Muslims and terrorism

[BigRedBuster]

I'm interested in your thoughts on this article/oped piece.

 

 

Stop asking Muslims to condemn terrorism. It's bigoted and Islamophobic.

[VectorVictor]

 

In all seriousness, the points in the OpEd are spot on, and reflect the double-standard (as well as the Christian-persecution complex) here in America.

 

When a Christian fundamentalist killed an abortion doctor, I don't recall the media crying out for Christians en masse to condemn it. When Westboro Baptist Church protests dead soldiers with hateful anti-homosexual propaganda, I don't see a call for Christian organizations to denounce Westboro's activities. That's because people understand that there's a difference between Christians and religious radicals perverting the religion they purport to act for.

 

The act of asking for Islam to condemn terrorism and murders in their religion's name can only come from a place of ignorance and intolerance where the perception is that Islam, by its very existence, supports said violence and terrorism. That place is a sad, pathetic place populated by folks that are frankly wasting precious oxygen.

 

Of course, ignorance and fear run rampant across the land (see Fox News), and intolerance, bigotry, and hatred quickly follow behind. Even G. W. Bush saw this happening (as illustrated per the linked article) and made a call for people to think. Problem is, when you've been encouraging a voting base to not think for themselves for quite some time, you find it difficult to get them to reverse course in a hurry.

[zoogs]

When a small group of people do something so front and center and horrifying and do it in the name of Islam, they're the ones making the association between Islam and what they do. I'd like to say, "it goes without saying..." but clearly, especially in Europe sometimes, it doesn't. It's only natural for the rest of Islam to, faced with this attempt at global association, repudiate it.

 

Actually, I think you do see this a lot. For example, "I'm a Christian, and I'd like to separate myself and my religion from these people who proclaim _______ in Christianity's name" (often _____ is anti-gay bigotry, or science denialism, or religious intolerance, etc).

 

So the fact that poor understanding exists isn't unique and I don't think it's fair to call it bigotry. These statements -- voluntarily made -- are all part of what seems like a good effort to bring about better understanding.

 

I also haven't seen any actual "calls" for Islam or Muslims to say something, and if they exist they can probably be filed with all the other hateful reactions from a small percentage of non-Muslims, in the trash bin.

[ShawnWatson]

As someone that associates with no religion, this article is complete and utter BS. If you kill people in the name of your sh**ty religion, prepare to be called out for it.

[Junior]

When a small group of people do something so front and center and horrifying and do it in the name of Islam, they're the ones making the association between Islam and what they do. I'd like to say, "it goes without saying..." but clearly, especially in Europe sometimes, it doesn't. It's only natural for the rest of Islam to, faced with this attempt at global association, repudiate it.

 

Actually, I think you do see this a lot. For example, "I'm a Christian, and I'd like to separate myself and my religion from these people who proclaim _______ in Christianity's name" (often _____ is anti-gay bigotry, or science denialism, or religious intolerance, etc).

 

So the fact that poor understanding exists isn't unique and I don't think it's fair to call it bigotry. These statements -- voluntarily made -- are all part of what seems like a good effort to bring about better understanding.

 

I also haven't seen any actual "calls" for Islam or Muslims to say something, and if they exist they can probably be filed with all the other hateful reactions from a small percentage of non-Muslims, in the trash bin.

 

 

http://mediamatters.org/research/2015/01/07/what-fox-wont-show-you-muslim-leaders-are-conde/202049

 

Fox's Monica Crowley: "I Haven't Heard Any Condemnation" Of The Paris Attack From Muslim Groups.While discussing reactions to the Charlie Hebdo attack on the January 7 edition of Fox News' The Real Story, contributor Monica Crowley argued that Muslims "should be condemning" the attack and that she hadn't "heard any condemnation." [Fox News, The Real Story, 1/7/15]

Fox Guest: "You Don't See Denunciations Of Radical Islam ... By Mainstream Islamic Groups." In a discussion of the Paris attack on the January 7 edition of Fox News' America's Newsroom, guest Steve Emerson, executive director of the Investigative Project on Terrorism, claimed that "you don't see denunciations of radical Islam, by name, by mainstream Islamic groups." [Fox News, America's Newsroom, 1/7/15]

Fox Host Bob Beckel: Muslim Groups Like CAIR Keep "Their Mouth Shut When Things Happen." While discussing the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris during January 7 edition of Fox News' The Five, host Bob Beckel criticized Howard Dean for suggesting that the terrorists were like a cult, and claimed that Muslims as a whole are "being quiet." He went on to accuse the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) of keeping "their mouth shut when things happen." [Fox News, The Five, 1/7/15]

 

[Junior]

As someone that associates with no religion, this article is complete and utter BS. If you kill people in the name of your sh**ty religion, prepare to be called out for it.

 

[Dr. Mantis Toboggan]

I am a recovering christian. Left the faith last year mainly because of the people in the religion, I consider myself agnostic now. Nearly every religion has a dark past, and every extreme side of religion in my opinion is evil. The reason why Muslims are taking so much heat right now is because they rather deny than condemning or separating themselves from the extremists. There are Muslims that are wonderful people but the jihadists shadow the good people of Muslim faith. If you watch Bill Maher's documentary Religulous you'll see that every time he confronts a Muslim about killing an artist for drawing a cartoon of the prophet or using kids as suicide bombers they all deny it or claim that it is a very small fraction of people. Bill would also ask if it is okay to kill someone for leaving the religion and no one would answer that question but just try to get around it. Out of all the religions I would say that the majority of extremism is within the Muslim faith, Christianity being a close second.

You see Christians separating themselves from westboro, but you don't see some of these Muslim nations condemning muslim terrorism, hell, they even harbor these organizations and most of these nations are US allies.

But people who say that the Muslim faith is a peaceful one really hasn't read any passages from the Koran. The same goes for the bible as well. The difference is that most Muslims follow every word of the Koran while Christians pick and choose which parts of the bible they like.

I hope I don't sound like a bigot against Muslims because that is furthest from the truth, I think people should believe in whatever it is they want without persecution. The problem I have with the muslim faith is that they view everyone who do not share their belief as infidels, so why should I tolerate a group that doesn't tolerate other religions? That in itself is the definition of a hate group which is hidden behind the word religion.

[zoogs]

 

I also haven't seen any actual "calls" for Islam or Muslims to say something, and if they exist they can probably be filed with all the other hateful reactions from a small percentage of non-Muslims, in the trash bin.

 

http://mediamatters.org/research/2015/01/07/what-fox-wont-show-you-muslim-leaders-are-conde/202049

 

Fox's (...)

Fox Guest: (...)

Fox Host: (...)

 

Oh. Well, everything Fox tends to go in the bin anyways. As an American, I would like to apologize for those guys

 

If those are the kinds of articles this Vox article is responding to, there's not much of an argument, I guess. It's awful and (I hope) most people realize it -- that radicals not representing the whole goes without saying.

[ShawnWatson]

 

As someone that associates with no religion, this article is complete and utter BS. If you kill people in the name of your sh**ty religion, prepare to be called out for it.

 

No it' really didn't. Even a large amount of "moderate" Muslims are in favor of stoning laws and enforcing Sharia Law where they live.

[rawhide]

I like that a speaker on MSNBC equated the massacre in Paris to Falwell's lawsuit against Hustler. NICE

[Dr. Mantis Toboggan]

 

 

As someone that associates with no religion, this article is complete and utter BS. If you kill people in the name of your sh**ty religion, prepare to be called out for it.

No it' really didn't. Even a large amount of "moderate" Muslims are in favor of stoning laws and enforcing Sharia Law where they live.

 

^THIS!

[knapplc]

There are Muslim groups denouncing terrorism, and I've seen pictures of individual Muslims showing support of victims of terrorism committed by radicals. 99% of world Muslims are peace-loving people like everyone else around the world. Some even take it upon themselves to overtly show that in the face of acts like the attack in Paris.

 

 

It's not a question of whether Muslims should or shouldn't condemn terrorism (they should, and do, just like everyone else does), I think it's more a question of why isn't their denunciation covered by the press more? There's a two-fold answer, I believe. First, it becomes tiresome. It happens after every terror attack, and the inevitability of these denouncements is predictable and boring. In a news world where sexiness sells, these constant refrains become static, like the rote apologies we get every time some celebrity, sports figure or politician does something stupid. Second, I wonder if news agencies aren't concerned that if they constantly publish these apologies they become complicit in associating all of Islam with the guilt from these atrocities. Rather than show normal Muslims side-by-side with the acts of the radicals, they don't touch the apologies at all.

[Junior]

 

 

As someone that associates with no religion, this article is complete and utter BS. If you kill people in the name of your sh**ty religion, prepare to be called out for it.

No it' really didn't. Even a large amount of "moderate" Muslims are in favor of stoning laws and enforcing Sharia Law where they live.

 

 

Do you have data to support that statement?

 

Let's not equate some with all. That's the point of the article, which you still seem to be missing.

[StPaulHusker]

Does it really matter if they publically condemn it? It doesn't bring back the lost lives and it doesn't reduce the pain of the surviving families.

[Abdullah the Butcher]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1510866/Poll-reveals-40pc-of-Muslims-want-sharia-law-in-UK.html

 

Four out of 10 British Muslims want sharia law introduced into parts of the country, a survey reveals today.

 

The ICM opinion poll also indicates that a fifth have sympathy with the "feelings and motives" of the suicide bombers who attacked London last July 7, killing 52 people, although 99 per cent thought the bombers were wrong to carry out the atrocity.