Muslim?

[saimamom]

What comes to mind when you hear the words Muslim or Islam?

[ohmygoodness]

Oh no you didn't.

(in reference to the post, not the religion)

Allah.

[saimamom]

Originally Posted by ohmygoodness

Oh no you didn't.

(in reference to the post, not the religion)

Yes, I'm serious. I'm not trying to start anything. I am genuinely curious. But perhaps this is not the right place to begin a discussion. I myself am Muslim. So this is a topic that has been on my mind. It's open for discussion if anyone has questions or comments.

And Reina your answer is correct

[A*O]

I'm afraid that with all the negative publicity Islam has received recently (some of it justified IMO) it's hard to be unbiased. Whilst I respect and admire those Muslims who practice their faith and live peacefully and lawfully among the wider community, the fundamentalist fanatics deserve nothing but contempt. It concerns me that there seem to be so few moderate Islamic leaders, or even the wider Muslim community, who are prepared to openly condemn the behaviour of the extremists and call them to account for their barbaric actions. Indeed, far too many clerical leaders openly defend/condone the activities of people like Osama Bin Laden and their 'cause'.

It's like walking on eggshells trying to debate these issues (I have had to choose my words very carefully for this post) because many Muslims seem unwilling to accept any hint of criticism and become extremely defensive and hostile when questioned about certain aspects of their beliefs.

That's my 2 cents anyway.

[SVZ]

I think of my friend and his turbin. I know that's the Sikh religion, but I think of that for some reason. I think of that and the Taj Mahal...both completely unrelated to the actual Muslim faith

[Grimmlok]

I mostly get images...

Windswept dunes, muezzins calling out over a bleached white city at dusk, flowing robes and meditative masses..

I suppose the romanticized version

[Mischa Barton]

Whoever deleted that message... Come on, you know i'm kidding!

[Hazeleyed_Honey]

Peace

Submission to God

[saimamom]

Originally Posted by A*O

I'm afraid that with all the negative publicity Islam has received recently (some of it justified IMO) it's hard to be unbiased. Whilst I respect and admire those Muslims who practice their faith and live peacefully and lawfully among the wider community, the fundamentalist fanatics deserve nothing but contempt. It concerns me that there seem to be so few moderate Islamic leaders, or even the wider Muslim community, who are prepared to openly condemn the behaviour of the extremists and call them to account for their barbaric actions. Indeed, far too many clerical leaders openly defend/condone the activities of people like Osama Bin Laden and their 'cause'.

It's like walking on eggshells trying to debate these issues (I have had to choose my words very carefully for this post) because many Muslims seem unwilling to accept any hint of criticism and become extremely defensive and hostile when questioned about certain aspects of their beliefs.

That's my 2 cents anyway.

First, thanks for being honest. And I agree with you. The Islam that the West is familiar with is not true Islam. It seems people are pulling things out of the Quran, twisting its meaning to justify what they want to do (killing, treatment of women, etc.) There are numerous Mullahs who are uneducated idiots preaching hatred to people and shaping the minds of children in madrasas. This is not true Islam. For me criticism is not with the Islamic religion itself, because to me it's the perfect religion. I mean perfect for me, not to say that other religions are imperfect. But the criticism is with how the majority of Muslim's are practicing their religion.

I belong to a sect that has openly and repeated condemned the evil that exists in terrorists who call themselves Muslims. My sect has actually been long persecuted by 'mainstream' Muslims. My cousin was jailed in Pakistan just for praying. The Mullahs and fanatics there have killed many people using the Quran to justify their actions. So I know about the corruption that exists. I am praying for a revolution amongst Muslims. But I am spoiled. I don't know any of that corruption in my daily life. I was born and raised in the West. And Islam has always about peace, being humble, being thankful and learning about other people and other religions also. I know Islam has a bad rap and probably will for a long time. I'll keep praying that things change.

[Hazeleyed_Honey]

Don't believe in the hype. Read Edward Said's (who is a Palestinian Orthodox himself) works and he gives insight on the history of the West's perception of Islam.

The West always plays this fundamentalist Islam hype to make it the new "enemy" in the post Cold War era. In a way, they associate Islamofascism as it did with communism. Of course, there is crazy extremist fundamentals followers of Islam like in every other religion. But, I feel like they are the ones giving power to these fundamentalist crazies.

[A*O]

It also seems that because Islam has some very strict and inflexible beliefs and 'rules', starting with absolute subservience to Allah and rigid rules about nearly every aspect of daily life, I wonder if young Muslims are encouraged, or even allowed, to question, debate, develop their own interpretation of the Koran and its teachings. My understanding is that the Koran is the Word of God as revealed to the Prophet Mohammed and anyone who questions it faces dire consequences as a heretic.

I wonder, therefore, if this apparent passivity from the majority of Muslims when their belligerant religious leaders say or do anything provocative ties in with the idea that Allah's 'representatives' cannot be challenged or disobeyed. Only today, the Iranian president made some very inflamatory remarks concerning Israel and how it should be wiped from the face of the earth along with all its "Zionist" allies. This kind of thing does not sit well with 'western' thinking and certainly perpetuates the idea that Islam represents this kind of aggressive, bigoted, violent posturing.

[Hazeleyed_Honey]

Originally Posted by A*O

It also seems that because Islam has some very strict and inflexible beliefs and 'rules', starting with absolute subservience to Allah and rigid rules about nearly every aspect of daily life, I wonder if young Muslims are encouraged, or even allowed, to question, debate, develop their own interpretation of the Koran and its teachings. My understanding is that the Koran is the Word of God as revealed to the Prophet Mohammed and anyone who questions it faces dire consequences as a heretic.

That is a misconception of the Qur'an. The Qur'an is quite flexible and not that rigid.

Basically, it advocates a relationship between you and God and no one should interfere in it. BUT, unfortunately just like every other religious book, people take it way out of context and make these rules based on THEIR interpretation. It is just the Islamic culture (which is what people made it be) that made it seem rigid. In the Middle East, they mix religion with societal culture and then they associate that as religion when infact they should be separated. I am Muslim,and the way I read the Qur'an and interpret it is SO much different than someone who is an extremist and a radical.

Some things that Muslims tend to follow is hadiths (which is not in the Qur'an but said to be collected sayings and doings of the Prophet). I am one of those Muslims that do not believe hadiths are legit. Even Prophet Mohammed banned them and said to not write anything else besides the Qur'an as the source of law. But,the ban was lifted 80 years after his death and there were hadith books collected. Most Muslims believe most of them to be legit. But,I do not, since hadiths can be transmitted and miscontructed over time. So, a lot of those laws and way they live is also from the hadith and not the Qur'an itself.

I wonder, therefore, if this apparent passivity from the majority of Muslims when their belligerant religious leaders say or do anything provocative ties in with the idea that Allah's 'representatives' cannot be challenged or disobeyed. Only today, the Iranian president made some very inflamatory remarks concerning Israel and how it should be wiped from the face of the earth along with all its "Zionist" allies. This kind of thing does not sit well with 'western' thinking and certainly perpetuates the idea that Islam represents this kind of aggressive, bigoted, violent posturing.

But why is Islam being associated with what these radical wingnuts are doing?
When the KKK makes inflammatory remarks, or even someone like Pat Robertson, I do not see people associating Christianity with these fundamentalist Christians.

As for Iran, actually,they have Jews over there that have resided in that country for over 3,000 years. They have laws protected against them and are even exempt from the law of not allowing to drink alcohol like their Muslim brethens. I find that interesting.

[DisruptiveHair]

Originally Posted by saimamom

What comes to mind when you hear the words Muslim or Islam?

Veils, desert, fear.

[A*O]

I have not studied Islam in any great depth (perhaps I should) - I am just giving my personal views on how your religion is perceived by a non-Muslim. People associate Islam with the 'radical wingnuts' because they are invariably Islamic/religious 'spokesmen', not ordinary secular Muslims with no religious agenda. Is there such thing? Maybe that's the problem.