[dadyamaru]

Islam is the fastest growing religion in the West. Nevertheless, the West has many stereotypes and misconceptions about Islam that are due to the media, prejudice, and ignorance. Islam is often looked upon as a "extremist", "terrorist", or "fundamental" religion. Many people hate Islam and do not want to acknowledge its true teachings. In many cases, the media’s reports about Islam are incorrect due to ignorance. This is one of the reasons why the West often hates Islam


Stereotypes about Islam are not new to Western culture. Problems can be traced back 1400 years. At that time, Islam and Christianity were involved in the Crusades in the 1100’s and in the Ottoman and Moorish control in Europe. Islam spread quickly to the West, and started to threaten the position of the Christian Church and the ruling class. The Western elites, mainly the governments and the churches, then became highly involved in seeing that negative images were presented about Islam. As a result, not only were battles fought against Islam, but also a war of words was initiated to make sure that Islam would not have any converts or sympathizers in the West. These kinds of actions and feelings that the West had long ago still seem to be the case in the West today


A major factor which contributes to Islamic stereotyping in the West is due to the media’s ignorance of selecting their words that describe Muslims. Some common names heard or seen in the news about Muslims are "extremist" or "terrorist". These words are misleading and are mainly anti-Islamic. The media rarely uses more neutral terms such as "revivalist" or "progressives"


Adding to the fact that the media creates inaccurate ideas about Islam, the Western media is also very influential to its audiences in making negative Islamic stereotypes, such as the assertion that all Muslims are fundamentalists. The term "fundamentalist" is actually a term that is interpreted by the media. A fundamentalist, in fact, only represents a normal Muslim who follows his or her religion. Fundamentalism means an attitude, an effort, or a movement that an ideology, group, or religion tries to promote in its fundamental beliefs. The "fundamental" beliefs of a Muslim is to believe in only one God (Allah) and the Prophet Mohammed is His messenger (PBUH), pray five times a day, fast the month of Ramadan, give alms to the poor, and make a pilgrimage to Mecca. This means that all Muslims are fundamentalists if they believe in their own religion’s fundamentals. Although the media is uncomfortable with religious groups, it focuses heavily on "Islamic fundamentalism.


The media infrequently distinguishes between the religion Islam and the political affairs that occur in most Islamic countries. For instance, what Saddam Hussein, the president of Iraq, did in the Gulf War was not Islamic and totally wrong (to attack other people for no reason, especially Muslims). But the media still makes reports about Islam and how Islam is made of war-crazed people. For example, to help put things into perspective, Hitler was a person of the Christian faith. This does not mean that all of his actions were consistent with the Christian beliefs. Likewise, Saddam Hussein is of the Islamic faith, but all of his actions do not necessarily represent Islam. So you can see that the media’s reports about "war-crazed Muslims" are incorrect. The notion of associating of Islam and Muslims with the terms Arabs and Middle East are in fact misleading. Arabs only account for 18% of the Muslim population across the world.

Aside from the fact that the media misrepresents Islam because of ignorance, the media is also a profit-seeking organization which often seeks to create a false image of reality. Islam is often news of an unpleasant sort for the general public of the United States. Islam has often been presented as a menace or a threat to the West. These negative images do not correspond to Islam, but are the belief of certain sectors of a particular society. These prominent sectors can propagate negative images of Islam, which sometimes influences people’s views on Islam

The media hardly points other religions out in their conflicts. For example, the news would say, "five Israelis may have been shot, but they were shot by five Muslims", instead of saying "Five Israelis were shot by five Palestinians". The media often reverses this action when a conflict is against Muslims, for example the news would usually say "Bosnians are being killed by Serbians", but instead rarely says, "Muslims are being killed by Christians

Wotver they do Islam is still a threat to them

[thierry]

Islam is a beautiful Religion. Personal study will find that it can stand up on it's own integrity and intrinsic spiritual value.

I did not get this conclusion from your post, which i found to be defensive and really, not convincing at all.

The fact is that most religions if not all, have no room for Irony or Contradiction and that's where the conflict arises because we live in a world of cruel Ironies and daily injustice.

An example of what i mean....how do you protest against the pope's quote, and that's all it was was a quote, linking Islam to violence by GOING OUT AND RIOTING!!!

Curiously there wasn't any mention of that on your long and hectoring diatribe against really, the rest of the world.

The fact is, little to none of the prominent Islamic leaders that get the media attention and unwittingly or not, become the face of Islam, have any resemblence to The Prophet Mohammed. Same with the most visible Christian counterparts...NONE of them exhibit anything close to Christ like qualities.

Bottome line, the best way to defend/honour your religion is by LIVING it. Unless and untill your life (your thoughts, your words, your actions and finally your character) reflect what you believe, there aren't gonna be enough internet discussion boards to change peoples perceptions.

[satjas]

ok then tell us how we can love people who differentiate between not only men and women but men and infidel men....what is the equality in that?

It is quality that counts and not quantity. I would rather spend time in the company of virtuous people than with people who want the blood of someone who drew a mere cartoon.

You have assumed that people hate you where in fact many symphathize with the atrocious system of beliefs that has captivated your heart and mind never to let you experience the freedom of thought beyond those boundaries of belief.

The people are not always 'bad', but and ideology can be 'bad' especially when it won't let itself to scrutiny. Why? Cos you cannot question 1. the kooran 2. mooHamMad 3. the shahihs and hadiths 4. or declare yourself an apostate in public. How often does one see a former muslim doing that? and why? Cos they'll be got rid off before they know it!!!

Stop acting like victims and try and think beyond the shackles of taboo.

-the paradigm shifter.

[teejay]

Dady, I have been in this Mashada long enough and you are not just about to turn around now and ask us to look at Islam differently from the contents you have been spewing on this site since you registered.

For Example when a person of Islamic faith is innovative and makes discoveries, that much is accepted and the religion rather than the Individual person behind the Genius takes all the credit, but when A moslem(s) shatter buildings with their heavy artilleries they ceaze to be Muslims and at that point,we start looking for other names to describe them. At that very moment you want us to believe that they are not yours (moslems)- Hii double standards ni ya nini jameni?

You may have tried innumerable times to defend Islam with all your effort, but i can tell you one thing, that It is difficult to believe in a religion whose founder was easily being possesed and sayed by Satan and made to utter things, ungodly. I cant help wondering how many more Quranic recitations, did originate from Satan and not from Gabriel. Yet you fail to see that. You are only bent on blindly accusing those hwo point out to these Islamic flaws. I am a hater, that I can't deny. I have every right to hate that which deceives people, but show love to the deceived by showing them the right way. I have the right to hate murder, don't I?

Islam is just not a credible faith. It is a high time its followers unlock their full spiritual potential by seeking God through the proper channel rather adhering to rituals of five-times prayers, prolonged meaningless fastings, and many a vague holidays establsihed by a Satan respecting prophet (false prophet). Mohammed was in fact lucky to have lived in post-Mosaic period. Had he lived during that period, he would have been killed as God directed; That false prophets be put to death.

The problem with Islam is that it does not recognise the Holy spirit and without that you cannot even understand this God that moslmes have claimed to highly revere.

[Death]

>For Example when a person of Islamic faith is innovative and
>makes discoveries, that much is accepted and the religion
>rather than the Individual person behind the Genius takes all
>the credit, but when A moslem(s) shatter buildings with their
>heavy artilleries they ceaze to be Muslims and at that
>point,we start looking for other names to describe them. At
>that very moment you want us to believe that they are not
>yours (moslems)- Hii double standards ni ya nini jameni?

The same also goes for Christians. When someone murders multiple people claiming that god told him to, suddenly that person is not a true Christian. But when it's mother Theresa, everybody is claiming her....garbage!

[teejay]

Death, kindly answer the following questions for me brother?

1. Who is a christian?
2. Who is a moslem?

[teejay]

Dady, you are yet to answer my question, which I shall repeat again.

Define the word THREAT?

[dadyamaru]

It is quality that counts and not quantity. I would rather spend time in the company of virtuous people than with people who want the blood of someone who drew a mere cartoon


@setjas
u r really funny.If u are ok when p/ple abuse your prophet, we are not.
There's no way u cant expect us to respond the same way as u guys.
We are small in number but bigger in commitment.

I can give u another story.
One day another man was trying to c the difference btwn muslims n xtians.

He took the Bible cut it into pieces went to the church, n time p/ple before they come out from the church, scattered all the pieces on the stairs.
Every1 coming frm the church saw the pieces and say its a jst a piece of the bible and they left.

The same guy did the same thing to the Quran.
went to the mosque and scattered all the pieces.
The 1rst person from the mosque picked the pieces and started kissing them and every1 followed and they collected all the pieces.


From this example i think u can see how diff we are.

[dadyamaru]

>Dady, you are yet to answer my question, which I shall repeat
>again.
>
>Define the word THREAT?


@Teejay
A threat is something that thretens,an indication or warning

[teejay]

Dady, you cannot use a word to define the same word. In doing so you will not achieve and satisfy the desired aim.

You mind giving it one more go brother?