Are you against Islam?

[Anavar]

Before this starts, this is to be a mature debate (if any).

With the recent events such as the Sydney siege and the kids killed in Pakistan, what are your personal views on Muslims in general? It's a fact that it's the very minority that carry out such despicable deeds. However, it seems so many people seem to have the mindset that: "It's Islam that is bringing terror regardless of the motives of the Islamic community".

Where do you guys stand on this?

 

[Le0nidas]

I dont like the violence occuring but i dont blame all muslims, i have a muslim friend and hes nothing like these people. Maybe muslim extremists i dont like? Idk the sht happening is just bullshit. Like really killing kids??

 

First of all, this would seem appropriate in SFA.
To answer your questions; firstly i am very much against many religions such as Islam and etc. They force you to live under certain living conditions/restrictions that made sense back in the early years (B.C)
What religion gave was positive at the time of war, killings, and plunder, it taught men to be good and kind, but with the advanced society we live in today kindness does not come from religion alone, but most likely from the area of which you live in, your behavior, and other things you have adopted from your parents.
Most religions eg. Islam say that they are the one true religion, everyone else will die on doomsday but the the true believers. However, isn't it true that you'll become a christian, or a muslim if your parents are? These religions are sometimes forced upon you unknowingly, and you cant choose if you happen to live in Pakistan, or the US?
We do not choose where we are born, it is sheer luck. Whether you are born in poverty, or riches, whether you are born in a family religious of one kind or another. This alone contradicts religions' belief that they are the one true religion, cause how the eff will someone by sheer luck born into a family heavily christian, and as a direct result become christian himself, have a chance to become muslim?

I personally believe in what science has taught us. And to answer your point about some peoples' opinion on Islam bringing terror is ludicrous. It is true that Islam bear that connotation, but it is just one fragment of the congregation, what is usually referred to as the extremist.
There are extremist all over the world for many different things.
We cant hold grudges, and scone at people associated with a belief, that a few others in that belief misinterpret, misuse, and does terror.

 

I'm not against Islam, or any religion. What I am against is Islamic extremists who give the religion a bad name in the name of said religion

 

[HamzaAbbasi]

Lol I'm clearly a Muslim but I'm deeply against these extremists, whether they be killing children or grown men it shouldn't be happening. But I also dislike the people who hate on Islam as a whole for these tiny minorities; there's massive violence in other parts of the world and much of that isn't paid attention to. The media make slaves of its viewers and they are the ones that begin hatred.

 

[Niche]

I do not support Islamic beliefs, which would make me an infidel. (Literally "unfaithful")

Of course the norm for majority of people now is to believe Islam is what is portrayed by the extremist seen overseas, which I'm sure is far from what the Quran actually is supposed to say.

Like anything though, it is up to your interpretation.

 

[Superfluous]

With the recent events such as the Sydney siege and the kids killed in Pakistan, what are your personal views on Muslims in general?

Great way to stage a supposedly neutral religious conversation, by bringing up two extremist attacks that are highly anomalistic and using them to frame a discussion. I suggest you edit the OP to "What are your personal views on Islam?" if you want reasonable discourse..

It's a fact that it's the very minority that carry out such despicable deeds.

It's a fact that every minority, majority, or plurality can commit horrible wrongs. White, American whackjobs are responsible for unthinkable crimes too, you know.

However, it seems so many people seem to have the mindset that: "It's Islam that is bringing terror regardless of the motives of the Islamic community".

Yourself included? It's not Islam that brings terror, fear, and hatred, it's intolerance and ignorance that brings these things. Each person who adheres to Islam has every right to practice his or her beliefs, and it's terribly bigoted to think otherwise.

 

I'm not against Islam, or any religion. What I am against is Islamic extremists who give the religion a bad name in the name of said religion

This. And the media does a good job of making Islam look bad.

 

We do not choose where we are born, it is sheer luck. Whether you are born in poverty, or riches, whether you are born in a family religious of one kind or another. This alone contradicts religions' belief that they are the one true religion, cause how the eff will someone by sheer luck born into a family heavily christian, and as a direct result become christian himself, have a chance to become muslim?

Can not agree more with this..

 

[Apith]

I'm not against Islam, or any religion. What I am against is Islamic extremists who give the religion a bad name in the name of said religion

This.

This could be most voted comment, so I must say that under Islam, education is a human right. These monsters have no place in Islam. To them, the terrorists, if someone doesn't agree to their view of "islam," even if they say they're muslims, are not muslims under the eyes of the terrorists. As such, the terrorists claim such people shall be killed.

I grew up in the Middle East, I'm half Arab. I'm disgusted at both the extremists and the people who choose to let these extremists represent millions of people. I do not follow any religion, my dad and his family are Muslim. They are amazing and very respectable people, it just makes me sick to my stomach how the media has tied them and compared people like them to extremists who commit despicable acts that no one from there supports.

"It's Islam that is bringing terror regardless of the motives of the Islamic community"

I think it's because pretty much everyone from the Middle East are Muslim. I've never heard of anyone from there with a different religion. If you see an Arab there's a 99% chance he's a muslim. So they get tied together. When you see other people you don't think of their religion like you do with Arabs. So instead of tying these acts with the people, people choose to tie it with those people's religion. When almost everyone from the Middle east are muslim, there's bound to be a few bad apples.

 

[AcesandEights]

I'm not against Islam, I merely do not condone the actions of some of it's members.

Coincidentally , as I'm writing this I flicked over to the news to see what was happening. One of the main articles today was that of ISIS who have shot down a plane and have captured the pilot. Once again they are threatening to behead the pilot live on TV later today. On Christmas Eve, is this really the world we live in...

I certainly don't agree with the Media which generalizes the actions few to a majority. But, the actions committed are done for a 'insert religion name'. I can't blame the people who form these stereotypes because that is the world we live in.

Am I against Islam? No, I'm against the sadistic scum that commit these actions.

 

[krutoi]

What religion gave was positive at the time of war, killings, and plunder, it taught men to be good and kind, but with the advanced society we live in today kindness does not come from religion alone, but most likely from the area of which you live in, your behavior, and other things you have adopted from your parents.
Most religions eg. Islam say that they are the one true religion, everyone else will die on doomsday but the the true believers. However, isn't it true that you'll become a christian, or a muslim if your parents are? These religions are sometimes forced upon you unknowingly, and you cant choose if you happen to live in Pakistan, or the US?
We do not choose where we are born, it is sheer luck. Whether you are born in poverty, or riches, whether you are born in a family religious of one kind or another. This alone contradicts religions' belief that they are the one true religion, cause how the eff will someone by sheer luck born into a family heavily christian, and as a direct result become christian himself, have a chance to become muslim?

[/U][/B]

I don't see from where you take of that "depending on where you live and your parents, you will be x or y" which results clueless, as for me, my parents are Christians both and I am atheist. They didn't force me to believe in some beliefs but they aren't hard believers either when it comes to going to church and pray before every meal. We eat all and as a Russian child we are not forced to believe in any kind of religion as you have the rights to choose whether you are x or y. Maybe in other countries such as Iraq and Iran and so on you may be forced but not everywhere, overall I agree with you even if it may not be 100% true, I know people who were forced to believe in religion and if you would ever tell him that their religion is shit for this and for that they'd start to blame you and insult you and what not. But I know people too who grew up in Iraq and are Christian or even Atheist, which leads me to think that people are different and what they choose is different aswell.

 

^which is what i mean.
My parents are both heavily religious but gave me the freedom to choose myself. I am happy that my parents did that to me, as it opened the doors for me to choose my own truths, and not have them showed down my throat.
It dosnt change the fact of what i said, if your christian, you will most likely be christian too, you wont be a muslim. Theres only 1 out of a trillion that converts like that.
The question was never being forced to believe in a religion krutoi... The question is whether or not having a parents believing in something, wont heavily influence you to believe the same. Cause they most likely do, they are your parents and wants you to have the same ideals as them (for most parts). Therefor you cant question the authenticity that parents around the world wouldnt raise their kids with an subjective mind on the their beliefs and other beliefs rather than objective.
I can only say kudos to your parents to have given you the freedom that i idealize every parent should give to their child. The right to choose their own beliefs. Unfortunately, it is shoved down peoples' throats.
We do see however a recession of extreme believers, and many christian and muslim people around Europe wouldnt infact be described as True Muslims or christians following each rule by the book, many of them bend it to their own gain/pleasure, and thus i would call them conditional believers. However religion is to ones own interpretation, and that is the key point i want to make. One should have the right to believe in what ever they want to believe without all the bias of what religion is the one truth, that comes from being raised up by religious parents.

 

[Anavar]

Yourself included? It's not Islam that brings terror, fear, and hatred, it's intolerance and ignorance that brings these things. Each person who adheres to Islam has every right to practice his or her beliefs, and it's terribly bigoted to think otherwise.

I'm a muslim myself so that answers your question

 

[nodnarbusn]

I'm not against Islam, or any religion. What I am against is Islamic extremists who give the religion a bad name in the name of said religion

This. Its a shame these terrorists do what they do in the name of islam..

 

[Hamouze]

Are the actions that these terrorists commit disgusting?
Yes.

Are they out of the norm of the populous?
No.

You might be thinking: "What do you mean they're not out of the norm? Of course it's out of the norm, I never hear of any other crazy attacks other than from these Muslim terrorists!"

Well, that's the problem. What you hear and where you here it from: the media. The media is the real terrorist portraying Islam as a violent religion when it is not. They focus on the minorities and the minorities only. They never show you the fact that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world, will take over Christianity in number of followers within 100 years, and has poetic peaceful meaning behind everything. Why? Because that's BORING.

Why is it that when a Middle Easterner commits a crime he is a terrorist but when a white man commits a crime he is a criminal, delusional, psychotic, but NEVER a terrorist. As soon as a white man commits a crime, whether it may be a mass shooting in an elementary school, a mass shooting in a movie theater, or law enforcement violations, the first thing the media goes towards is psychological evaluations, gun control, anything to prove that it wasn't the white guy's fault. Because Westerners aren't going to read shit when it comes to something saying that their own people are just as fucked up as the rest of the world, if not more.

Let's ignore the KKK even though it's still around and has happened in the past few decades, let's ignore the mass genocide of Hitler in the name of ethnic cleansing, let's ignore the Crusades and the murder of hundreds of thousands because they weren't Christian, let's just ignore anything bad that ever happens from Christians/Anglo-Saxans. That's the motto of the media.

 

[Car_Radio]

It's crazy this thread even exists. "What do you think about this entire religion and the individuals who practice it?" You're basically asking if people are ignorant or not.

The actions of a few in no way condemns the millions of individuals practicing Islam. It's like making the correlation that Westboro Baptist Church represents Christianity as whole.

 

[Superfluous]

I'm a muslim myself so that answers your question

The OP is still a lousy way to predicate a discussion, and saying that you're a muslim doesn't absolve you from anything.

 

[Shall Skill]

@Superfluous chill out lmao

I think it's pretty clear we all are for religious freedom and support whatever religion you practice, but as a whole we dislike the extremist - in this generation the islamic extremists, in other generations other extremists.

However, to steer this in another direction, does anybody feel uneasy in places like airplanes and crowded malls when they see clearly middle eastern men? I hate to admit to it but I do

Another side note: I have good friends in Pakistan and I constantly ask them what the overall thoughts are over there and how they feel towards americans and terrorists, etc etc. They say that the overwhelming majority of people ARE against terrorists but at the same time do NOT feel sympathy towards americans because they believe we brought this upon ourselves (we have given the pakistan taliban so many weapons that have been used to sieze power and kill innocent pakistan citizens). They turn a blind eye to violence done to americans. Is this justified?

 

[Car_Radio]

However, to steer this in another direction, does anybody feel uneasy in places like airplanes and crowded malls when they see clearly middle eastern men? I hate to admit to it but I do

Another side note: I have good friends in Pakistan and I constantly ask them what the overall thoughts are over there and how they feel towards americans and terrorists, etc etc. They say that the overwhelming majority of people ARE against terrorists but at the same time do NOT feel sympathy towards americans because they believe we brought this upon ourselves (we have given the pakistan taliban so many weapons that have been used to sieze power and kill innocent pakistan citizens). They turn a blind eye to violence done to americans. Is this justified?

Can't say I do anymore I did when I was younger and ignorant and if some pre-conceived, racist/sexist/whatever thought comes into my head I remind my self it's how I was taught, not what I actually think.

Not to bash on your friends, but a limited experience with a limited amount of people hardly represents an overall population's views towards any issue. "Well I have this black friend who doesn't think police shooting of black men is an issue and that they kind of deserve it so really, don't they?"

That overwhelming majority you speak of is 99%, I don't care enough to pull up actual figures, but its in a tenths of a percent of extremists within Islam (ex: I believe there are 48,000 within the Taliban? Not sure though and there are plenty of other extremist groups) Thing is, you have nothing but your friend's word that so many feel that Americans have brought it upon themselves. To be fair, causing a problem and then dealing with the outfall of that problem could easily be considered righteous.

This "violence" done to Americans is miniscule - even more so when you compare it to the what we have done to other nations, frankly it's practically non-existent. They can't even turn a blind eye to it, because the violence that has been done to Americans has effected their daily lives. How about the lives of the 100's of children that have been killed by U.S. drones in Pakistan alone.

Fun fact: We have had more Americans killed by Ebola then we have ISIS.