Islam, Arabs, and SAVAGENESS?

Question

although pope should not have given controversial statements to the press, I dont think the reactions in the arab and muslim world could by any means be justified.

Such violence can only tell u about their fundamentalistic mentality, violence for them speaks first.

and not just violence, but hypocrisy and double-standards too, for they dont do anything about terrorism and osama bin shi t's infectious virus fundamentalism, yet they jump up when someone uses violence against them

they will never consider their faults and confess it up

how can they think islam and arabs are better and deserve better than everyone else on earth?

Answer 1

What follows below is my response to a friend’s email concerning the same issue as what is being discussed in this forum:

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Its one thing for the common street hoodlum, or radical foot soldier, in Muslim countries, to be enraged by the comments made by the Pope. I don’t expect many of them to take time to deliberate the issue, or subsume the Pope’s comments in the proper context. They are reactionary beings. However, you would think that Imams’ and other Muslim clerics would me more academic in their reception of comments made by other religious leaders, affording their colleagues on the other side of the religious spectrum a fair hearing. Instead these so called learned men of Muslim upbringing are just as reactionary as the ruffians on the streets of Palestine, or the insurgents attacking their own people in Iraq.

It’s bizarre that both Jews and Christians are called to make concessions and penance to placate Muslim sensitivities, and yet any offense to Christian ideals or people by Muslim authorities is met with deafening silence. When Christian churches are burned to the ground, when our iconography is desecrated because of Islamic militancy, and when death threats are levied on our most revered religious figures, no one in our ranks cries out for apologies or even reparations. No calls for the destruction of Mosques; no command for the assassination of Muslim leaders; and no vitriolic statements from our religious leaders are made concerning Muslim clerics. Even when the more radical fringe of Christendom – men like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson – make inflammatory remarks concerning Muslims and Islam, there is a large outcry from both mainline Christianity and the western secular media denouncing their statements as inane and immoral.

It is the Muslim world that has failed dismally in their efforts to do the same. We always point the incriminating finger at those within our fold that act in a manner that is in discord with what we believe to be the noble thing to do. Muslim “moderates” standby quietly giving tacit approval to the aggression of their more “radical” brethren.

Muslims constantly lament the disproportionate military response to 9/11 that Bush has made. Many in the Christian wing and in the rest of the western world have called him on it, and criticize him constantly for it. Yet when Muslim people attack Christian churches for something as trivial as a cartoon or an insensitive statement made by another Christian, no one talks about the Muslim disproportionate reaction. At least our attack of Afghanistan and Iraq, though focusing on the wrong people, returned violence for violence. Muslims, in reaction to mere rhetoric, returns temporarily hurtful words with violence. Words are eventually forgotten; a loss of life has repercussions that never really go away. You tell me who is responding in a more disproportionate fashion? Who in this scenario is responding more unjustly?

I wonder if Muslims realize how utterly feeble minded they look every time they respond like this? I am curious if “moderate” Muslims are cognizant of the fact that the more they remain mute concerning the wrong doings of their radical counterparts, the more the rest of the world will see them as one in the same? For my part, I a little doubtful as to how divergent “moderate” Muslims are ideologically from their “radical” colleagues. Both of them believe that Muhammad is the supreme prophet, one who supersedes even Jesus in divine significance. Muslims of both “radical” and “moderate” stripe believe that Muhammad is also the ultimate paradigm of human behavior; a model that should be emulated as close as possible. Both, if truly candid, must acknowledge that Muhammad, UNLIKE Jesus, who is the Christian’s primary example for living, was a military commander that took part in violence, order assassinations, and engaged in all the brutality associated with a military enterprise. He ordered the execution of those whose only sin was to ridicule him. These are historical facts attested to in their Qu’ran, Hadith, and secular Arabian history. Maybe the so called “moderate” Muslims don’t vocalize dissent against the “radicals” in their midst because they know, in their heart of hearts, that those the world likes to marginalize as “radicals” really represent the manner of behavior Muhammad would have condoned. The “moderates” remain silent, so as not to underscore their secret agreement with “radical” tactics and their own cowardice at not acting on principles they agree with.

I am disappointed at my Pope for apologizing for statements that are truthful. The truth is always offensive. Jesus made statements to the Pharisees that were infused with controversy. He never apologized for them, despite how inflammatory they might have been. There is no need for Pope Benedict XVI to qualify his statement with an appeal to proper context. Even as an isolated statement, the statements by the Byzantine emperor, that the Pope was quoting, are a truthful assessment of Islam’s prophet. The Catholic Church needs stop being politically correct. The Catholic Church needs to cease abiding by a culture of appeasement. Why should the Pope apologize for the narrow minds of those who cannot read a statement in its context, or who cannot admit to the dark side of their faith? Contrition and forgiveness are foundations to the Christian faith, but to be contrite, when one is not at fault, makes a mockery of reconciliation. If the church continues to be spineless like this, even I will want to leave it.

Answer 2

Are u at all open to the possibility that when statements like this are made, they feel very threated.Just imagine that our government did create 9-11 and blame it on muslim fanatics ok? Do you think then their anger would be justified?
Why does Israel think its better and deserves to be a country when being a jew is a religion and not an ethnic race?

Answer 3

No, we admit that many muslims arround the world appears to be bad, because they don't follow their religions' guidance.

and yes we are better than all humans, because we are the only believers, Jews & Christians... falsifized their prophets, and didn't follow the last prophet Mohammad which they found written about in their books (peace and blessing of Allah be upon all the prophets), so we don't say we are better because we are Arabs, no if we were Arabs and unbelievers we will be bad, and worser than any muslim on the land even he was the worst clothes and the most ugly face. so, its a matter of choice of faith, which everyone on earch has the right to choose.

Answer 4

The same way that Christians think they are better and deserve better than everyone else on earth:

Religion is a tool to control the masses so the true rulers can continue the business agenda.

Answer 5

It's funny, the Muslims and the UN ranted and raved about disproportional response about what Israel did in Lebanon but amazingly what is happening in the world about what the Pope said
gets absolutely not a word of response, why?

Answer 6

The pope chose to insult an entire religion. If he were Muslim, this would not happen as Islam teaches to respect other's religious beliefs. I want to add that your statement is anti-Semitic. Yes, we are Semites too. What, we can't use that term?

Answer 7

ok i am Arab-American and i'm a little offended by what you said. although i do believe they misinterpreted what the pope said. he just meant that there have been many religious wars. they are violent people because of the instability created there by rival groups and our occupation. they don't say that islam and themselves are better than anyone else. they do, however, deserve stability. unfortunately it doesn't seem like it will ever happen.

Answer 8

Islam in translation really means submission and peace. Note that submission comes before the peace. But the question is, who should submit to whom?

Answer 9

maybe christians should run around screaming and crying and burning effiges of islamic leaders and killing each other, in order to protest that islam is the religion that inspired people to create the attacks of 9/11.

Answer 10

the way i understand it true muslims do not believe in violence