told you that they were going to a controversial country? Would you stop them? And what would you say if/when they came back unharmed and had a majority of good things to say about the country in question? Would you believe them, or the events that took place and made news? What do you trust, firsthand experience or a biased observer's report?
2007-11-12 00:18:51 · 22 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Sometimes they are right. Like the relatives of the koreans who went to korea warned their loved ones from going to korea and they were adamant and went. It turned into a tragedy with 2 people killed.
There is no smoke with no fire. If they are warning you, it must be for a reason. If one had a good experience, maybe others had a bad experience and it is this bad experience that we are being warned about.
2007-11-12 01:21:17 · answer #1 · answered by swd 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Firsthand definitely. The news only airs the parts of the country that are attention-grabbing. I go to Israel all the time, and it is amazing. Clubs on the beach, lounges everywhere..it is beautiful. I show my friends pictures when I get back and they are shocked because from what they see on the news, the whole country of Israel looks like the Gaza Strip- all war-torn and disgusting. Don't base your beliefs on the news- they only care about making money and showing the 1% of the area that makes people gasp, rather than the good 99%.
As for the question of whether or not I would try to stop my friend- it depends on the country. I would have to do research and see if the media is just portraying that country in a negative way, or if it actually is a very dangerous place.
2007-11-12 00:24:39 · answer #2 · answered by mrr86 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
I am not sure what you mean about "controversial country." I realize we live in a dangerous world and would pray for their safe return. What others do is not really my concern but the question was "would you stop them?" Who am I? Their mom? I don't think so. EVERY COUNTRY has good and bad elements. If someone came back and gave a glowing recommendation of the country they saw I would believe them if they have been trustworthy in the past. If they have no political motivation of any kind. Most people just want to have a good time when they visit other countries. But if their trip was politically motivated, politically conceived---etc. I would hold what they said in a column I refer to as mild skepticism. :-) But other than that---I would believe the first hand experience of the unbiased observer's report.
2007-11-12 00:43:20 · answer #3 · answered by oph_chad 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had a friend going to the Holy Land and I had my misgivings about traveling there. I was concerned but no I would not stop them. Some people can go to countries and get a different impression than from the news because (1) tourists are usually treated well (2) the media doesn't tell positive stories about any country including our own.
The police say at a crime scene 10 people can watch the same event and come up with 10 different ways an event occurred.. Do the math.
2007-11-12 00:25:37 · answer #4 · answered by Tapestry6 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Well, firsthand experience, I'd say. It's like when we moved to Tennessee. My sister in California kept saying, "Don't move there. They're really prejudiced against Japanese (or others who are of mixed races)!" I kept telling her that you can't judge a whole state for the "in-general" actions of that state or the region. I told her that every one I've met has been just as warm, friendly, and sweet as can be.
She still wouldn't believe me, but at least now after we've been here for three months, she's starting to doubt her judgement. She can't believe that I've made so many friends in such a short time, and I tell her that the people here are the friendliest I've ever seen!
How often do you go into a furniture store, buy a piece of furniture, then go buy the rest at one of their competitors, and still get a nice, personally written thank you card from the salesgirl? When I returned to the first store the same salesgirl greeted me with a hug and helped me find a realtor who sold my old house within three weeks (and this was when the market became really bad)!
So, it really is unfair to pass judgment on any one, any thing, or any place, unless you can prove yourself with RELIABLE, truthful FACTS.
2007-11-12 00:44:24 · answer #5 · answered by D P 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
As salaamu 'alaikym warahmatullahi wabaraktuh, my dear friend.
Insha'Allah, I would ask that anyone going to any foriegn country be careful so as to observe the laws and customs of the same, to take personal care and act responsibly, to remember their faith and their religous duties, to take a lot of pictures, keep a travel journal and, insha'Allah, come back home safe and sound.
When they returned, insha'Allah, I would want to invite them over, for pastries and coffee or tea (or, better yet, a full meal scheduled so that we could pray together as well) and then I would want to hear about everything, especially if what they found regarding the nation they visited did not concur with what we were being told about that country. I would also want to see the pictures!
Insha'Allah, yes, I would trust their report more than that of any "news media" or government official.
Insha'Allah, my biggest problem would be a slight sense of jealousy as they would have been blessed with the opportunity to go to someplace where I might not have been (insha'Allah, "yet") and so to have gained knowledge from their first hand experience that I did not have except through them.
Ma'a salaam.
2007-11-12 01:53:50 · answer #6 · answered by Big Bill 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If by "controversial" you mean "dangerous", I would probably talk to them and ask them if they were aware of the dangers.
If they had a positive experience, I'd be OK with that. After all they were there. But it doesn't mean that other people in other parts of that country didn't experience the bad things in the news. Look at the Katrina disaster. It didn't leave everyone in LA homeless, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen.
In any case, I sense you didn't ask the question you meant to ask, openly.
2007-11-12 00:35:49 · answer #7 · answered by anna 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
One thing that would make a dif to me is if is this person was a soldier and was going to Iraq, Afghanistan,etc. serving our country? A person going on vacations and wanting to see the world? Or a journalist covering dangerous things like AIDS in African nations, wars,etc.?
Have an honest talk with your loved one about your worriies. Make sure to let the person know you are worried and want more info, not nagging.
GOOD LUCK
brandi
2007-11-12 00:24:47 · answer #8 · answered by Brandi A 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
First hand experience. Western media is very biased and manipulative.
2007-11-12 01:17:44 · answer #9 · answered by Ahmad H 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would ask them why? If I got a good reason I would wish them God's spead This does not apply to countries that are friendly to terrorists NEVER EVER EVER
2007-11-12 00:26:21 · answer #10 · answered by devora k 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋