representative of the true Islamic teachings than Timothy McVeigh or David Koresh are of Christianity. Extremism and fanaticism is a problem that is common to all religious groups. Anyone who thinks that all Muslims are terrorists should remember that the famous boxer Muhammad Ali, perhaps the most celebrated person of our era, is a practicing Muslim.

The word "jihad" does not mean "holy war". Instead, it means the inner struggle that one endures in trying to submit their will to the will of God. Some Muslims may say they are going for "jihad" when fighting in a war to defend themselves or their fellow Muslims, but they only say this because they are conceding that it will be a tremendous struggle. But there are many other forms of jihad which are more relevant to the everyday life of a Muslim such as the struggles against laziness, arrogance, stinginess, or the struggle against a tyrant ruler or against the temptation of Satan, or against one's own ego, etc.

Women are not oppressed in Islam. Any Muslim man that oppresses a woman is not following Islam. Among the many teachings of Prophet Muhammad that protected the rights and dignity of women is his saying, "...the best among you are those who treat their wives well." (Tirmidhi)"

So pleasse, before you say anything about Islam, learn the facts.

That was what had been bugging me.

Notice from Dooga:

Added quote tags

Edited October 31, 2006 by Dooga (see edit history)

[jhsmurray 0]

I've only recently started studying religion, including Islam. I had a vague idea of these points you have shared before I took the classes, but I think it's so easy for some to have misconceptions because all we hear in the news about the Near East is violence by extremist minority groups. Apart from the minority groups, its a contrived polemic that hasnt really been remedied yet, unfortunately. I wont even touch on the significant Muslim population in the States. I'll let coolduck comment on that.Of course, if we relied on the media to compare newsworthy aspects of religion to society, then the west is a bunch of philandering pedophiles lol (cf newsworthy stories on the Catholic church). But what would you expect to see in the pages of Al Jazeera? Probably nothing about that guy in Milwakee saved by his three legged dog, Buddy (all right, I made that one up). No, more likely the stories about the west are mostly about our presence in the Near East (for better or worse). Don't you think they shun the suicide bombers in the West Bank or Iraq?

[coolduck123456 0]

See, we need more people like you, who don't neccessiarly are "experts" on Islam and other religons, but don't believe that because a group of people do cause terror, that the whole religon is represented by their actions

[icemarle 0]

I know what you mean by that. In my country, there's a part in the southern region where the main religion is Islam. There were also some extremists there, but I've seen a lot of other Muslims desperately trying to clear up the fact that not all Muslims are like that. I eventually realized that there's a big difference between the extremists and the normal believers and we have no right to impose judgement on them.The media isn't really making things better, however... They're making it worse. People nowadays tend to stereotype muslims saying that they're terrorists even though they're not extremist. The sad part is... they have to live with it. :/

[matak 2]

I think people are not that scared of general islam religion it self (except maybe Americans) but of their Holy War idea.One of the main differences in islam and catholic (sorry about wrong spelling anywhere) is that in Bible it's said "Turn the other cheek"and in Kuran"Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth"---Of course those are just quotes and they can't be used to explain religion in it's real meaning but those who don't really care about religion but are just using it for their own purpose in controling their fanatic members by putting weird ideas in their heads about some devil leaders (like Bush) that will take their freedom away.this situation of currents world opinion about islam is just pressure that was made from US Goverment so that they can fight their "crusade" war in order to save the world from such a curse as Islam.Of course that everybody with at least of some intelligence (well i think Bush doesn't have intelligence, well not more than a common Chicken) can realize the real meaning of the war in Irak.Although here in Croatia the war led for our independence from Serbs (ex yugoslavia) was spread all over Bosnia and Hercegovina which was before a 3 nation country of Muslims, Croats, and Serbs. The worst problem was that at the time the war started and begin to spread almost imediatly muslims from those Taliban countrys came here to fight their War.Those who came here didn't have real picture of world. They were raised in poor enviroments without education and all of YOUR western privilages. All they had there was their religion and when that religon ordered them to fight they really didn't think the reason why they really need to fight.Worst thing is that their idea of war and killing is twisted so that torture is normal.. I don't want to talk about that anymore.I just wanted to say (maybe it doesn't look that way) but the problem is not in religion, the problem is in economy and general situation in ones country that leads him to crazy things.So people don't blame religion blame those bastar++++ who spents mlrds of $ on weapons instead on education.P.S.There was this good TV Show OZ, about a prison and in there there was this guy (black one) who lead muslimans in prison. Although his teaching were about peace and etc.. he used first oportunity he got to try to take charge of prison.. If u look at that really carefully u will see a hidden message."His religion tought him how to be in peace with everybody, but his Human Egoism just couldn't stay put"The war isn't lead on by religion, it is just what rich and powerfull people use to Hypnotise us and made us belive that there is real enemy we are fighing until they get richer and richer in their cousy warm chair's..

Edited November 2, 2006 by matak (see edit history)