52 replies to this topic

[aliasghark]

iDevonian, on 03 June 2012 - 04:07 PM, said:

Obviously when Americans consider these things, they are considering race as well.  Its not just about Islam, its about middle eastern culture.  If you are walking down the street with a giant beard in pajamas, with a women decked out in a niqaab, obviously people will react differently than if you are some random white guy walking down the street with a blonde.  The random white guy, like sean stone of your list could be muslim, but its just not the same.

You can't remove that stereotype from your mind can you? Muslims in the west are from all kinds of places, not just the middle east and they don't all dress in just that specific attire (even if all of them were middle-eastern).

Only about a fifth of all Muslims are from the middle east.

You have too many prejudices to get out of your head.

[iDevonian]

aliasghark, on 03 June 2012 - 04:12 PM, said:

You can't remove that stereotype from your mind can you? Muslims in the west are from all kinds of places, not just the middle east and they don't all dress in just that specific attire (even if all of them were middle-eastern).

Only about a fifth of all Muslims are from the middle east.

You have too many prejudices to get out of your head.

This isnt about what my opinion is, its about the opinions of the people who are protesting in Tennessee...and you and I both know, it is highly likely that they believe in this stereotype. Also, many Tennessee muslims are immigrants.

We are talking about...why Islam runs into conflicts with things like building a mosque in Tennessee.

The answer is simple and clear, and I am sure you agree.  Muslims do not hold a large portion of the population in the US.  They are not commonly found in the media either. And so, many people really do not know much about Islam. If you do not know much about something, well what do you know?  Well, we know of Saudi Arabia and their version of Shariah law.  We know of 9/11 and the controversy of a mosque being built near ground zero.

Just because people know about Ice Cube, doesnt mean people think of Ice Cube as a muslim, nor do people associate Ice Cube with Islam.  They associate him with the friday movies or boyz in the hood.

People simply need to be exposed, and they will learn over time.

There really isnt anything else to say, and you and I both know, what I have just said, is true.

Now, obviously in more liberal areas, people do know more about muslims and Islam...generally speaking. But we are talking about Tennessee. Thats the south, it may as well be texas with its massive fundamentalist evangelical super churches.

i will give you last word this time, just because this conversation really isnt important and we are dragging it out.  Unless you really want me to reply.

Edited by iDevonian, 03 June 2012 - 05:51 PM.

[aliasghark]

Haha, you so want to have that 'last word' don't you?

No, if it was just a natural suspicion of the unknown, things wouldn't have come to this at all. Muslims have been in America for many generations, and these kind of problems have started to occur more and more only in recent years. Which is easy to understand considering there is much effort and several million dollars being spent by the some right-wing organizations to spread hate against Muslims; we would have been in a far more peaceful world if these anti-Islam extremists didn't sponsor the intolerance.