Why do people generalize the whole religion of Islam as being negative?

Question

Yes in recent years terrorist have been Islamic, and the majority of the fighting in the Middle East is done by Islamic people.
Just because the Western World happens to be dealing with fighting in the Middle East we don't have to characterize Islam as bad.
Yes Islam does believe in Jihad. But the Christians believed in the Crusades. If you want to compare the amount of people killed do to Jihad and the amount of people killed do to indoctrinating people with Catholicism, I think Catholicism would win. Let’s ask the Native American. Hey lets also ask Pope Innocent III one of the biggest tyrants in history.
I don't understand why people have not learned to stop stereo typing the countries they are in conflict with. Look at the way the US treated Japan during WWII. Now Japan is great, but during the war they were depicted as inhuman. I guess I am just sick of people giving opinions on the Middle East when they have no understanding of it.

Answer 1

It's a case of a few rotten apples spoiling the barrel. And it's SO much easier to paint an entire religion with the same brush rather than saying, "Yeah, it's a couple of people who are taking it to extremes."

Answer 2

Thanks for the question as you are trying to understand what is going on this world these days. Well, I am Muslim and I believe in Jihad for all the occupied areas of the Muslim world like Palestine and Chechnya... I also know that my faith strongly prohibits killing and terrorizing civilians. The rules of engagement are strictly against the oppressors men of war. These days there is a lot of misinformation that goes in the Muslim world and unfortunately, some people believe in such crap. The funny thing is that if you ask any of those pro-al qaeda about Islam ...they will tell you what they have learnt not what there is in the Quran and the tradition. Also, there is a lot of ignorance in the western world about Islam and Muslims. Add the support for the state of Israel which was CREATED by Immigrant Jews from mostly Europe on the land of the Palestinians, you will get a picture of injustice that is being engraved in the minds of the neighboring Muslims.

Answer 3

There is not a religion in the world that doesn't have a dark past. Anyone who thinks Christians are saints hasn't looked! There are plenty of people, even modern day Christians who can look at what Christianity did to their ancestors and cry. Look at Hawaii, New Zealand, Fiji, only to name a few. Christians went in and told them how to dress, how to act and what to believe in. If they didn't comply they were humiliated, jailed or worse, killed. Not that I'm saying all Christians are bad, I am one, I believe I'm a decent person. I just don't believe anyone under any religion should go in and tell people how to live. I believe the reason people do this is because of their own insecurity with themselves AND their religion. How sad for them. I can't change the way people think. I just have to make my views known and hopefully some people will see the logic of my view. I'm also not saying that my view is correct. I'm always open to new views but I do believe that it has some merit. Just as I don't think all Christians are bad people I don't think all Islamic people are bad. But I do believe there are those out there who only want to be right. I have to believe that when people say Islamic people are bad, they are not talking about "all Islamics" just the extremists. I have to believe this because it would make me soooooo sad to think that such prejudice is still so rampant.

Answer 4

Would you please respond to the last blog entry posted on my 360 page? I think you may see a different point of view as well as sharing your point of view with others.

I agree that Islam is not the Holy Terrorists. There have been others, like you said, the Catholics. Terrorism, by definition, is any act that terrorises or places fear in others.

It is a forgetting of the past and only seeing what is right in front of them that causes people to dislike Islam so much today. However, Islam has always been a warring faction. Throughout history, they would request to move into and live along side of other cultures. If that culture decided to say no, then they would simply take it by force. Nothing has changed much. But neither has much changed in the other factions/beliefs/faiths in the world today. Protestants are still killing Catholics and Catholics are still killing Protestants in Northern Ireland. Don't hear much about it because Islam is the only thing on everyone's minds today.

Governments are no better. They are still causing mass destruction everywhere. It is either their way or you die or you lose your country.

That fact is, terrorism is terrorism, no matter who is committing it, but Islam is just not afraid of showing they can do the same thing that all the large governments do but hide behind religion as a means of doing it.

Answer 5

Why does everyone go back 500 years is this all Muslims on here. Who live in the past. I want to hear nothing but current events. Not last year, or 3 months ago.
Who did what yesterday and will probably do it again tomorrow.
No race was ever persacuted more than the Irish in Europe.
But thats ok. That was 1000 years ago or 500 what ever.
I being a Irish married an English man. Move on!
I want to know what is in my future, not my past.

Answer 6

Most of us never hear of Islam unless some terrorist is killing someone in the name of Allah. We need more positve interaction among the different faiths. How may Islamic followers think Christians are devils? When the races were kept separated there was so much hate. Now it is better that we intermix and get to know each other as persons. Still needs work tho, there probably will always be those who hate.,

Answer 7

In the main it's because they do not understand that the followers of Islam are as diverse as the followers of Christianity. Many peoples have committed atrocities in the name of religion but that cannot make them right. If people looked at the diversity of the nations that make up the Middle East and how they have developed in so many different ways they might view things differently.

Answer 8

And we care what people think of us because... Only America and Great Britain, and Israel population have negative notions of Islam. The rest of the world and world travelers don't, So don't waste your time we these people. When they want to know truth, they will study on their own. Why are you trying to convince them of Islam? Allah is our protector and ony proptector how others feel isn't a concern. Lot's wife turned around; don't turn around keep progressing, you're regressing, don't look back. But race towards all that is good with those who believe.

Answer 9

All religions are good. They teach you good things to lead your life happily. But there are problems with Semitic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. All of them are aggressive and have inbuilt rules so that no entrant can turn back. Especially in Islam the rules are so stringent that a Muslim can not use his logic or reason to decide. He goes back to his religion or the Ulema to guide him. Thus individual thinking becomes a casualty. Islam also has concepts of Ummah and Jihad. They have to go to help and fight with their compatriots with out any regard for nationality. Lack of modern scientific outlook and the above principles makes most uneducated Muslims rigid and intolerant. That is where the problems start and they can not coexist in peace with people of other religions. (Let me hasten to add that there are educated Muslims who overcome these problems and live happily with their fellow citizens.)

Answer 10

"People" don't. I know, because I'm "people" and I don't.

I think you are referring to "ignorant people" not just "people" in general. Ignorant people generalize because they are too proud and/or lazy to take the time to seek knowledge and understanding. You see it everywhere, not just in regard to Islam, and I'm sick of it too. I guess everyone likes to assert their opinions on pretty much everything, but few take the time to educate themselves.

It seems to be human nature to hate that which you don't understand. It's probably based in survival instinct, because being in a situation you don't understand could be dangerous. In today's world though, there's no excuse for approaching life that way. It's actually very sad, when you think about it. It doesn't do anybody any good.

Answer 11

You are concentrating on the middle East, what about The Sudan, the Philipines, East Europe, Pakistan,etc where all the crazy muslims are still trying to kill everyone that disagrees with them, and in France and England where they just about have the non-muslim outnumbered?