What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear MUSLIMS?

1. 60

   sadia101posted 12 years ago

   What is the first thing that  comes to your mind when you hear MUSLIMS?
   
   Now days it seems like the media loves one group, and talks about it all the time which is the adheres of Islam that are called Muslims. The average person who watches TV gets bombarded with this images, ideas, perspectives of what Muslims are. Sadly more negative then positive. So this generalization and stereotyping inspired this question. Hope you guys answer it honesty! Thanks.
   
   

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2. 60

   Spoony Galoonyposted 12 years ago

   
   
   The first thing I think of is a mental image of men kneeling and praying in a mosque. I think that this scene is used a lot in the media.

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3. 60

   Dubuquedogtrainerposted 12 years ago

   Several things come to mind when I hear that word - my friends from college who are muslims, the muslim women dressed in the head and face veil and burqa, the honor killings, stonings, beheadings, suicide bombers, genital mutilation of female children, sharia law, 9/11.....far more negative than positive I'm afraid.

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4. 0

   CJ Sledgehammerposted 12 years ago

   I studied Islam at a major university years ago, so I am not coming from an ignorant position. I know there have been many beautiful things brought into the world by these people and they have rich traditions and a diverse culture.
   
   Having said that, what comes to my mind when I hear the word "Muslims" is religious zealots who believe in evangelism at the point of a blade. 
   
   I know that sounds a little harsh, but I also think it is historically accurate.
   
   Please know that I never would have volunteered this information if you hadn't asked for my honest opinion and it is not my intention to offend you or the Muslim community in any way.
   
   Let it also be known, despite my gut reaction, that I have never been mistreated by Muslims nor have I ever engaged in any hostilities toward them and I hope we can continue to live in peace.

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5. 59

   nightwork4posted 12 years ago

   i don't have anything against muslims as people but the religion is what bothers me. Canada is becoming more and more popular to muslims and i no we are going to pay for it. every country where the population of muslims grow ends up having riots, bombing etc with no exception. they are already starting to demand new laws here and it pisses me off. i know a few muslims and they are nice people but like i tell them, the religion is one of the worst things to ever happen to the human race.

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   1. 73

      Harishprasadposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Darwin's theory says that only those species that were adept at adjusting to environment survived. The same applies to religions, religions adjusting themselves to new contexts and in  tandem with progress will only survive and flourish in the world.

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6. 0

   AKA Winstonposted 12 years ago

   What comes to mind is outrage, but it is the same outrage that comes to mind when I think of Jim Jones in Guyana or David Koresh in Waco, and that outrage is based on the anger that there are still people who claim to have knowledge of things that are totally impossible for humans to know, like who god is and what god wants us to do, and yet there are billions of people who believe them and follow their lead.
   
   The answer to intractable human problems is not touching one's head to the floor a prescribed number of times, making the sign of the cross, or knealing at the alter and repenting sins.  Only human actions can address human problems.
   
   The sooner we abandon hope for miraculous soutions, the better off mankind will be.

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7. 60

   Syed Misbahuddinposted 12 years ago

   assalamu alaikum
   
   When i hear muslims i'll say  Ya ALLAH,
   bless us the understanding,
   no doubt, we have the understanding we can understand,
   but we don't want to understand, and
   that is true,
   because we are in love for this world (duniya),
   we switch off the volumes of our TVs & transistors during Adhaan (Azaan, call for prayers),
   but we don't have time to go once a day to the mosque.
   Verily, there is not a man who does not have any problems.
   
   Ya ALLAH,
   You are Raheem,
   You are Karim,
   You are Rehman,
   You are Baseer,
   
   Ya ALLAH, Ya ALLAH please bless us all (muslim ummah),
   
   
   Aamin.

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8. 57

   andrew savageposted 10 years ago

   The loss of hope in the development of the psyche of Mankind. Then again that is how I feel about most religions. I also think about an ancient Sumerian word, Alla, who was believed to be evil.

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9. 73

   Harishprasadposted 10 years ago

   Intolerance, and from the quotes of Quran spread on various websites, it is apparent that woman has got inferior staus in muslim society. What taliban did to women in Afghanistan is quite derogatory and condemnable. It is also a fact that Muslims in general are fundamentalists and do not like change easily. In fact, they assume their religion as the best. Muslims need to be a little bit open as an international society. It is also seen that muslims do not participate in open debates on websites like other societies. The whole impression of muslims seems to be as rigid and narrow-minded persons. But honestly, I do not know the practical side of lives of muslim women in other parts of the world. Sadia, I am convinced that if Muslims shed off their rigidity and bigotry, Muslim society is the best in the world, quite unparalelled and a role model.

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10. 76

    Kathleen Cochranposted 10 years ago

    I think of the sound of prayer call, which I heard five times a day in the four years I lived in a Muslim country.  I met many devout, beautiful women who were simply good people.  Unfortunately, they are not the ones who make the decisions in that country and most other Muslim countries.  Those decisions are what has turned so much of the world against this religion.

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11. 66

    brutishspoonposted 9 years ago

    A group or religion that is misunderstood due to a minority of said people who believe that in doing bad things they are bringing honor to their families. Not all Muslims believe that waging war is right, but that is how I think allot of people see them.

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12. 0

    Kevin Goodwinposted 8 years ago

    When I think of Islam I think of a peaceful religion that has gotten a bad wrap due to some fanactics. Islam had Bin Laden America had the unibomber and Timothy McFay.

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13. 71

    anweshablogsposted 8 years ago

    Do you watch Doraemon? I remember the character Gian, when I hear the word Muslims. Rest is understood, I guess.

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14. 70

    rodrigo sebidosposted 8 years ago

    The conflict between Christians and Muslims will always pervade as long as mistrust exists  over the two great Religions. A call for serious dialogue to fleece out differences is a requisite for peace read more

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15. 54

    peter565posted 8 years ago

    The first thing that come to mind when I think of Muslim is "Something I don't know the 1st thing about" until we truly understand Muslim, there is no way we could find a good resolution to the current issue in the Middle East.  One of the main reason George Bush's campaign was a disastrous, was because his policy was bad.  The US and its ally soldier are not at fault here, they are doing an outstanding job, in fact they never lost a single battle against insurgents.  The main reason George Bush's campaign is a disaster is because not only do he not understand the Middle East, he have a lot of prejudice towards the Middle Eastern world and towards the Muslims.  In government, Bush is not able to listen voice different from his prejudice view, as a result, experts within the CIA, who have years of experience and understanding towards the Middle Eastern issue and the Muslim faith, was been cast aside, because they contradict Bush's prejudice, as a result, Bush's adviser on the issue was also a bunch of people who don't know the first thing about the Middle East and might even have prejudice. 
    
    Thing become better in the Obama era, because Obama come from a Muslim background, so himself understand the Muslim and Middle Eastern world and has no prejudice.  As a result, he is able to listen to the advice of those Middle Eastern experts, previous been cast aside by Bush and eventually those people who don't know what they are doing, are replace by those who know what they are doing, by Obama and they help Obama think of how to reform the strategy to better deal with the situation.  Unfortunately, Obama is still not good enough to totally resolve the issue.  But at least he managed to quarantine the problem to a geographical area and once that is done, now he can starve ISIS out of the war and weaken them by area bombardment.  When Bush was in charge, things just seem to be getting worse, by day, everyday

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16. 0

    Commonsensethinkposted 8 years ago

    People in parts of the world where Islam is a tradition, and people have not had the audacity, the courage, or the intellect to challenge what is written in an ancient book of Arabian myths. Or are obliged by the laws of apostasy not to question such myths.
    
    Muslims are though going down the same road as Christians went down until the coming of the enlightenment in the 18th century. The same criticism about people following myths can be applied to all belief systems (the Christian Bible has many passages that are violent and pre-medieval, but these are simply not practised any more). Check the aftermath of the Lisbon earthquake in 1755 to see what this involved.

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    1. 70

       rodrigo sebidosposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       If you are referring to  November 1, 1755, Earthquake in Lisbon has nothing to do with Christian and Muslim conflict. Portugal is a bastion of Catholics faith, yes, it did strengthen their faith since people perceived it as divine punishment.

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    2. 0

       Commonsensethinkposted 8 years agoin reply to this

       Rodrigo, politely - you are missing my point. In  the aftermath of the earthquake, the Inquisition decided that it was an act of God. They held "heretics" responsible, went on to the streets of Lisbon, arrested some and hanged them - for heresy.

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17. 68

    simplehappylifeposted 7 years ago

    At first, nothing in particular. But then when I sit and think for a minute, I reflect on a cashier lady at Walmart who was checking out a daughter and mother (or mother-in-law) that were Muslim.
    
    I was standing behind them in line, and the elder woman could barely speak English, but she was so nice, smiling and giggling as she was interacting with the cashier. I was smiling with her. But the cashier had the ugliest expression on her face, and the daughter did not smile (I'm sure she was bothered by the eye-rolling and stand-offish attitude coming from the cashier). God bless the mother; I'm sure that she knew exactly what was happening, but she handled the moment with humility and grace.
    
    I go to that store weekly and haven't seen the cashier girl or the mother and daughter since. It bothered me that they were treated like that (it still does). The mother was so gracious and kind.
    
    It was hard for me not to judge the cashier. But we are all walking our own paths and need to learn our own lessons. The mother was a great reminder to me of the importance to walk with grace and humility in every situation, especially the difficult ones.
    
    A last note:
    I also served in the us army and had to go to Kuwait in the 1990's. I worked side by side with lots of people that were from Kuwait, Syria, Egypt, etc., they were all incredibly generous, kind and funny.
    
    *all politics aside*
    I'm extremely sad about what is going on in the world. There is enough land for everyone. It's a shame all countries (including our country) can't just all stay home on their own land and live peaceful, quiet lives, the way they wish too, without hate, without interference.  I know some people on here will think I'm naive.  I just don't think there is an excuse for all of this hate and violence, regardless as to where a person comes from or believes.

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18. 84

    Guckenbergerposted 6 years ago

    The first thing I think when I hear that is "la ilaha ilAllah".

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