How come we're always being asked to understand Islam?

Question

An English teacher's death is demanded by Sudanese moslems for calling a teddy bear "Muhammad". Once again the media makes its round with "Understanding Islam" series, and talk shows are filled with commentary by muslims on the nature of Islam. How is that it's the Westerners that have to keep trying to "understand Islam" when things like this happen. Are we expected to "understand" and just go along?

Lots of interesting answers here. It would be nicer if muslim commentators would sometimes say, "Yeah, that is going over the top", instead of saying in so many words, "You just don't get it!" But I'm going to let the voters decide on the best answer.

Answer 1

I keep wondering about the same thing. My understanding has its limits really.

Was it Mark Twain who once said something like (I quote people poorly, I know): ''I don't have a problem with the parts of the Bible that I don't understand. It's the parts that I do understand that are an issue for me.''

Of course, just replace Bible with Qur'an there and that's how I feel about it.

Answer 2

I agree that we have to respect their belief and symbols. If you read many answers on YA are like "nuke Khartoum", "send 100 nukes", "I'll name my pig Mohammed".
That is a sign of disrespect and ignorance.
On the other hand I disagree with lenient affirmations like
"She deserved it, she should have known". Or, as you say, to understand...understand what? Being too much tolerant is a weakness.

I read many comments. It was a teddy (symbol of love) whose name was picked by a children. If the Muslim children feel like that, why is wrong? The British teacher is a dedicated teacher, who left her country to help Sudanese and now it is accused that she did it for dollars. She was already a second head of a primary school in England. It's not a pleasure to leave your own country and go in a rather unstable world. She must be honored not deported and Sudan government is hypocritical. No wonder...see the Darfur tragedy.
Probably now she's scared because even 15 days in prison is traumatic and scary. I hope the British institutions help her.

As for these guys who ask her executions, they seem to me primitive, brutal and brainwashed. I don't think they represent Sudan people. Anybody rational would see this is an absurd situation. On the other hand, we should be aware that it can become more dangerous. It's a proof that fanatism doesn't have any limit.
The guys who say "nuke them" seems to be from the same stock, the difference is of degree and action I guess.

Answer 3

Being a Muslim does not make a person necessarily good or evil, any more than does being Sudanese.

I think it is safe to say that Islam does not have a monopoly on rotten apples. Religion, like love, tends to bring out the best and worst in people, it makes good people better, and bad people even worse. It is a shame that ordinary, mundane Muslims allow themselves to be represented in the media by violent organized criminals. it is a shame

Answer 4

You've got right to the crucial part. If we don't stop pussyfooting around and 'playing nice' then we're the ones that may suffer. There's nothing to 'understand' about Islam that the vast majority of us are failing to get. We know what we're seeing: collective madness.

The politicians and the media need to stop being such gutless wonders and instead start calling Islam for what it is at this moment. Barbaric.

Note: I am not saying all Muslims are like this or that all of Islam is barbaric. I refer to what's happening in Sudan.

Answer 5

For one thing, you are generalizing. There are different levels of devoutness in each religion.
In the west when such issues arise abroad i.e. Sudan case, then moderate muslims in the west are expected to condemn it and offer explanations.
The media seeks them out; if there was no voice of a condemnation then there would be outrage that muslims in the west are just like the extremists abroad.
I know this to be the case because in one instance there was something said by western muslims but wasnt quoted in the newspaper and everyone thought it to be silent approval and there were letters to the editor asking where is the condemnation from the western muslims.

The opinion is sought out by the media.
Perhaps they are trying to offer a less biased view or trying to get the entire picture and demonstrate there are differences between the liberal, the moderate and the extremists.
Or perhaps they are simply providing a venue for western muslims to condemn and confirm to the western society that they are not one of the extremists.

Answer 6

Sis u shouldn't feel bad about it. Coz the truth is that a true seeker Always searches knowledge not knowledge looks 4 him. so the more u'll look & search for things the better it will be for u or any one seeking for knowledge. If u want to eat u must prepare it or at least go & get it coz food is not going to come to u like Munn & salwa.

Answer 7

When you visit someone's house, you expect that some rules might be imposed by the host, like no smoking, business dress, and please do not miss the lavatory. If you think that the rules are too restrictive, you simply decline the invitation.

When Dutchman is about to visit USA he is told:
- no marijuana
- no prostitution
- death penaly for certain offences
How barbaric, thinks the Dutchman, and stays in Amsterdam . If he decides to go, fine, but he was told the rules.

Simirily if you are about to visit Islamic coutry, you better realize that
- no alcohol
- corporal punishment
- do not even think offeneding their religion
Same rules apply for everybody. Think the rules are barbaric, do not go there.

It is one thing when they try to tell you how you should live in your own home (like with the cartoons), but it is completly another how they do their own housekeeping.

Answer 8

Religion is the scourge of humanity, especially the Abrahamic religions. They have all gone through phases of violence and intolerance and yet demand tolerance from everyone else. There is no understanding of it, we will be better off if we all just evolve beyond religion.

Answer 9

I wonder if the world will just stand by forever and do nothing about these beatings, stonings and beheadings. Something is seriously wrong here. Civilized people everywhere should be appalled. We waited too long to act against the Third Reich. Will history repeat itself here?

Answer 10

I think we clearly understand enough about it already, from the illustrations shown to us.

I will never go along, and neither will most westerners.