A message to the west?

Question

How does this quote make you feel and what do you think about it?

"Q. What message would you like to give to the West?

A. I would like to repeat that Islam is a religion of Peace. Westerners should not be carried away by false propaganda against Islam or Muslims. True that there is an element of terrorism among the Muslim community. But so it is in any other religion. If some followers of a religion violate its teachings the blame lies on the followers not on the religion. How many Christians practice the peaceful edict of Bible: ’if someone slaps you on one cheek turn the other cheek also towards him’? And still no one will deny that Christianity teaches LOVE and PEACE. The same approach should be adopted when forming an opinion about Islam."

Answer 1

Peace be upon You, friend. I hope that some people can look beyond their hate (driven by fear) and hear your message. Inhumanity is sadly universal. Evil is its own religion and cuts across all boundaries. Our only hope is for the good people of every faith can reach each other and se how much we have in common..

Answer 2

It makes me feel hopeful. I think it is probably true. The fact is, we mostly hear the rancor, the hostility, the mocking and bad manners. We need to acknowledge that every large organization, whether religion or whatever, is bound to have a few bad apples. How they deal with those bad apples shows more about them than the fact that the bad ones exist. Most Muslim leaders in America were as appalled as the rest of us on 9/11/01, and those that briefly demonstrated wrapped American flags around themselves very effectively. Soon they were being vilified just for being Muslim, even though they made it totally clear they were against the terrorists.

Do Christians want to be forever identified with the excesses of the Crusades or the Inquisition? Of course not. Neither should all Muslims be condemned because some few are over-zealous, or perhaps just bloodthirsty. Granted, the pain is more recent than that caused by Christians, but smaller hurts go on in the name of Christianity. It is only the glare of publicity that keeps Muslim terrorism at issue, not really the numbers or the degree of evil involved.

Let us acknowledge that the problem is some people are without souls, or have completely corrupted souls, and there is no one religion that causes this problem. We need to fight the notion that terrorism solves any problems which could not be solved far better by peaceful, reasoned discussion. Making martyrs ultimately hurts, rather than helps, any cause.

Answer 3

OK I see and accept your point and have always tried to keep that point of view

BUT

here is my response to that argument. Since when others religious nuts do something that religion comes to the front and condemns the actions....Why do I NEVER see the Islam churches come to the front and say PUBLICLY that the terrorists are wrong? Do you lack any type of balls?

The other religions tend to shout from the mountain top that the extremists are not following the true religion yet when it is Muslims that commit an act of terror i hear the stunning sound of SILENCE from the Muslim community.

Please work on this as I believe it to be a main cause as to why people trust Muslims less and less.


Now another fact to point out is that yes there are extremists in every religion but for the most part they are ignored and powerless...however, this is not the case with Islam. In Islam the radicals gain great power and thousands upon thousands follow their every word to the letter. SO while "Western" religions have nutjobs too we ADMIT they are nutjobs, refuse to do what they say, oppose all their works and move on.....I have yet to see this in Islam.

Answer 4

Friend, I want to remind you, The western world was minding their own business on 9/11 & it took your islamic ideals to kill 3000 innocent people when the twin towers went down, Yes I am an American, Your religion is out to destroy ALL that won't convert to islam, Your mistake was when you thought the United States would not risk a war & respond, The USA don't Run, If Bill Clinton was still in office then maybe one donkey would be killed, But you under-estimated President Bush & what he would do, No I don't agree with everything That President Bush does, But just as the USA was minding their own business in WW2 & Pereal Harbor was attack by Japan, ask them what we did, we were the only nation that ever used a nuke, You should be grateful we have not used one on Islam. By the way, My brother has the quran, & he verifies me that it does teach voilence, No he is not a muslim, he just wanted to see what your book says. Do some research before you ask. America is awake now, You need to pray that we don't use a nuke on all Muslims. THE USA values life more on all people, we even value the life of a muslim, but we did not start this war, & it is not a war of love, but of defence.

Answer 5

Christianity, like you pointed out, gets a bad rap too. There are those extremists in every religion that give it a bad name.
I think it's kind of odd that the three main religions that started with Abraham can't see how much we have in common and forget about the differences. I think all three hold a main piece to this puzzle and if we were to put those pieces together we would find all of the answers.
Problem is, no one wants to get rid of the unnecessary boarder pieces that make the picture smooth. Those pieces would be human errors to try to fill in the blanks just to make the picture pretty.

Answer 6

I think that's a fair assessment. Just because some followers of a religion have bastardized it and twisted it up doesn't mean that the core religion is teaching that. There are rogue nutters of every creed.

Edit in response to Santa-can-see: While I agree in part, we could certainly back up acts of violence with the Bible as well. Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live? I come not to bering peace, but a sword? How long before Becky Whatever, the Jesus Camp lady, has her Christian soldiers who are "willing to lay doen their lives for Jesus like Muslim children"? Will that then mean that Christianity is no longer a religion of peace, or that some rogue nutter led a bunch of sheep to the slaughter?

Answer 7

Point well taken.

But unfortunately, Islam is at the forefront of the news constantly, and it does not show the love and peace of the religion.

So people watching the news see protesters holding signs saying "Kill those that insult Allah" "Any treaty with Israel is not binding on Muslim nations" "Allah will destroy the terrorist State of Israel" "Exterminate those who slander Allah" and the suicide bombers now in every corner of the world is forever going to look at Islam and its people as violent.

Perhaps the peaceful loving ones need to step up to the plate to repair this tarnished image. But I hear you.

Creatix: You are doing what many accuse Christians of. Taking certain verses to justify what you want to say without reading it in context.

Answer 8

You are taught to not question the Koran and not to convert. A very harsh penalty is applied to anyone who does. When my country was directly attacked by those espousing a set ideology, we began to study that ideology in an attempt to understand the nature of the threat. Make no mistake, that threat will be eliminated. What remains of the ideology is yet to be seen.
The Islamic community has been extremely slow to react to an internal sect that is supposedly perverting its own doctrine. Islam, itself, is divided into several houses that apply the same penalties that are applied to the "infidel". You must sweep your own house clean before any lines of distinction can be drawn.
We want our children to come home to us safely and quickly. They are serving our interests and we would greatly appreciate you taking matters into your own hands with regards to your own fate so this may be accomplished. You have been given your freedom. Now fight for it.

Answer 9

But the Quran itself espouses war and violence against non-Muslims also different Muslim sects are killing each other right now...I am not convinced I'm afraid.

Just saying Islam is a religion of peace goes against what we can all see happening in the name of Islam on the ground and there is plenty of justification for violence to be found in the Quran texts that extremists can utilize to their own ends.

Islamic sectarian violence has a long tradition in the middle east ...it was happening in the 1920's-1930's and probably long before that...what is the cause of this? Islam?

Answer 10

That doesn't explain people dancing in the streets after 9-11, that doesn't explain the take over of the Embassy in Iran, that doesn't explain Muslims killing Muslim children in Iraq, that doesn't explain Honor Killings in England and Germany by Muslims. If I'm not mistaken was not a Saudi Princess a victim of an Honor killing in the 1970s or 1980s.