Why on earth do people associate Islam with terrorism?

Question

Don't get me wrong, there are Islamic extremists and it's currently in vogue for them to be in the headlines (after all, we needed a new bogeyman to justify the ludicrous expense on the military and the abrogation of human rights and freedoms), however over the period 1990 to 2006 terrorism accounted for about 2,500 deaths per year. It was about 1,250 until we steamed into Iraq uninvited so I guess our Christian leaders are responsible for a doubling of the figures.

That's 1,250 total deaths a year worldwide. This compared to, say, the 20,000 to 30,000 who die of gun death in America alone.

Kinda tiny in comparison, isn't it?

So here we have a tiny problem being magnified by politicians which results in the vilification of a particular religion which, given the number of people slaughtered during the Crusades, Cathar heresy and Inquisition alone, is kind of laughable.

So why do people the hype? Is it just stupidity or what?

EDIT:

Polly:

Actually the Crusades were in response to the conquest of the Holy Land by the Muslim armies. The purpose was to secure the right of Christian pilgrims to visit the Holy Land but things got out of hand.

Especially when the people taking part in the 4th Crusade decided to massacre their Christian brothers in Constantinople despite being told not to by Innocent III.

Woops!

And the extermination of the Cathars was certainly the work of the Christian church. No excuses there.

EDIT:

For those who want details of terrorist incidents.

To end 2003:

Terrorist Incidents > by Group Classification Range: 01/01/1990 - 12/31/2003
Group Classification Incidents Injuries Fatalities
Anarchist 66 4 0
Anti-Globalization 128 24 13
Communist/Socialist 1636 2643 1418
Environmental 61 0 0
Leftist 181 176 55
Nationalist/Separatist 1599 12648 3683
Other 101 185 96
Racist 24 17 1
Religious 710 25037 6859
Right-Wing Conservative 83 12 247
Right-Wing Reactionary 12 5 8

To end 2006:

Terrorist Incidents > by Group Classification Range: 01/01/1990 - 12/31/2006
Group Classification Incidents Injuries Fatalities
Anarchist 98 6 0
Anti-Globalization 135 24 13
Communist/Socialist 2658 4481 2347
Environmental 81 0 0
Leftist 206 192 61
Nationalist/Separatist 3543 21477 7511
Other 128 221 132
Racist 29 17 1
Religious 2389 36157 12608
Right-Wing Conservative 88 12 249
Right-Wing Reactionary 13 10 14

You'll notice a huge difference in religious attacks between 2003 and 2006. Care to hazard a guess as to why?

The source is http://www.tkb.org/Home.jsp

Oh and, while we're at it, can anyone explain the justification behind the second biggest terrorist attack on US soil after 9/11?

For those who don't remember, that would be the Oklahoma bombing carried out by a white, Christian, decorated ex-serviceman.

Stahn:

I don't condemn all the followers. 99.9%+ of all Christians are peace loving, law abiding people. However, so are 99.9%+ of all Muslims. Islam is as much a religion of peace as Christianity is. Both have their dirty parts, the point I was making is that there seems to be an assumption amongst some people that ALL Muslims are terrorist suicide bombers in waiting. This is ironic given McVeigh's actions and the fact that the main protagonists of the suicide bomb were the non-religious Tamil tigers.

People need to wise up and realise it isn't a particular religion that condones violence, it's just the sick actions of a few individuals.

Angeltress:

That speech is no different from the cut and paste ravings of a thousand different idiot sects, religious and non-religious. Don't for a moment believe that kind of rhetoric is exclusive to Islam.

Dave:

I was going to rebut you point by point but I just couldn't stop laughing long enough to do it. Get a clue dude but more importantly try and get the facts.

LOL.

Answer 1

People have a tendency to generalize because we find it difficult to portion things out in order to really understand them. It is much easier to generalize and enlist the help of stereotypes when discussing a people or a situation than it is to dissect the matter. Also, we feel pressure to commit totally to one side or another of a conflict or decision from both other people and society as a whole. Vacillating or being on the fence leaves people to think that they are being pathetic and indecisive, when the world could really use a little more shading. Issues are not black and white. People are not black and white. The problem is society's condemnation of anyone taking a long time trying to analyze the gray.

Answer 2

People cant see both sides of the story. Before 9/11 who knew much about islam? no one payed any attention to it--it was only after the attack that the world noticed it. I dont know what the motives were of Osama or whoever caused the attack but they started this whole "war against terrorism." The war caused so many deaths including deaths of civilians. More people than from the 9/11 attack were killed in return, so many that were innocent. This also was not justice and has caused much of the resentment and hate toward the west that exists in the islamic world. But only few that dont represent the majority moved toward terrorism. They saw the deaths and saw the US as an enemy of Islam. I'm not defending their actions because there is no excuse for killing innocents. But people who hate islam because of its terrorists are being hypocrites. The terrorists also hate the west for the deaths they have caused. They are wrong because they do not understand the difference between individuals and generalize. How are the people who generalize about muslims different? The most dangerous thing to do is to generalize about a group; to make them outsiders and something different from you. Haven't all wars in history been because of this reason? Both are wrong; both have taken away innocent lives. And both believe they are right. why? I'm so tired of this hate...

Answer 3

It's because whenever people turn on the news or read a newspaper then they read bombings done by Muslims.
The news never show Muslims condemning these terrorists.
People believe that if it's not happening on the news then it's not occurring at all.
I remember I posted an article about Christians bombing in India (in a previous account) and I was told that I was "bashing" Christians.
My question also dealt with Christians bombing abortion clinics. Yet, I was Christian "bashing" just because I talked about what was happening.
Christians always say that those Christians that kill are not real Christians.
Doesn't that sound like the exact same thing that we Muslims say?
Yet, if Muslims say this then we are still wrong and evil.
I read a answer that said Muslims hate our own mothers and family. I would say that is stupidity, because I love my family.

Answer 4

Funny, you bring up the crusades and other events to put blame on someone else, then still dont know the answer to your own question? The acts of a few change the view of many. How many people do you think actually took part in all those things in history? You think they all agreed to them? Of course they didn't. The actions of the few change the way all are seen, does that many the majority is just as bad? You are simply trying to shift blame to someone else by the way you worded your statements.

You condem the crusades and such, but it's okay for a few to blow themselves up in crowded places on purpose? If you see those things as bad, condem the action and the person/people who did it, not the religion as a whole. Otherwise you are guilty of the very thing you are trying to speak out against. Islam says it promotes peace in it's book, if it's true or not I dont know, I have no interest in actually reading it. If it's true that it does and some who claim to follow it break the rule....why do you condem ALL the followers rather than the one breaking the rule? In your statements you did that very thing in your christian examples that you claim people are doing to muslims, yet you don't understand. Hmph.

Answer 5

The western media give us a bad name. I am a pure English Muslim and don't consider terrorists as Muslims, they are just using the religion as an excuse. There is nothing in the Quran that says go and kill innocent people. If there was I would not be Muslim. Our media shows the devastation terrorists cause but we never see what the west is doing to the innocent people in Iraq. The only way these idiots can make the west listen is by committing terrorism. Its not right but they are brainwashed by extremists. More people were killed in Iraq during the war than when Saddam ruled. Most people who live there preferred Saddam being in control rather than the U.K and U.S forces. People will retaliate if their families are slaughtered in front of them. Terrorism is ignorant revenge for a country torn apart.

Answer 6

I admit that a lot of people are having trouble with the pretty simple idea that there are normal, mainstream Muslims and then there are crazy cult-y extremist "Muslims" who really aren't part of Islam at all.

But that doesn't take away the fact that either Muslims aren't speaking out enough against these not-particularly-Muslim "Muslims" or what they're saying isn't reaching the media effectively. I know some Muslims condone what extremists do though they don't do it themselves.

But what about Muslims who don't support terrorism? Either they're not speaking out about it, or what they're saying isn't reaching the right ears.

Muslims need to do some good PR fast if they want to dispel the notion that they're "all terrorists." Yeah, people have the wrong idea. Yeah, people make assumptions and believe unfair things.

But in a world with the Internet, magazines, blogs, TV channels galore, mail, flyers, phones, faxes, books, CDs, movies, DVDs...come on! Where are the dissenting voices?

I'm willing to listen if Muslims are willing to complain about extremists. But I'm not hearing much from them.

Answer 7

Number of deaths is irrelevant. It's number or terrorist ACTS that matter.

You ask why islam is associated with terrorism. To find why, you do not look at number of deaths, but the number of terrorist acts.

You hear of them every day in the news. More so than any other modern race/religion.

You cannot deny that muslims resort to terrorism more than everyone else.

You give me a list of terrorist acts perpetrated by non-muslims, and I'll give you a list 3 times as long perpetrated by muslims.

Everyone knows that muslims aren't ALL terrorists. But everyone also knows that most Terrorists are muslims... It's undeniable.

Seriously, if you have information to the contrary, please provide it.


(BTW. The crusades was WAR. War was almost common back then. Modern Terrorism is derived from entirely different concepts.)

Answer 8

Duh, because 99% of the terrorists are Muslim?

Duh, because ALL of the 911 terrorists were Muslim?

Duh, because the leader of a Muslim nation says another nation should be wiped from the face of the earth?

Duh, because the average everyday Muslim goes nuts and riots in the streets over a book, cartoon, movie, beauty pageant or comment by the pope?

Duh, because according to polls 30-70% of the average everyday Muslim feels terrorism is OK to use to "defend the faith?"

Duh, because they found tens of millions of dollars given to "peaceful Muslim groups" in the USA in the hands of the radical Muslim terrorists in the Middle East? (You really think the terrorists WORK for a living? They are supported by those "peaceful Muslims" who we are not suppose to condemn.)

Duh, because time after time, when the IDF, US ARMY, FBI or Mossad wants to find a particular terrorist, all they have to do is watch the mosques?

Duh, because you do not see or hear the LEADERS of Islam condemning the worst of the terrorists and issuing a FATWA against them by NAME?

Duh, because a Muslim nation destroyed 400 year old Bhudda statues and not one OTHER Muslim nation condemned them for it?

Duh, because everywhere you look there is regional strife and on one side are the Muslims?

Duh, because Islam is the religion of terrorists?

Pick a reason. Any one of the above is correct.

Answer 9

Thank you for this question. The media distorted the image of Islam to stop its fast growth that the west is fearing. You are right, it is unfair to blame the victim and leave the criminal. If people just start to realize and think they will find the truth. Think of native British and American citizens who under certain conditions had the stimulus to study Islam and search for the truth and what happened to them. Search google for the story of Yvonne Ridley and Yusuf Estes for example and think deeply of what happened to them.
Best luck.

Answer 10

because we are having a hard time proving that what is in the ninth surah of the Holy Quraanis only what the violent side of this "Islam" that the terrorists follow. and this isn't the same Islam that the non violent side follows...closed minded and closed hearted people want to stick us together in the same genre because of our Quraan. and then when we reach out and try to proclaim our dignity they tell us we are liars and they always throw in our faces surah 9.
if i have to loose my dignity for Allah...then so be it...i can loose my dignity, but i will not loose my faith...God Willing