Okay so today I had a pissing-off reaction to FOX News, something I find myself doing regularly. Maybe this is knee-jerk, I don't know.

So anyway, I was waiting in line to order my lunch and FOX is on the TV. They were talking about the Fort Hood shooting and one of the commentators said something about "this is probably the work of terrorists". This really pissed me off. It seems like every time I hear about Islam in the US, it's always something about how they're terrorists.

Is this an image that is correct, in your mind, or not? And then, why do you think the image you have is correct? Finally, why is it that the image of Islam = terrorism is so ingrained in the Western psyche, do you think?

EDIT: I personally believe Islamic doctrine is flawed from start to finish. I just find it frustrating that, in my opinion, people can be so absurdly closed-minded.

Well there is a correlation, usually when Islamists go on suicidal murder sprees, its because they are extremists.

And? There was a study in Ireland in 1994 that showed that in places with more churches, there was more violent crime. Does that mean that churches = violent crime? Correlation ≠ causation.

As soon as I heard the shooter's name in the Fort Hood case, I knew people would be bringing this up.

Much like the imprisonment of Japanese during WWII, you will always have a large amount of mistrust and hate for the aggressors of large scale attacks, wars, et cetera. So of course you will immediately stereotype all others of the like into the same category.

I think people associate Islam with terrorism because, sadly, unless they are a Muslim or know someone who is, the only times they encounter Islam are with news articles like, "Terrorist bombings kill 80, injure hundreds". Personally I don't stereotype Muslims as terrorists because some of my friends are Muslims and they've explained to me the differences between the extremist Islamic teachings and ordinary ones, but I can see why people would.

Media influences and control the culture. If the media reports terrorist as being strictly Islamic, people will be led to believe just that. It's easy to lead a person's beliefs, just use the right bait.


It's sort of sad, considering the number of other terrorists groups out there.


Straight from my media book:

That's most likely the big problem. Both the left-wing and right-wing media portray Islam as a bad thing.

I think that's a pretty big problem. Yes, the religion is flawed to the core. Yes, Islamic terrorism IS real. No, not all Muslims are terrorists.

Americans will always have some group to pin all their troubles on, whether it be the British, the Nazis, the Japanese, the Russians, or the 'terrorists'.

Uhh, what's the reason for putting the British, Japanese, Russians together with Nazis and terrorists?

Nazis and terrorists do harm, so it's only right to despise them.

In order:
British- everything was blamed on them during the Revolution and a while afterward.
Nazis- obvious, everyone in the world blamed their problems on the Nazis during the World Wars. Also, some of the most horrible things done to human beings came from the Nazis, including things I want to forget I read.
Japanese- During WW2, all the Japanese in the U.S. were sent to internment camps and discriminated against because of the side they took. (Pretty much everyone on the Axis side as blamed for the problems at the time.)
Russians- During the Cold War, the Russians were blamed for pretty much everything the U.S. could think of, even things that were out of their control. There were witch-hunts for Communists, and who can forget Senator McCarthy.
Terrorists- I really should rename this to Islamists or Middle-Easterners, because terrorists should definitely be discriminated against because of the horrendous crimes they plan and carry out. However, Americans discriminate against anyone from that area or who believe in Islam, and that's unjust. However, many of the problems now-a-days are blamed on the terrorists.

It's easier to have a scapegoat (or several) than to face the actual problems and find out the real people responsible.

Well, Mohorak, your history book will indubitably disagree with me, but McCarthy was in fact pursuing Communist sympathizers. He's often the butt of jokes in history books today but he was chasing REAL threats to the United States–Russian sympathizers in the government.

I get annoyed by this too, I must say.
I guess in some places some people's only or few encounters with Islam have been hearing about terrorism on the news, and they make assumptions - false ones, I must say (again).
Same with any religion really (or atheism): there's bound to be some people who take things wayy too far. It's just that some people think that all Muslims do.

But he was highly ineffective, got wrong names, and was a fearmonger.

Highly ineffective, but not totally ineffective. I don't condone such things, but then again I didn't live in such times, did I?

It's not like it was the dark ages- it was the middle of last century!

My mom lived in the Cold War in Tampa. Our first line of defense against the potential Cuban missile threat was right there–MacDill Air Force Base. Things were very tense there at the time.

Also, remember, it was the Cold War. Are you aware of how many times WWIII could have broken out during the Cold War? I can count off the top of my head at least three.

You guys are hilarious. Pre-planned responses to expected answers. Change the answer to sound similar to what you expect but not be the same, as in have important differences and none notice.

In simpler words I said Muslim terrorists are usually extremists.

You're absolutely right. Too often, the fanatics define how people look at a religion.

.. and WHY, do you supposed that is?

Because the detractors of said religion will jump on any craziness and use it to attack it.

That sounds familiar....

You guys are missing the point.

Yes, "terrorists" are uncivilized. Yes, they don't represent the religion of Islam, but it isn't about that.

This guy had no connection to Al Qaeda.

Have you guys read Wolfe's A Child By Tiger?

Lol -- actually no.

It's because the MODERATE members of said religion either "don't know" or "don't care" to confront the more radical elements of their own religion ...



Well - don't be too sure about that.

It is true, and it is not. This is why:
Most of the "terrorists" are Muslim. BUT:
Most of these terrorists are extremists, about .1% of all Muslims according to my Islamic World teacher. The problem is that most people just think that all Muslims are terrorists, which is one of my pet peeves, because it is simply not true at all.
~Vincent

Your Islamic World teacher underestimated the size of radical Islam a wee bit. Most experts pin it at 2%.

Still, not a big number.

And you're basing this on... what? How do you know that they don't try and stop them? Radical fanatics hurt their own religion as much as they do others.

When was the last time you saw ANY comment from a "moderate Christian/Muslim/Whatever" indicating that the "actions of 'such n such' religious group within their own fraternity" should be admonished by the remainder of their fraternity?

Nowhere and you know why? Because this sort of thing ends up on the news, and boring things like (98%) of [imput said religion here] followers don't agree with them.

Mass media takes what is interesting and uses it. Not the boring things like numbers....unless the numbers show something interesting.
Its a technique called propaganda

Actually -- no -- the reason why these "moderates" never come out against the "extremists" is because they're afraid to stand up to the extremists ...

I seem to recall Le Caire or someone being hushed for what he said in the old Islam topic by his fellow Muslims....There's one case of moderation curbing extremism, right here on these very forums. I'm shocked, really.

Tchyeah -- there's nothing like the ability of the faceless internet to curb the wild-eyed behaviour of the extremist terrorist, eh?

Did you just call a member of these forums a terrorist?....



Other than that he gave you an example which you asked for. And if I thought someone was going around killing people that don't agree with them I don't think I would disagree with them either....

Actually - no - he gave me an example of how a group of children shouted down one misbehaving child on an Internet Message Forum. Now, I realize that to SOME people, this place is like "IRL", but -- you know, as someone who LIVES in the "IRL" -- I can actually inform you that, what goes on in here has VERY LITTLE bearing or resemblance to what goes on "IRL".

We're talking about how MODERATES should be curtailing EXTREMISTS in the REAL WORLD -- not how a bunch of snot-nosed children shouted down a pretend muslim-wannabe-troll on a message forum ...

Oh -- and

SO we're all just snot nosed children in a forum? Sorry I don't mean to attack I just want to make sure you don't mean that....


Now what happens on the internet can be just as important as real life. Knowledge learned changes the shape of the world. And the internet is the biggest known place of knowledge ever.

In essence even though everything here is a series of electrical signals on microchips, so is your brain, except its a series of electrical signals in cells.

Even if the internet not made of up physical matter, it can make alot of difference.

The Falls Church mosque is one of the largest on the East Coast, with thousands attending prayers and services there. However, Imam Abdul-Malki, the mosque's outreach director, said that it is a mistake to tie regular attendance at a mosque to extremism.
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