Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think

[jazzer]

Haha, I love that one! Classic, simply classic. Outrage without a concrete cause. Don't bother to see what you're outraged about, just flip the outrage switch and off you go. Yes, these people just serve to show how outrageously peacefull Islam truly is.

Kinda reminds me of all the Christian uproar over The Da Vinci Code, and most hadn't read it.

[AngusThermopyle]

Kinda reminds me of all the Christian uproar over The Da Vinci Code, and most hadn't read it.

Well sorta, I don't recall any reports of Christians putting a death sentence on the head of the author though. Does any one know if he received any death threats?

[Topaz]

Last year, it was reported on TV news that more Christians are turning to Islam as their religion and this was in Texas and so when GW finally goes home to stay he'll be surrendered by Islam.

[jbg]

Kinda reminds me of all the Christian uproar over The Da Vinci Code, and most hadn't read it.

Were there any riots or deaths over the Da Vinci Code?

[AngusThermopyle]

Were there any riots or deaths over the Da Vinci Code?

I asked the same question except I asked about threats as well. No one seems to want to answer it though.

[Wild Bill]

I asked the same question except I asked about threats as well. No one seems to want to answer it though.

You're not likely to get an answer, Angus. It's a classic case of double-think.

Someone publishes cartoons that depict Islam as a violent religion and some fundamentalist Muslims promptly start rioting and even killing to protest such an idea!

It is a logical fallacy to claim that since not ALL Muslims are violent that NONE are violent!

How many suicide bombers are Innuit? Or Japanese?

The problem with those billion Muslims is that few show any willingness to purge their ranks of violent fundamentalists. Some polls claim that large numbers actually condone the violence as helping move towards a universal Islamic society, even if they would never commit violence themselves.

In the States when the times changed against the Klan there were many, many white folks who joined the struggle to purge them from American society. So far we see little or no similar action in the world of Islam.

However, for even posing these points I guess I must be racist and biased so they can be conveniently ignored...

Edited April 3, 2008 by Wild Bill

[jbg]

I asked the same question except I asked about threats as well. No one seems to want to answer it though.

Ah, but we're both forgetting about the ceaseless Jewish riots in response to Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Jewish businessmen and lawyers in New York City and Toronto often spend their days on Bloor Street and Madison Avenue (respectively) rioting.

[AngusThermopyle]

Thats why I always avoided Bloor. You just never knew when you'd become the next victim of a random drive by Motzah'ing. Even worse are those insidious roadside IMD's (improvised Motzah devices) they are so fond of planting, the sheer carnage after one of those goes off is enough to turn your blood to ice water.

[Argus]

del

Edited April 3, 2008 by Argus

[Argus]

Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think

http://www.antiwar.com/scheuer/?articleid=12576

A new book by John L. Esposito and Dalia Mogahed ought to have a profound and transforming influence on Americans' view of their government's confrontation with Islam. The book, Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think, presents the results of six years of Gallup polling in the Muslim world between 2001 and 2007. "With the random sampling method that Gallup used," the authors explain, "results are statistically valid with a plus or minus 3-point margin of error. In totality, we surveyed a sample representing more than 90% of the world's 1.3 billion Muslims, making this the largest, most comprehensive study of contemporary Muslims ever done" (xi). Based on this data, Esposito and Mogahed have determined that Washington's conflict with Islam is "more about policy than principle"

no surprise there, of course it is policy, imperial policy!

and all the "good germans" are on board, now, as in WW2

* "As we have seen in the [Gallup] data, resentment against the West comes from what Muslims perceive as the West's hatred and denigration of Islam; the Western belief that Arabs and Muslim are inferior; and their [Muslims'] fear of Western intervention, domination, or occupation" (141).

well the Muslims certainly get it, unlike the 'good germans'

The only thing the West gives a damn about with regard to Muslims is the steady pumping of oil. For all the rest of what we care they could all kill each other or wear purple toques on their toes and stand on their heads. As long as the oil keeps pumping and your local mufti isn't sending people into Israel or the West to blow things up he has no fear of intervention.

* "As our [Gallup's] data has demonstrated, the primary cause of broad-based anger and anti-Americanism is not a clash of civilizations but the perceived effect of U.S. foreign policy in the Muslim world" (156).

again, the muslims get it, "good germans" blindly and in fear follow the "leader"

The perceived effect they don't like is.... what exactly? I would imagine their main complaint is support for Israel. Tough. The hatred, violent bigotry and massive ignorance of the Muslim world no doubt could cause massive resentment over US Policy in this area - but then, their religious fanaticism, ignorance, illiteracy and general backwardness leaves them wide open to going into screaming rages over just about anything. There could be an eclipse and they'd all be howling in the street gnashing their teeth and demanding the end of "The Great Satan" for robbing them of their moonlight!

We are talking about barbarians, after all.

* "[The Gallup data shows that] contrary to what the 'They Hate Our Freedom' thesis might predict, Muslims do not recommend or insist upon changes to Western culture or social norms as the path to better [Western-Muslim] relations. … Rather they call on the West to show greater respect for Islam, and they emphasize policy-related issues [u.S. interventionism; unqualified support for Israel; and protection for authoritarian Arab regimes]" (159).

Yes, because it's not like the Muslims LIKE authoritarian regimes or anything. It's not like, given a choice, every single Muslim people wouldn't immediately put in place a brutal religious theocracy like that of Iran or Sudan. Right? Why should I respect a backward religion which seems to be at the root of almost every act of political violence in the world?

again the muslims are on the ball, we get to read here everyday all the respect the west shows islam, denigration of everything in typical imperialistic style, the good "colonialists" at their best.

Did you ever go to school? I'm always curious where people like you come from. It's hard to live in the most peaceful, wealthy, comfortable and sophisticated areas of the planet, the best civilizations which have emerged anywhere in ten thousand years, and yet loath and despise those civilizations. I wonder if anyone's done a psychological study on people like you to find out what made you the way you are.

[jbg]

Thats why I always avoided Bloor. You just never knew when you'd become the next victim of a random drive by Motzah'ing. Even worse are those insidious roadside IMD's (improvised Motzah devices) they are so fond of planting, the sheer carnage after one of those goes off is enough to turn your blood to ice water.

Matzoh. And "blood" was one of the Biblical plagues, along with frogs, locusts, hail, cattle disease, killing of the first born, and one I can't think of right now.

[DogOnPorch]

"Two-bit comedian", Robert Spencer over at Jihad Watch had some interesting things to say re: things like this study...more specifically the "Islam Is Peace' campaign over in the UK. Normally I find his agenda a bit off-colour to my liking, but he made some good point in a few of his broadcasts below.

Islam Is Peace's 5 point plan is dealt with in 6 short vids...

----------------------------------------------

...not a word is said about the 9000+ terrorist attacks post 9-11...

---Robert Spencer

Edited April 5, 2008 by DogOnPorch

[JB Globe]

The only thing the West gives a damn about with regard to Muslims is the steady pumping of oil.

I don't see what that has to do with the quote from the study, which talked about Muslim attitudes towards the West.

We are talking about barbarians, after all.

Well, you sure aren't making a case for your own superiority to these "barbarians" with your bigoted diatribes. Honestly, this "Muslims are the devil" routine gets as old just as quickly as the "Jews are the devil" routine. Come on, you must be smarter than that.

Yes, because it's not like the Muslims LIKE authoritarian regimes or anything. It's not like, given a choice, every single Muslim people wouldn't immediately put in place a brutal religious theocracy like that of Iran or Sudan. Right?

Doesn't look like anything like that is happening in Turkey, Malaysia, Senegal, or Indonesia anytime soon. - And that accounts for nearly 350 million people.

Did you ever go to school? I'm always curious where people like you come from. It's hard to live in the most peaceful, wealthy, comfortable and sophisticated areas of the planet, the best civilizations which have emerged anywhere in ten thousand years, and yet loath and despise those civilizations. I wonder if anyone's done a psychological study on people like you to find out what made you the way you are.

Is this a letter to yourself or someone else?