What do you truly think of Islam?

Question

The reason I'm asking this questions is because I am a Muslim, and I see the opinions of people here, and how the media's stories and 9/11 have affected their perception of Islam and Muslims.

Answer 1

What may be actual fact and what the non-Islamic world has been exposed to are possibly not the same. Based on all my exposure to those who are Islamic, either directly or indirectly via media venues, my personal opinion is the religion is filled with arrogance and the belief that violence is the means to it's end. Would I welcome an Islamist into my home? Not in this lifetime.

Answer 2

Salamu alaikum. I am Mexican and studied Islam for a while. Have several Muslim friends. I am a Buddhist, though and was born catholic.

Personally, I think Islam is the best monotheistic religion because you don't have intermediaries like saints and virgins. I like the fact that you have to remembr God at least 5 times a day, the fasting element of Ramadan as a way to control your impulses and purify yourself. I also like that you have to share your wealth with the needy. I do not disagree with women having to use a veil, because far from limiting our freedom, I think it frees you from the need of having to prove yourself through clothes.

About the 4 wives I think it is a better option than being married and nonetheless having a lover that you just use for pleasure like in the West instead of treating her with the honor that any woman deserves.

However, there are 2 things I strongly dislike about Islam
1. The fact that Muslims that stop believing have to be killed. (I know there is no consensus on this one, but if you take Koran by word, that is what it says)
2. The fact that even after death, unequality between men and women continues. Pious muslims are received by hurriyas! (and please don't tell me that is because our nature is different)

It is sad that some fundamentalists have tarned the image of Islam through Jihad. I believe Muslims have the right to defend themselves if the existance of Islam is threatened, but retaliating with terrorist attacks abroad under the "eye for an eye" reasoning is not going to help. An eye for an eye and we would all end up blind.

However, only a very small percentage of the 1.1 billion Muslims in the world are radical fundamentalists. We should keep that in mind. About banning women from driving (like in Saudi Arabia) that makes Islam look as a religion for the 7th, century.

Answer 3

Islam itself is a peaceful religion, ranked right at the top with every other major religion. I'm afraid the radical actions by a few have made the worst impression possible on the whole religion.

But honestly, all the coverage as inspired me to try and find a copy of the Quran in English. I want to know exactly what differences there are between Christianity and Islam, because, from what I've seen so far, there aren't many.

As for my perceptions of Muslims themselves, I met, and befriended, several Muslims while in school. I am a military brat, and we get exposed to just about every culture. They are no different than anyone else. Just like I have friends who are Jewish, atheist, and Wiccan.

It's not what god you follow.
It's what He tells you to do.

Answer 4

It's been goin on a lot longer than 9/11. I suggest YOU stop getting your perception of from aljazeera.com and start reading a credible news source.

The opinions formed on Islam are because muslims are doing little to change those opinions..because they sit there in unified silence and never speak out against the atrocities of their extremists. Perhaps it is because they all share the same views. Perhaps they are all extremists, just in different degrees. They ask the world to understand their grievances, while their people kill innocents. Clean your house first, before you come to the world with your hand out, looking for sympathy. No, contacts and informants in the muslim world won't help. This is a muslim problem. The muslims are the only ones who can stop it. If they don't, it means they support it and we've seen all kinds of evidence that they do, whether they admit it openly or not. They glorify suicide murders! They have parades and memorials in honor of teens who blew themselves up to kill Israelis or Maronites or Americans or whoever the infidel do jour is. Not all muslims are bad, but enough are to really really matter. After 9/11 an extensive poll was taken throughout the muslim world (where allowed.) 15% openly supported OBL and said the US had it coming and they hope there's more. 69% said that, while regrettable, it's the US's own fault for supporting Israel, EVEN THOUGH at the time, Israel wasn't even mentioned by OBL, and most of these people have never met an Israeli in their lives. So 74% of the muslim world wants Israel gone and wouldn't be too sad if we were gone too. If the poll is representative, then out of 1.3 Billion muslims in the world, there are over 700 Million who want Israel gone and who wish us ill. Furthermore, A 2004 estimate by the intelligence unit of French police found that about 150 of the country's indexed 1,600 mosques and prayer halls were under the control of extremist elements.

A study of 1,160 recent French converts to Islam found that 23% identified themselves as Salafists — a sect sometimes associated with violent extremism.

In the Netherlands, the Dutch intelligence service says it believes as many as 20 different hard-line Islamic groups may be operating in the country.
In London, authorities say that as many as 3,000 veterans of al-Qaeda training camps over the years were born or based in Britain. Not all muslims are bad, but as far as I'm concerned, enough of them are, therefore I don't feel bad about generalizing or profiling in this case.

To stop the regression, the moderate majority will have to argue against the mobilization of Islamic religion for war. Individuals may rely on their faith to inspire them in adversity. Religion may be invoked at times of loss. But it is impossible to deploy religion to justify killing and self immolation, without undermining the foundations of the religion itself.

In the pained expressions of decent Muslims, there is more than regret at America's loss. There is a growing realization that the men who brought down the twin towers put Islam in peril. Only Muslims can redeem it.

Answer 5

Islam is the greatest evil facing the world today. I came to understand this long before 9/11 and even 33 yrs before I answered God's call and became one of The True Church of which Jesus The Christ is The Head. So my faith and one act of evil did not influence my opinion... though 9/11 did confirm the truth of that evil.

Answer 6

I am a Christian, and I believe that Muslims love God just as much as I do, but I don't follow the Quran. I follow the Bible, because I believe Jesus is my lord, and savior. I love Jesus. I don't believe in Mohamed's teachings, but I might agree with some of his views, but I don't believe that he was a prophet, and I would of told you the same thing even before 9/11.
I have nothing against any Muslim. I have some thing against murderers who claim to kill Innocent people in Gods name. I find it offensive.

Answer 7

I am sick of hearing the Muslims whinging and whining about how the rest of the world perceives them. Get real ....stop trying to in force your Islamic rule and terrorism on the rest of the world. Visit South-West of Sydney NSW Australia and just look what that peaceful religion (LOL) is actually doing...it stinks

Answer 8

I think you are in the unfortunate position of having a few bad apples spoil it for the majority of Muslims.

I have no bad feelings toward the religion of Islam or Muslims. The problem is that terrorists are not generally white anglo saxons. So how do you separate the bad apples from the good? How can you target terrorists without targeting Muslims?

Answer 9

How about those cartoon riots. Wow that was really impressive. NOT. I mean come on. We've seen muslims way too many times taking to the streets, burning stuff up just because they got upset about something. Grow up.

Answer 10

On average, people are really poorly educated and that leads to people having completely inaccurate perceptions of groups they do not understand.

Any intelligent person knows that there are violent extremists among all religions, and that the violent extremism is the problem, not the religion itself.