Muslims and Non-Muslims: Why do people make generalizations?

Question

I would say it's because they don't have the capability of forming their own opinion, and instead follow the rest. I always say hate has mob mentality. People are always making assumptions about Islam and Muslims.

Lets say a mother has 2 children. She teaches both the same ideals and values , to respect and love everyone. One of the children does exactly that... and the other goes out and ridicules himself by killing someone.

Does this mean the mother was evil? No. Likewise.. Islam itself is not responsible for the actions of its followers. Allah gave everyone free-will, and if every Muslim on earth was perfect in following Islam.. Allah would not say that we will be judged as well.. Being a Muslim is not a direct ticket to salvation.. We have to earn it.

And why do people say things without learning about the religion first? I mean people talk about others faiths without having a clue about it. It's like a blind man saying he hates the color blue.

How can we educate ourselves to learn more about others, and form our own opinions?

P.S.. This Q was inspired by the many insulting e-mails I have been recieving. Just to let all those know who have e-mailed me... Your insults don't bother me at all.

Answer 1

I agree wholeheartedly.

I think the largest reason for this is simply because most folks cannot think for themselves to save their lives...and they rely upon gross generalizations to form their image of the world and the other beings that inhabit the world around them.

This is the reason I took it upon myself to study the faith systems of the world when I was younger....so I could form my own opinions without having them formed for me.

I've traveled around the world and dated or befriended women of multiple cultures, and in turn cultural faith systems : Christian, Muslim, Ba'hai, Buddhist...etc.

It's akin to learning a language....immersion beats studying in a classroom anyday.

Muslim's in general are good people, but it's the extremist nutjobs that get all the media time. It's no different than extremist nut job "Christians" during the Crusades or their modern equivalent that's so blatantly prevelant in US hypocritical culture.

Answer 2

Oh it is not confined to non Muslims! The most dangerous thing for a person to be is a Muslim in the company of other Muslims! The violence goes right back to a dispute over who had spiritual authority over the Muslim community after the death of the prophet Muhammad in what is called the “fitna” which translates as temptation or trial and caused all the discord within Muslim community. Shi’ite Muslims believe that authority was vested in his family; the Sunnis look to the sayings and actions of Muhammad as well as the Koran. The extreme sectarian violence has been brought about by Al-Qaeda Which while being exclusively Sunni deliberately set Shi’ites and Sunnis to kill each other in Iraq. Sadly more Muslims die by Muslim hands each month than were killed by the invading forces in the war! Hamas also kills far more Muslims than the Israelis ever have! An average of over thirty five Muslims a week were being killed by Muslims but in the last few years it has frequently been over a hundred a week! Whether it is a Danish Cartoon, book of fiction , a snippet of film or some other excuse, Muslims hit the streets around the world rioting, looting, burning and uttering death threats! Nearly all the Muslim countries are seeing Muslims attack Muslims destroying homes, businesses, infrastructure and targeting women and children particularly showing the extremists must surely be trying to turn Muslims into primitives living in caves and mud huts so they can be controlled more easily! The primitive savagery of the attacks in Woolwich and Paris show that they are succeeding in returning Islam into primitive savagery surely?!

Answer 3

I have a far from positive opinion of Islam and Muslims. That is because, with all due respect, not all Muslims are as virtuous and warm hearted as your self. Muslims like you, are in a minority. The majority of Muslims are racist, look down on anything that is not islamic, are violent, aggressive, argumentative and always like to cause problems, fights and chaos.

However, You DO NOT deserve to be sent e-mails like that. It is not as if you are here talking down about other religions or being abusive in any shape or form. I don't care if those abusive people receive e-mails, but it is not right for people like you to receive abusive e-mails, who are only here to show everyone that there good Muslims out there. Unfortunately you are in a minority.

If anyone send you abusive e-mails, just block their profile. That way they can't answer any of your questions or they can't contact you.

Answer 4

great question sis, but its ok, at least we can take comfort in knowing that the people who tend to make generalisations usually have the IQ of about 10 and more often than not take what the media say as gospel. and the clever ones are mostly bigoted, rascist, prejudiced stubborn people who are really not of any significance to the world and even if they choose to label people in a negative sense no one will care, as their ignorant assumptions will harm no one except themselves.
Its also interesting the way one man wrote as a generalisation that "most muslims are terrorists" when really this statement only seems to be true after 9/11. 7 years ago, if you would have asked anyone to define who a terrorist might be, they would have said the IRA, a catholic based terrorist group in ireland, not the muslims. the bush administration and the media have managed to demonise the muslim ummah. Inshallah these idiots will find a new group of people to pick on eventually.
Salaam alaikum

Answer 5

Speaking about individual people and events doesn't help give a broad sweep of the wider picture. Generalisations are essential or we would all get bogged down in specifics.

What are the terms you yourself used "Muslims and Non-Muslims" but huge generalisations and stereotyping about people? You could have listed every religion and non-religion that was Non-Muslim but you didn't, you generalised. Are all Muslim's the same? are all Non-Muslim's the same?

Answer 6

Everything people do are due to their own conglomeration of causes and conditions in their lives. Some of these means people don't learn, and some don't want to learn, and so forth.

The answer is education, but you won't reach everybody because of the above. Here's to hoping people will at least cease attacking you for it.

_()_

Answer 7

It is easier to generalize, you don't have to put in any effort at all to do it, there's not test you have to take, no license...But you know, I am starting to care less and less about it... If people want to generalize, to hate Islam and Muslims, there is very little we can do to stop them. You see, those who hate us have already made up their minds, they are beyond reach, beyond help. The Quran says this, I would give you Ayah and Surah, but I am at work and don't have one to reference to here. As long as these haters use their mouths, who cares? If participating in YA has taught me anyhting, it's that most of these people (haters) are headed down a one-way road to Hellfire with their eyes closed and the pedal to the floor.

Answer 8

people ar ofeten rushed and under worldly pressures in their day to day lives... so they dont have the mind set to think precisely about complete and truthful answers... for the most part the others are just decievers

Answer 9

it is easier for people to hate and generalize about other people than to love and learn about an individual.

it doesn't make it right, it is just the way things are

Answer 10

An excellent question!

I couldn't have agreed more....

Ignore the emails... some people are just spiteful.