The stuff you see in the media does not represent Islam

Discussion in 'Off Topic Area' started by Ahmad89, Nov 29, 2007.

  1. Ahmad89

    Ahmad89 Agent of Chaos

    Recently, there's issues in the media about the Muhammad Teddy Bear and the rape victim and a suicide bombing basically every day. Since everyone is constantly bombarded with this news (no pun intended), people begin to think Islam is really like that.

    Islam really is a religion of peace that is largely misunderstood. People say Muslims are taught to kill "non-believers" because the Qu'ran says so, but those verses were taken out of context. Those "unbelievers" that the Qu'ran is refering to were pagan Arabs who were trying to kill the Prophet Muhammad (PBAH). In fact, the pagans broke treaties with the Muslims and tried to exterminate the Muslims. That's why if you read the whole Surah (chapter) with those verses, you will find that it talks about broken peace treaties and such. It's a sin to kill and commit suicide in Islam.

    People say that Islam treats women poorly, and that is false. Women are treated equally, if not better than men. People are like "see how Muslims force women to cover up" and stuff like that? Well, men have to cover up too. It's about being modest. For the last sermon at the Mosque, the imam was telling us to treat our wives better than ourselves. That was what the whole sermon was about. Men are not allowed to wear gold and silk, but women can wear silk and gold because they deserve the best.



    So yes, please don't buy into everything you hear in the news. Constantly, I'm finding myself trying to defend Islam from what I see and hear in the news. There are already several posts here about "another example of intolerance" and stuff like that, and some people have bad comments. The other week at my college, a priest who was visiting called me a terrorist for following the Qu'ran. Islam really is a religion of peace and tolerance, and I just want people to understand that.

    Thanks.
     
  2. Moi

    Moi Warriors live forever x

    I've only met a few Muslims, some of the nicest people I know though
     
  3. Hiroji

    Hiroji laugh often, love much

    I think one of the problems is ignorance from people on both sides of the problem, be that some Muslims and some non Muslims, lack of integration in countries of immigrant Muslims too.

    Also, humans need to learn the proper unbiased history, then learn that the past is the past and the only way we can make a better tomorrow is by starting today.

    Also the media is a massive shot in the crotch to many Muslims.

    But good honest Muslims like yourself Wolfn need to keep doing what you are doing, talking to people , put out the good side for all people to see.
     
  4. Incredible Bulk

    Incredible Bulk Eat-Lift-Eat-Sleep-Grow

    i personally think that the media is trying to condem Islam as a religion that breeds suicide bombers, rapists, women supressors and fanatics

    in reality it is anything but...

    but thats not good reporting now is it and it certainly doesnt make the headlines in red top newspapers
     
  5. Tartovski

    Tartovski Valued Member

    Um. It does breed suicide bombers, fanatics and women supressors - to say otherwise is to deny the basic facts of the matter.
    Now whether it breeds more than any other religion is the point...
     
  6. Tartovski

    Tartovski Valued Member

    Really? Care to explain how all the sexist sharia laws aren't treating women badly then?

    Could you start with the Muslims who actually do commit this horrible acts first? As to ignore that problem by saying "oh well, yes, they are just the nutters, it's not really islam they are representing" is kinda missing the point.
     
  7. inthespirit

    inthespirit ignant

    Example?
     
  8. Tartovski

    Tartovski Valued Member

    Well sadly most of the suicide bombers have died... But how about the ones who commit "honour" killings? Or the ones who pass down sentences of lashes for a girl who's been raped? The ones who stone people to death?
     
  9. Hiroji

    Hiroji laugh often, love much

    Or perhaps the ones who send a woman to trial for allowing children to name a teddy bear Mohammed?

    The problem seems to be that Islam seems to have different factions connected with it - what it is to one person is abstract from the other. People are the problem.

    If im not wrong, doesnt Sudan claim to be one of the only true pure Muslim places in the world? Did it not claim to be the center of the muslim revival from British rule?

    But the media is the only way people around the world come to find these things out and that is a scary for Muslims and all people really.
     
  10. Moosey

    Moosey invariably, a moose Supporter

    This is definitely my perception too. I think it's like the differences in people's views of Christianity. A lot of young Americans have a deep-seated hatred for Christianity, citing all the extreme right-wing reactionary clerics and anti-abortionists etc, whereas to me Christianity brings to mind images of the local vicar, Christmas carols and jumble-sales for charity. Yet both are the same religion (ostensibly).
     
  11. inthespirit

    inthespirit ignant

    I see what you mean. The way I see it though, is that there are sick and twisted individuals in every corner of the world, under the guise of all faiths and ideologies. No religion is inherently about anything, its all to do with the individuals or group (large or small) interpretation. As such, I don't think its right to lump all Muslims in to one group, just like if some Christian or Jewish person/peoples committed some unsavory actions, we would not be referring to the whole. There is a lot of "islamapohbia" in the media at the moment and I don't really see the point of joining in to this silliness, to me its just a hate mongering by Mil/Biz Gov in order to perpetuate fears and give them a blank cheque for action, "propaganda" so to speak. Why are we only hearing about all this stuff now, was it not going on pre 9/11? Surely not. Anyone can find the same amount of disgusting behavior within any religion/nation etc etc, its just a matter of looking, its just that our perspectives are being forcibly
    pointed towards Islam. Like I say, there are good and bad people everywhere and in the same proportions, its just a matter of where you look.
     
  12. Smitfire

    Smitfire Cactus Schlong

    The fact of the matter is that while the media does report Islam badly what it does report does actually happen.
    The media is not making the plight of the teacher in Sudan up.
    She is actually in prison and could get lashed.
    What is happening to the woman is a direct result of the main religion of that country. It ain't the buddhists threatening to lash her.

    What's the media to do?
    Ignore it because it doesn't represent ALL muslims?
    Make up reports of teachers in Christian countries getting lashes for naming teddy's Jesus?

    Not all people from Britain are yobs. But I'd understand if people in Europe, that had been host to football matches, thought so because that's how a significant proprtion of us behave when abroad.
    The worlds just not a fair place and people make generalisations.
     
  13. Tartovski

    Tartovski Valued Member

    Firstly, this stuff has been going on for a long time, just not reported in the MAINSTREAM press. The human rights abuses committed in the name of religions are catalouged by all sorts of charities and organisations, so to pretend we only give a damn due to mass media (for me, anyway) is a false statement.

    And the thing is whilst there may be good/bad in the world, the fact of the matter is that these religions protect, justify and actually encourage behaviour that would be otherwise totally unacceptable.
    Imagine a company that said you couldn't join them if you were gay, or you couldn't get above a certain level if you were a woman - there'd be outcry. Yet oddly when the catholic church does exactly that apparently we are not "respecting" their beliefs.
     
  14. inthespirit

    inthespirit ignant

    Isn't that what I said. :confused:

    Thats religion for you! But, once again, religion is down to interpretation, hence you get good and bad.
     
  15. Tartovski

    Tartovski Valued Member

    Try the "religion is down to interpretation" line with any hardcore follower, I think you'll find a very different attitude to that. As for "No religion is inherently about anything" I think most religious people would find that line quite insulting, but i may be wrong.

    You can twist and turn and do backsteps and employ all the cultural relavitism you want, you can write long essays on how your moderate interpretation of religion is the right one, and how the fundamentalists are all wrong. You can pull all sorts of sophistristic tricks you like, but it still doesn't get away from the fact that these acts are committed by mainstream organised religious bodies, and they justify their actions by appeals to dogma, and a higher power.

    To pretend that religion isn't responsible for these things happening is a basic denial of the facts: The Catholic Church is a homophobic and sexist organisation - end of debate. Sharia Law is inheriently sexist and homophobic - end of debate.
     
  16. inthespirit

    inthespirit ignant

    Religion is just a bunch of words in a book, its not responsible for anything. If it was not around, people would find other excuses. Religion does not kill people, people kill people. ;)
     
  17. Smitfire

    Smitfire Cactus Schlong

    Religion is just a bunch of words in a book

    No, no. I think you'll find that religion is the absolute and unalterable wishes of god given to his human subjects and if you think differently you're wrong.
    Well that's what religious people think anyway. :rolleyes:

    Bad people do bad stuff. That's for sure.
    Bad religious people do bad stuff. That's true too.
    Good relgious people do bad stuff because their religion tells them that God says it's OK. Sadly that's true aswell.

    If good people can claim that their religion makes them so then we can claim that it causes the opposite.
     
  18. Tartovski

    Tartovski Valued Member

    If you truly think that, your point is more idiotic than I thought.
    There is no point debating further, you clearly see things in such a simplistic way that it would be fruitless.
     
  19. inthespirit

    inthespirit ignant

    Instead of insulting me, why don't you try and explain what you mean, thus far you have said nothing to back up your point. :rolleyes:

    You are basically saying that a bunch of very vague words, which preatty much mean nothing on their own are responsible for people being horrible to each other. Have you read either the Koran or the Bible? I'm guessing not! Going by your judgment, I guess we can say that if we get rid of religion, we get rid of a load of this sort of "horrible" behavior.... oh but wait... have you heard of communism? As I have already said "its down to interpretation", there is almost no concrete instruction in any religious text whatsoever, its all left to individual and/or group interpretation. Once again going by your judgment that religion is the main cause of "horribleness", this would mean that all religious people would be acting in exactly the same way, clearly this is not the case.
     
  20. inthespirit

    inthespirit ignant

    :D
    I agree with this, but these aren't all the possibilities. There are also good people that only do good, and bad people that are now good, etc etc.. all cause of religion.
     

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