...and you are afraid of MUSLIMS?!?

[Tiggeroshii]

This is just a general rant fueled by the frustration I have over peoples' lack of understanding and willing ignorance about the Muslim religion in general. The unwillingness to understand it, and a submissive attitude of fear and hate towards it.


White Christian Extremists have perpetrated the worst crimes the United States has ever seen, consistently, for 120 years. Through the KKK and through the holocaust, millions of people have been kidnapped and murdered because of their race and religion. These actions were perpetrated by mainly Christian extremists who felt that it was God's will to exterminate entire groups of people based on who they are. Horrific crimes committed on horrific precondition.

And you are seriously sitting there, at your computer, telling me that you're afraid of all the Muslims because they killed a few thousand people 7 years ago? Let's contrast this with the millions of Jews killed in the name of Christ and "purity" during the holocaust. Let's compare this to millions of blacks whose houses were burned, families murdered and lynched because of the color of their skin in the name of Christ. For a hundred and twenty years, this continued, and for a hundred and twenty years White Christians, on behalf of their churches, and secret societies continued to take part in these atrocities. And you are afraid of Muslims?

How many Muslims broke into your home, kidnapped your sons and daughters on a consistent basis without tell as to whether they will come home alive? How Muslims set religious fixtures in your front yard on fire as a sign that your house will burn down, and your family possibly murdered? How many Muslim Americans orchestrated riots and massacres on tens of thousands of Americans on a consistent basis? Let's take the amount of American civilians killed in atrocities committed by Muslim extremists. Now multiply that a hundred-fold: That's the amount of Americans whose lives over the past one hundred and fifty years were effected negatively due to White Christians.

White Christian extremists, with their fear, hate and bigotry did far more to harm America and Americans than any Muslim extremist could imagine. The fear and anger people concoct on behalf of their religion has lead to atrocities like that of September 11, the Holocaust or the hundreds of massacres during the Jim Crow days. And it won't stop there. Slowly, with many Christians teetering on the edge, and fear of Muslims ramped up to the max, it is clear that the hatred and bigotry of Christian extremists did not end with the holocaust, or the KKK. It is clear that as people congregate together, preaching, conversing and spreading the fear generated from tragedies such as September 11, that, intentionally or not, acts of violence and hate are conducted as a result. It is clear that the more we accept people's inferiority because of race and religion, the more volatile our society and religious sects will become.

There is no reason to be afraid of Muslims. The vast majority of Muslims did not hurt anybody. Just as there is no reason to be afraid of Christians. There is no reason to be afraid of anybody. Just because a person is different, just because people who may associate and relate with this difference committed atrocities, does not mean the difference is bad. Perhaps less atrocities would occur if we did not continuously ostracize each other because our beliefs. Perhaps less violence would occur if more of us tried to find a common ground, rather than disseminate fear and anger towards one another.

Discussing these matters with people who believe strongly a person's religion warrants them to be specially examined, can be rather difficult. It can get you to be called things which are particularly undesirable, and can lead to especially temperamental conversations. But it can be particularly rewarding, especially when you consider that these peoples' values and ethical standards are very much like yours and mine. I think we should find that common ground, and try to explain and call out the ignorance and double standards that are so evident in the fringe corners of America.

For example: Murder is bad, lots of Christians murder, but they are somehow not considered Christians. Lots of Muslims murder, but it's right to say all Muslims can be categorized as dangerous or a threat, even if many Muslims don't believe the things that Al Qaeda does are particularly very Muslim. It's easy to note the double standard of disowning the Christians who do similar atrocious acts and making the assumption Muslims will not (Without really consulting any of them).

Maybe I'm fooling myself. Maybe some people can't be changed...

[Dennis Donovan]

1. Recommended.

:thumbsup:

[illuminaughty]

2. Force fed Christianity in my early years

But it never took root. I jumped on a plane at 19 and went to Cairo, Egypt alone. That was the beginning of my many friendships with Muslim people all over the globe.

If everyone could see the movie "The Message" it could bring about some change. The best thing to do is just to think of people as people and approach each person as a fresh slate. Ignorance is the real enemy.

Thanks for the rant.

[Richard Steele]

3. No muslims ever personally threatened me or my loved ones. I cannot say the same for "Christians".

For far too many simple-minded, hateful shitheads,
"Christian" is just a meaningless buzzword. It's not
a philosophy to them, it's a brand name.

If they're "Christian", I'm a fucking Hottentot.

[spag68]

4. Muslims

It's not so much that I'm afraid of Muslims, but I view them with the same skepticism as any religious group. I do hold to the idea that everyone has to follow their own path and as long as they do not affect society badly, so be it.

[obamachangetheworld]

5. Kicked and Recd

:)

[awoke_in_2003]

6. Only the fundie muslims...

fundies of any religion scare me.

[Tiggeroshii]

7. I just feel that if people talked to each other more often, in general,

be them of different religions, political orientations or anything, then in general, there would be a lot less ignorance, a lot less hate and a lot less violence.

[awoke_in_2003]

15. Oh, I agree...

Don't know any fundie muslims (I do know several non-fundie), but plenty of fundie christians. There is no talking to people like that- they are set in their world and will not even consider what anybody might have to say.

[glowing]

8. I think we need to teach our children in school about the world.

Students barely know where other states in their own country are, let alone countries around the world. Along with understanding our global world, since we are now economically globalized now, understanding the way these countries are governed and the religions that may influence the populace in these countries... Education is the key to understanding and empathy... I also think that every highschool student should be required to spend at least 2 weeks in another country.. to understand and NOT be afraid of people.

[Tiggeroshii]

10. I agree

Education is the key! I do hope an Obama presidency will help substantially as far as that is concerned. I think part of the reason is since Bush has been president and the Republicans have had a majority, education funding has been going in the toilet...

[aquart]

9. I am terrified of any people in large groups.

[OneGrassRoot]

29. Oh god, I have no idea why.....

but that just CRACKED ME UP!!!!!!!!!!

:rofl:

Thanks. :)

[Tiggeroshii]

33. It wasn't funny at first

But no that you've pointed it out it is...

:rofl:

[izzie]

11. I lived in the Middle East and I did not find them scary at all

It is the odd balls anyplace that are scary. I, and my family, were not treated so well when I lived in the South. I guess I talked like I came from the North and so did the children. It did not go over in SC very well. There we were the 'oddballs' that were scary to so many of those people. When they started turning over school buses we gave up and left. You can read about those times in the paper and I lived in a town where they were doing it. I see no difference in those people than the crazies muslins that did their thing. This type person is every place and in all colors and churches and are scary to sane people. Every red headed men have blown up children....

[silverojo]

12. Hell, I fear ALL religious nutjobs

As a kid, I feared the RW fundies long before "Muslim" ever entered my vocabulary!

[skooooo]

21. I'm with you.

[KharmaTrain]

13. American Myopia

A majority of us have grown up in an insular culture...one that's very inward looking and intolerant of alien people. While we're a nation of diversity, we're constantly divided within and then to "unify", we compare ourselves to "outsiders"...and generally with some form of superiority or suspicion or both.

When you turn on the news, virtually any international story is framed as "how it affects us"...meaning the U.S. Most times little context or historical perspective is given and snap analysis just solidifies stereotypes and misconceptions that further distort our view of world events. Nothing proves this more than the lack of understanding in this country of the various religious and political factions within Iraq...the balancing act our military has had to play to keep this mess from getting even worse.

We've also been inundated with tons of popular culture...images of the scary A-rab...from Ali Baba to Palestinians with bomb belts to Saddam Hussein to Iran...it all fits into a nice continuing theme that made it easy for repugnicans to change from the old Soviet/Russian boggieman to the new A-rab "islamofascits" one. Mix in some religion and good old racism and you have the stuff demegogoues dream of.

[KharmaTrain]

14. American Myopia

A majority of us have grown up in an insular culture...one that's very inward looking and intolerant of alien people. While we're a nation of diversity, we're constantly divided within and then to "unify", we compare ourselves to "outsiders"...and generally with some form of superiority or suspicion or both.

When you turn on the news, virtually any international story is framed as "how it affects us"...meaning the U.S. Most times little context or historical perspective is given and snap analysis just solidifies stereotypes and misconceptions that further distort our view of world events. Nothing proves this more than the lack of understanding in this country of the various religious and political factions within Iraq...the balancing act our military has had to play to keep this mess from getting even worse.

We've also been inundated with tons of popular culture...images of the scary A-rab...from Ali Baba to Palestinians with bomb belts to Saddam Hussein to Iran...it all fits into a nice continuing theme that made it easy for repugnicans to change from the old Soviet/Russian boggieman to the new A-rab "islamofascits" one. Mix in some religion and good old racism and you have the stuff demegogoues dream of.

[tkmorris]

16. Christians frighten me more. There are more of them here.

They both want essentially the same things. Christians simply haven't been quite as successful of late in installing fundamentalist regimes, at least not yet, not here.

Anyone who thinks they wouldn't love America to be a Christian mirror image of Iran though is deluding themselves.

[zbdent]

17. I'm afraid of Muslin Freepturds ...

[H2O Man]

18. Good question.

There is a small Muslim "community" located outside of a village in this area. In the late 1980s, the growth in their population caused some "concern" among some of the local population. But as people came to know them, and especially to see that their children did very well in school, and did not experience some of the usual acting-out behaviors in the larger community, most local people began to recognize them as a strong addition to the social fabric.

There were, and are, some people who dislike non-Christians. Especially those with brown and black skin. And after 9/11, their paranoia increased.

Some of the people who started the Islamic community were co-workers with my brother-in-law. I've known them for decades. They are many things, all good, in my opinion. It is that people who are paranoid about non-Christians, and who hate non-white folk, who I have concerns about.

[magdalena]

19. No, I am not afraid of Muslims, although fundies of any religion bother me.

I find it absolutely hilarious and ironic that fundie Christians are so fearful of Muslims and Islam in general. Islam respects and considers all of the great "prophets" of monotheistic tradition including Moses and Jesus. Muslims probably know more about (and adhere to) the "true" teachings of Christ more than fundie Christians do.

[dhpgetsit]

20. I lived in a predominately muslim nation for years as a child.

I felt safe riding bikes buses, walking around, going to stores. We looked very american, yet my family was welcomed into peoples homes everywhere we went. It was not uncommon to see a portrait of JFK in a shop or someones home. Americans were admired, and the Koran teaches people to welcome strangers and offer every hospitality possible.

I'm afraid now it might be a different story. Not because Islam has changed, but because people around the world have begun to regard the US as a "rogue nation" that would attack another country without provocation.

[cliffordu]

22. Kicked and recommended. I wish I could rec this one a dozen times.

[slampoet]

23. I am afraid of Quakers......and their oaty smell.

[Tiggeroshii]

27. quakers are among the nicest, most well intentioned people you can know!

Some people who use their religion for exactly the opposite of what I"m talking about are quakers.

But hey, oats can get annoying =P

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

24. With The Exception Of Radical Muslims, Then No.

[noonwitch]

25. I'm not afraid of muslims, but I am leery of Islam.

The treatment of women in Islamic countries is frightening.

[Taverner]

26. K&R

And for the record, the OP is referring to Extremist Christianity. So if you're a Christian and are feeling offended - don't.

[SteppingRazor]

28. I am not afraid of Muslims. On the other hand, fundamentalists of any stripe scare me silly. n/t

[tilsammans]

30. Several Muslim families live on my street

They couldn't be nicer or more generous.

:kick:

[4lbs]

31. There are over one billion Muslims in the world.

About one-tenth of one percent of them are of the violent, extremist, "insurgent"/"suicide bomber" mentality. The other 99.9% are peaceful, tolerant, and respectful.

Still, in a demographic of one billion, that's 1,000,000 that are violent. These are the ones we always see on TV and depicted in shows. Rarely the other 99.9% that are respectful are shown.

I'm sure in ANY religion or demographic, you can easily find at least one-half percent that are "lunatic fringe" and easily capable of resorting to violence to make themselves heard.

[Tiggeroshii]

34. That's an important number to keep in mind.

I totally agree.

[Indenturedebtor]

32. 120 years? Try 2,000. Seriously. K+R n/t

[machI]

35. Kick