What swayed your opinion regarding Islam

Pewglobal site with muslim opinion polls:

pewglobal.org...

Thats when I realized that most muslims (except western muslims and the elite) are not right in the head, and are mostly violent extremists, contrary to peaceul majority, extremist minority paradigm. It is a death cult.

Also, I hate religion in general.

reply to post by idonotcollectstamps


i see your first encounters, it was the embassy crisis and the black September. Did you view these events as a reflection of Islam and the whole Muslim community world wide?

Also I see your current source (Wikipedia). Thanks for the answer, it is helping me a lot, I'm slowly gaining insight.

Originally posted by P3ACE0WAR

Originally posted by kro32
Why is this even important. My view of Islam has never swayed as my views from other religions haven't. Your assuming people are against Islam and there was a specific turning point but that's not necessarily true.

Your placing far too more importance on Islam than most people do.

edit on 17-4-2011 by kro32 because: added more

I don't think I have made any assumptions, I merely want to know when you encountered Islam first through which source. If your opinion hasn't changed then that is the answer, but still it would be good to know when you first encountered Islam, and through which source.

I was having a wild night with some chic from kuwait and she kept calling out "ALLAH ALLAH" and i'm like who's that.

reply to post by P3ACE0WAR


Why did you skip over my response? Is it because its from first hand experience and you cannot use the msm or wikipedia as an excuse?

Originally posted by P3ACE0WAR
reply to post by idonotcollectstamps

 

i see your first encounters, it was the embassy crisis and the black September. Did you view these events as a reflection of Islam and the whole Muslim community world wide?

Also I see your current source (Wikipedia). Thanks for the answer, it is helping me a lot, I'm slowly gaining insight.

The Black September events at Munich and the Embassy Events in Iran did not make up my opinion on Islam. I was far to young to have a clue what it was about so I did not consider them a reflection of Islam or the Muslim community. Reading about Science and the contributions that came from Persia, Mesopotamia and Egypt influenced me the most. I THINK it was reading about Arabic Numerals (which is what we call our numbers currently in case you didn't know) and where they came from helped me to understand Islam the most.

You see after a certain time frame in history contributions to Science and Medicine just nearly completely stopped coming out of these places. I want to see the Arabs and Persians free to contribute to Science and Medicine once again. There is only way to do that though.

Originally posted by kro32


I was having a wild night with some chic from kuwait and she kept calling out "ALLAH ALLAH" and i'm like who's that.

Then what did she say?

When were you in Kuwait?

reply to post by idonotcollectstamps


The lack of contribution to Scientific branches by Muslims in the past few centuries has helped your opinion get shaped. Am I reading it correctly? Wouldn't that be unbalanced though, because you would have to forget the centuries of contribution to science by Muslims. The long robes graduates wear in their graduation day is inherited from Muslims.

Also I admire that you have done your own research to build your opinions.

Thanks for the answer.

Scripture From Koran

This is another reason Islam is so dangerous. Most people weed out the good from the bad, but for some reason, many Muslims still live by these and its sickening. Every few years you will see extremists committ an attack in the name of their religion. For some reason Muslims do these attacks every day. Quite disturbing.

reply to post by idonotcollectstamps


same here, in history class till we got old enough to discuss more serious issues.

my 2 best friends since kindergarten are jewish and the other is syrian and german, catholic like me. lol. the 3 of us are still in contact today.

his dad was syrian and a school teacher, had plenty to say about the mideast when we were growing up. (60's)

our jewish friend is a pretty leftist type from us, makes for some stimulating conversations.

then came 6 day war, munich, entebbe, sadat, arafat and camp david, iranian hostages and so on.

we didn't know any muslims, (i'm sure his dad did) back then but i know a family that worked for me recently who are.
dad is pakistani, mom is fillipino, the daughter was young and a waitress her cousin was the cashier.

very nice people and westernized (integrated).

so i can't say i was swayed in any real way, there are good and bad everywhere.

i like to think i can see both good and bad.

l first encountered lslam when l was sent to the M/E in the 80's. l traveled to many countries. l found the people there very much the same as as any other country. They followed their religion and also respected other religions too. No one ever tried to convert me to lslam in all the years l lived there. l met Christians, Jews and Buddhists living in close proximity to each other and each faction had the utmost respect for the other. lf l had to sum up what impressed me the most l would say "respect" For parents, education and modesty. As with any religion you get the Fundamentalists, we have them here in the West but the majority are Peace loving and only want for their families the same as we do. l have watched the manipulation of the masses since 9/11, lt is so obvious what is happening yet people fail to see it. The same will happen with all the M/E' Libya is just the start of the Wests land and resources theft. The Jewel in the crown will be lran. lt matters not how many of our soldiers die or return mentally or physically harmed. The corporations that run our country are laughing all the way to the bank.lf some other country invaded the US to steal our resources, kill and torture our families, we would feel justified in killing as many as we could and after 10yrs of constantly being attacked in our own country we too would end up full of hate for the invaders and quite rightly so. Well, that is exactly the same position the lslamic countries have been forced into by us. 10yrs and the ORCHESTRATED hate in this world is a work of art. Peace starchild.

reply to post by P3ACE0WAR


Can I ask why you want to know how people became aware of Islam and what the source was?
I don't think you've really explained that.........

reply to post by P3ACE0WAR


Well I'm not American, so perhaps my experience will differ from a lot of other posters here. My best friend in highschool, back in 2000, was Islamic. I had no problem. I had another friend who converted to Islam. For me, there were no surprises, nothing new to learn. I had never made any assumptions. I grew up understanding how the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan, after the withdrawal of Soviet domination. Perhaps people need better education?

If I were left in perpetual ignorance, as indeed it seems a lot of people are - or have been, then perchance I too would have felt prejudice against the religion. However, not only have I been raised being taught about the general history of Islam, but also about Christianity, including such dark times as the Crusades. The good and the bad, it's all there. Education is the only thing that can possibly bring about genuine mutual respect.

reply to post by P3ACE0WAR

1. When did you first learn about the goods and bads of Islam/Muslims.

I was taken from my homeland and brought up a "Christian" with the values and the church on sunday, within "Christian" circles I only saw and heard people demonize Islam. I thought it was weird, but as a kid I came into contact with a few people who called themselves "Muslim". Thinking back, these "Muslims" acted like animals, completely without thought...just crazy people. In retrospect, I seriously don't think they had a clue about the values of Islam(either that or I'm walking around with a grave misconception of what religion is).

I learned about the goods of Islam researching Iranian history, I also came across the very bad of Islam while doing this researching. For instance, the systematical rape of Iranian(aryan) women at the hands of Islamic Arabs. The forcing of Islam upon the Iranian people by puppets, the forcing of Islam upon the Iranians NOW at the hands of Western puppets and religiously brainwashed, indoctrinated fools who pretend they know how to run a country.

Another bad part I learned about Islam? The fact that I would be at least jailed, at most executed were I to return to Iran. Because of some backward Islamic law. Something with criticizing the government, speaking about the ill treatment of the Kurdish, speaking about the effects of religious indoctrination on the Iranian population. Hell, if I were a scholar with a nice degree they wouldn't even wait for me to return, they'd just off me now; take a look at the assassinations outside of the Middle-East;

Real Terrorism

Up to this day I'm still learning, and something that has struck me as undeniable is, those who refer to themselves as "Christians" and "Muslims" are nutcases, with completely messed up views of reality.

2. What was the source of your first encounter, regarding Islam/Muslims.

People. Not media.

3. What is your opinion of Islam/Muslims now, hasn't changed since your first encounter?

"Muslims" are human, and as a human trait, they are ignorant and stubborn. Thankfully, the older generation is dying out and the majority of the younger generation is declining to take over their fanaticism(except for the outcasts, they just want attention so they'll obey their religious leaders). Of course, there exists some form of confusion within a part of those who want to change(as exists within their "Christian" counterparts, etc), because "they can never be sure". And lets be honest, how could they be sure when you can't be sure to breathe tomorrow?

4. What source do you use to gain information now, regarding Islam/Muslims?

I talk to people, I read, I think.

How did you come to your conclusion about Islam? Have you gone through hell and back to understand the people?


reply to post by kro32

SCIENCE ALLOWS YOU TO FLY TO THE MOON
RELIGION ALLOWS YOU TO FLY INTO BUILDINGS

That's sensationalism, funny though...but tell me which one feeds the hungry?

It hasn't changed my opinion at all. Religious extremists are religious extremists, end of story.

Sort of like saying, how has the Westboro Baptist Church changed your view of Christianity? It hasn't

reply to post by P3ACE0WAR

1. When did you first learn about the goods and bads of Islam/Muslims.

1970's

2. What was the source of your first encounter, regarding Islam/Muslims.

Down the road from my house

3. What is your opinion of Islam/Muslims now, hasn't changed since your first encounter?

Still hate Islam! Probably more now!

4. What source do you use to gain information now, regarding Islam/Muslims?

Muslims I know and the internet.

To put this in perspective I hate all religions but Islam has to the worst and most disgusting of them all! Not all Muslims are bad but there are many many radicals and terrorists who are to blame. When the moderates stand up to the terrorists I will then rank the same as any religion. But again I hate all forms of organised religion! They all reek and their followers are terrorists in one form or another!

reply to post by phatpackage


Disregard this poster please. He doesn't post his own opinions, he copies 'em off an email or something of the like.

Originally posted by Zamini
reply to post by phatpackage

 

Disregard this poster please. He doesn't post his own opinions, he copies 'em off an email or something of the like.

And who made you God? Who made you a censor? Hmmmmmmm You act exactly like the Iranians you criticize, Oppressive! Ain't that typical!. I do have a right to my opinions without your intervention!

I did not argue with you! Keep your opinions to yourself and stay on topic!

reply to post by phatpackage

And who made you God? Who made you a censor? Hmmmmmmm You act exactly like the Iranians you criticize, Oppressive! Ain't that typical!. I do have a right to my opinions without your intervention!

I did not argue with you! Keep your opinions to yourself and stay on topic!

Nobody made me God...I was born that way (did I step on your religious toe?)

I don't act like the Iranians I criticize, I'm pointing you and others to a fact, other people can still read what you wrote right?

In fact, you are like the Iranians I criticize, "they smell", you say about a huge group of people...you want to know how the Islamic Iranians talk about for instance, the Israelis? Pretty much the same way you talk about the "Muslims". Could it be that you are on the same side?!

Either way, you are free to share your opinion, but I think both you and I know that is not your opinion right?

While you're here I have a question for you, do you think the OP will read and reply to my post? :-)

Originally posted by P3ACE0WAR

1. When did you first learn about the goods and bads of Islam/Muslims.
2. What was the source of your first encounter, regarding Islam/Muslims.

1 & 2 :

A long time ago, before I had even looked into it, before I ever had met a mulsim or ever cared about islam let alone heard of it. I remember a Mosque being build in my suburb, and I thought it was nothing more that the church of another religion, and I knew people from church were casual and courteous.

Until the day I was at a mates place and they had some sort of argument with a bunch of people from there which resulted in the people I knew being assaulted - I remember the guy I knew saying they seemed more like a mafia.. this was over 25 years ago.

I was sitting at a bus stop one day with another mate, near the mosque, and one chap walked past, and I jokingly said "I hear youre in the mafia!"

He turned around and ran to me in a fight stance and asked me what I said - so I quickly thought "I said I'll see you after !!" and looked innocently at him.

New mosque, first EVER meeting with a muslim

3. What is your opinion of Islam/Muslims now, hasn't changed since your first encounter?

Majority are the same, militant in their seriousness - willing to resort to violence to get you if you slight them.

How has it changed? I've met a lot of different muslims, who don't necessarily pray 5 times a day, not observe all the other things - but while they consider themselves muslim, in reality they are not true to the religion under what we are talking about.

In my opinion, a true muslim does not neglect their faith in favor of scrutiny, as these people do. But these are now called moderate. Take that to the holy land and see how far it goes...

There are still MANY true muslims, militant to the extreme over anything. The sort who'd attack you for a word.

4. What source do you use to gain information now, regarding Islam/Muslims?

The area around me, and the world at large. What I see in small episodes where I live, I see en masse world wide.

The people I know who are muslim do no associate themselves with these people. Many don't.

But it is *FAR* from the majority as people say.

silences does not equate with tolerance.

My view of Muslims comes from the same perspective as a previous poster, first hand...I have witnessed the appalling treatment of women in public markets, the ritualistic punishment of adulterers without evidence or fair trial, the total disregard for human life, the butchering of women and children for the sake of petty religious beliefs.

Islam is not a religion of peace and never will be, the Koran teaches Muslims to lie to non-Muslims for the sake of face, to enable their religion to insidiously infect their host countries for political gain.