Muslims: The Strangers in Our Midst

[Captain Kirk]

I Can't get my head around the fact that anyone still believes in all this God/Allah/Prophet Muhammad bullshit.

How about "Immaculate Conseption"?

You serious?

[Gaybutton]

Most are not potential terrorists, thats true, but not because they are moderate. Many Muslims support or can understand the terrorists.

Therefore the answer is to just ban them all? To me, that's absurd. What are some of you expecting USA embassies and consulates to say to visa applicants? "Sorry, you're Islamic. Visa denied." How about, "Sorry, but because you're Islamic we can't be sure you're not a terrorist. Visa denied." "Sorry, but you're from a country where Bin Laden's dog once peed. Visa denied."

My major objection is Islamic communities, whether in the USA, Europe, or anywhere else aren't out there protesting terrorism and aren't doing much of anything I can see to try to prevent it. To me, they ought to be the ones shouting the loudest against extremism and terrorists since their own lives are negatively affected by both. Look what has happened. People of other religions and cultures don't trust them. Many who otherwise would never have dreamed of it are now ready to start persecuting them.

Look at the prejudice toward perfectly innocent people. They simply cannot afford to essentially remain silent about it any longer unless they want to invite their own persecution, and that is exactly where this road is leading. I can't believe they are not intelligent enough to see that.

And yes, I believe if people choose to live in a country where the culture and predominant religion is different from their own, then that does not obligate them to change their own lifestyles, but it does obligate them to accept the culture.

While I believe the prejudice that now exists against Muslims is unfair, I also believe their silence about the extremists and terrorists makes much of the prejudice their own fault.

[Alex]

It's basically the same as with gay communities that harbor child molesters in their midst, either in actual fact or in (some) people's mind. By not speaking out and taking action from within the community, the risk is that a growing number of outsiders will refuse to make that distinction. "If there are no boy bars, no underage boys are at risk of being exploited there", doesn't sound very different from, "If there are no mosques, no hate speech can be delivered at mosques", after all.

[windwalker]

Well spoken, PeterUK.

[Undaunted]

Imagine a world devoid of any religion and all to be governed by a humanistic code that would simply state a code to live by in the here and now not 100% different than the 10 commandments.

[windwalker]

The Bird Clan of East Central Alabama has the Ten Indian Commandments.

Remain close to the Great Spirit.
Show great respect for your fellow beings.
Give assistance and kindness wherever needed.
Be truthful and honest at all times.
Do what you know to be right.
Look after the well being of mind and body.
Treat the earth and all that dwell there on with respect.
Take full responsibility for your actions.
Dedicate a share of your efforts to the greater good.
Work together for the benefit of all man kind.

[Oliver]

How apt; the native Americans were the victims of a genocide. They were driven from their ancestral lands, dehumanised and massacred, just like my friends' families.
By the way, Stalin's Soviet Union and Pol Pot's Cambodia were aggressively godless; absence of religion doesn't always equate with humanity.
I may contribute to this discussion later but, having spent so much time in a Muslim (and Christian minority) country undergoing colonisation, and brutal, racist occupation, I frankly do not know where to start. It is obviously hard for people who have never had such experiences, relying on a frightened and ignorant media, even to approach the reality. I doubt whether I'm the right person to assist them...I'm too close to the suffering of dear friends. Yes, Arab ones, Muslim ones.

[Undaunted]

Oliver you are entitled to your opinion but I hope that you and anyone reading this thread reads post #19.

[Undaunted]

Things that would have helped prevent the scourge of Muslim extremism. The U.S. Should have helped as opposed to hinder the Soviets in Afghanistan, after 9/11 the U.S. should have broken off any relationship with the Saudis, the U.S. Should have seen Pakistan for what it is and what it sill is...they should have blown up their nuclear facilities that enabled them to have a nuclear weapon, they also should have found and dealt this the Pakistani scientist that created the bomb, early on they should have known the true nature of the Pakistani I.S.I. They should never had entered Iraq at anytime...Kuwaitis are particularly horrid they should have left Saddam alone and never started Nation Building at a tremendous cost of U.S. Money and lives(for what) They should have retaliated in a massive way in Iran for taking American hostages and they should have early on with the most potent weapons had Israel take out their nuclear facilities lastly you don't give foreign aid to those that hate you. Having said this it was with great displeasure that today I read that the U.S. Is beginning to resettle 10,000 Syrians on its soil. When and what will it take for them to learn?

[Gaybutton]

When and what will it take for them to learn?

Since the best idea is to invade and bomb sovereign countries and turn most of the world against the USA, as long as we're at it why not surprise nuke North Korea too? After all, they make blatant threats to bomb the USA. If the rest of the world thinks we've gone off the deep end, so what? Who cares, right?