Why do people assume that Muslims give consent to terrorists?

Question

I'm not a Muslim, I just hate seeing people get bullied and picked on.

It so irritates me when I see people post stuff here saying that Muslims don't speak out against terror and that this 'silence is consent'. Take a look at Manny's response here:

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AtWE52cNNtSndJ8f.RVtUJESBgx.?qid=20061020074800AAZFska

Is it more the fact that the media don't focus on the voice of moderate Islam, but only on the whacko firebrand extremists?

Look, there are plenty of Muslim organisations speaking out against terrorism. Take a look:

http://www.islamfortoday.com/terrorism.htm
http://www.freemuslims.org/
http://www.islamdenouncesterrorism.com/
http://www.mvp-us.org/
http://www.islamagainstterrorism.com/
http://www.m-a-t.org/

Andromeda, that is what is known as 'circular reasoning'.

You think they give consent to terrorists because they 'seem' to give consent to terrorists. Where's the evidence?

I've just given you evidence that there are plenty of Muslims who are speaking out against terror. But you choose to ignore it.

Mortgagegirl101, it's not the case that the radicals are 'drowning out' the moderates. It's the fact that the media pay them more attention. Everything you see and hear is filtered through newspapers and the tv. The internet is full of innacurate information also (a brief glance through Yahoo! Answers will confirm this!).

So, here I am, little old me, trying to redress the balance a bit.

Patch, the Muslim population of this country is barely 5% if that. How on earth do you imagine that they will change our official religion to Islam?

Chris_G, I agree with your overall sentiments, but how on earth can the Muslim community be more vocal in distancing themselves from the terorists if the tv cameras are never pointed at them?

When will a Muslim denouncement of terror make headline news?

Moderate muslims are being covered up by the media with far more effectiveness than any veil they might choose to wear.

Warren H, Arabic countries account for a relatively small proportion of all the Muslims in the world:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Islam

You say you are a bit of a news hound, but this is just my point. Everything comes to us through a media that aren't interested in giving moderate Muslims a voice. Being a news hound wouldn't help in such circumstances, would it?

Clive T, where did I condone what goes on in Iran?

Do you assume that all Muslims adhere to Iranian standards and customs?

Yuckler, I think you may have missed the bit where I said I'm NOT a Muslim.

I have one more thing to say, yuckler -

- try googling 'biblical atrocities'.

(I'm not anti Christian by the way)

Answer 1

Because, like Wafflebox, the stupid people who can't see anything but the colour of someone's skin or the clothes they wear, or the place they worship in, fed reactionary crap by tabloid editors who know they're writing rubbish but don't care because it sells papers, have managed to make this into an US and THEM argument - nice white people against the nasty brown ones. The only 'us' here is people who want to live their lives safely and peacefully, the only 'them' is the tiny minority of crazy extremists who think that blowing people up is the way to heaven. Our only strength is in unity with the millions of moderate muslims and people of every other creed who agree and find their behaviour despicable. Good question.

Answer 2

I'm not a muslim but the majority of muslims seem to be against terrorism and simply want to live a normal peaceful life like anyone else.

The media have create a lot of controversy in only showing the bad side of the religion which is this warped minority who have fabricated the religion to try and justify their own evil ways.

However I do think the muslim community need to be a little more public and vocal in distancing themselves and condeming the extremists.

Answer 3

Here is a Pew poll from June of this year. It looked at Muslim attitudes of various thing and in various countries. There are some pretty scary attitudes there. For instance, less than half in Arab countries are unwilling to say that suicide bombings are never OK. I could go on, but you can see for yourself.
http://www.danielpipes.org/article/3706 (This links directly to pdf's on Pews website in different languages)
That is why. The prevailing attitude is that there is a reason for it, and it is OK.

I am a little surprised at the number of links you found, but it only takes one guy to put up a site. I am quite a news junkie and I only ever saw one individual out of all those groups speaking publicly. I could list sites that say the opposite for days.

Answer 4

Study what is going on in Iran, a young girl was abused by her uncle, she complained to the Islam authorities and was arrested and found guilty of being sexually active, and was hanged, she was 16. The law stated that she had to be 18 but they changed her birth date so they could "legally" hang her. Her uncle was set free with a warning, but then again he is a man. any Muslims that convert to the Christian faith in Iran face the death penalty. What kind of faith is this that can do these things, Islam. There have already been calls to bring Islamic law to this country, if you don't know this then wake up! and find out what is really going on in the world

Answer 5

I don't think that Muslims give consent,and I know that it can't be easy for them to go to the police if they are suspicious of anyone at the Mosque who may or may not be plotting terrorist acts.
The terrorists hurt Muslims by putting suspicion on them ask any Irishman who lived through the 1980's.
As for the media they don't look for good news in any walk of life, they try to sensationalise everything and forget the truth.

Answer 6

I'm really feeling your point here but your asking questions to some people that most likely have never had an education,hence there moronic answers. I'm a British Muslim with an British outlook just like my christian and Jewish friends.I love my faith i'm not going to apologise for individuals actions as it has nothing to do with my faith or me.Muslims get killed in terrorist attacks to so why would we agree with them?
It speaks for it's self.

Answer 7

I think people assume that the muslims who are interviewed by the media are moderates. I seem to remember muslim groups in the news criticising the police for raiding the houses of suspected muslim terrorists which suggested to me that they are trying to protect terrorists.

Answer 8

I totally agree with you. But I am a Born-Again-Christian and also cannot stand bullying. But there are Muslims who are trying to change, by force, this Christian country into their own way of false religion.

Once you come to know Christ as your Saviour and receive the Holy Spirit inside you, you just know God is real. You cannot understand that unless you make that one life changing step, and there's no religious ceremony, Jesus is just a prayer away. That prayer can give you Eternal Life, so instead of condemning Muslims, we should pray for their Salvation. Terrorism consists of unstable but fanatical people who will get a shock when they face God!

God Bless You!

Answer 9

I would never say they do ot speak out against terrorism, I would only note that they are being effectively silenced by the radicals who are screaming louder and by the bombs that make actions louder than words.

Answer 10

You don't exactly see any worldwide demos against their
cowardly murdering suicide bombers... when their rockets are
being fired from residential areas there appears to be no rallying
of the people to stop this relentless slaughter , so you could be
forgiven into thinking they are sympathetic.