Analysis: Islam's image deteriorates (And FR Opinion Poll)

The Washington Times ^ | Sept. 5 | By Uwe Siemon-Netto

[.cnI redruM]

WASHINGTON, Sept. 5 (UPI) -- One of the most touching reactions by most Americans to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, was their eagerness to avoid stereotypes about Islam and its faithful. Two years on, this religion's image has drastically deteriorated, even among well-educated U.S. citizens, a new poll shows.

After Osama bin Laden's kamikaze killers had crashed hijacked airliners into New York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon, scattered anti-Islamic outrages did occur, of course. More remarkable, though, was the outpouring of solidarity for Muslim residents in the United States, and an increased interest in their beliefs.

[.cnI redruM]

Here's a good one to ponder. Is Islam more unpopular because we are fighting a war against Muslims? Or is it more unpopular because Americans are reading and learning more about the religion? (Perhaps Both)

[TrebleRebel]

Moderates, by definition, will never have a loud voice. And Muslims, by definition, cannot be moderate. So its just inevitable that moderate Islam will always be overshadowed or killed-off by their more consistent "Muslim brothers."

[abclily]

It is more unpopular because we are reading and learning more about the religion. Islam teaches its members that they will be rewarded for murdering innocent people who hold different views from the teachings of Muhammad.

[Centurion2000]

So its just inevitable that moderate Islam will always be overshadowed or killed-off by their more consistent "Muslim brothers."

Was just thinking about this .... how long until we see the first Fatwa calling 'moderate' islamics apostates for abandoning the true dicatates of the koran ?

[tell me]

Americans are also learning more everyday about how many Muslims live in our country. Prior to 9/11 we didn't give that a thought.

[samtheman]

Two bad that the average American has zero influence over these two branches of US government:

1. State Department visa-mills in foreign countries.

2. The US Border Welcome Department

[.cnI redruM]

Seriously, this CA law makes it 3 times worse. Bush will have to do something intelligent with the borders or he cannot succeed in securing the homeland.

[TrebleRebel]

I have no proof, but I'm willing to bet its already happening.

[Conservative4Ever]

More people understanding the religion. One interesting note...a book written 'Tea with Terrorists' the authors state that the Muslims who do not believe in the killing of infidels are not true Muslims. Yes, the Koran really, really means what it says. Death to all infidels.

Red

[veronica]

One of the most touching reactions by most Americans to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, was their eagerness to avoid stereotypes about Islam and its faithful.

Perhaps two years of non-stop terrorist attacks by Islamofascists has put a dent in the so-called eagerness of Americans not to "stereotype".

[.cnI redruM]

So far, I've heard some of both. Islamicists always try to sell the spin that OBL is a an outlier like McVeigh or The Unibomber. There just seem to be so many outliers out there that noone can really see the center of mass.

[happygrl]

One highly respected U.S. Muslim willing to be quoted was Yemen-born Abdulwahab Alkebsi, who has dedicated his career in the United States to promoting the compatibility between Islam and democracy... Alkebsi said, "What bothers me the most is this: In the eyes of the American elite, political Islamist movements using violence to reach their goals have become representative of Islam." Alkebsi urged a two-pronged response to this dilemma: "In this country, American Muslim organizations must educate the U.S. that Islam is compatible with democracy, pluralism and even secularism."

NO.

Americans DON'T NEED EDUCATING.

What Muslims must do is DEMONSTRATE BY THEIR WORDS AND ACTIONS THAT THEY HAVE RENOUNCED VIOLENCE AS A MEANS OF PROMULGATING THEIR FAITH.

This means denouncing CAIR and other Muslim advocacy groups that spread lies.

It means denouncing and reforming the "education" that is carried on in Wahabbi funded Islamic schools, EVEN IN THE U.S.

The Pew Report shows that there is no time to lose. Not only is the number of Americans equating Islam with violence steadily increasing. But the share of U.S. citizens believing that all, most or at least half of all Muslims around the world are anti-American has also risen from 36 to almost 50 percent since March 2002.

DUH.

THAT'S BECAUSE THEY ARE ANTI-AMERICAN, AS SHOWN BY POLL AFTER POLL!!!

Is Islam more unpopular because we are fighting a war against Muslims? Or is it more unpopular because Americans are reading and learning more about the religion? (Perhaps Both)

NEITHER.

It's because of what Muslims are doing throughout the world.

It is their own actions (and the lack of renouncement and the equivocation of the response by Muslims) which cause them to be viewed as violent.

[Voice in your head]

Both. The Taliban identified themselves not as citizens of Afghanistan, but as Muslims. So, in Afghanistan, it is easy to see why Muslims are regarded as the enemy, rather than Afghani's - even though most of the Muslims there are not our enemy (which is why we can get away with such a small military force there). With an enemy identified as Muslim, people begin to read about the religion. And, since the combination of issues associated with popular perception of Islam - war, civil rights, and political correctness - make this a polarizing issue, there are a lot of books with a very slanted position on the topic of Islam. People read these books because of the polarizing political nature of them and because so many people are, for whatever reason, interested in other people's lives.

There are hundreds of millions of Muslims. If Islam were the great evil that some think it to be, we would be engaged in a World War which would require the focus of all of our resources - not just a handful of divisions, doing Stability and Support Operations and occasional, small-scale combat missions.

[HitmanLV]

What Muslims must do is DEMONSTRATE BY THEIR WORDS AND ACTIONS THAT THEY HAVE RENOUNCED VIOLENCE AS A MEANS OF PROMULGATING THEIR FAITH.

Ultimately, I think this is what it is really about. Muslims have done a terrible job in the post 9-11 USA - they have not been visibly critical of the extremists, remain insular, and have not taken the steps to be seen as unambiguously on the side of

This is a shame. When the other shoe drops (and it will, and I am afriad it will victimize more than 3,000 americans, history tells us that americans bust some heads. I would hate to see an unnecessary bloodletting in the streets because these folks were too arrogant to take the right side in this confrontation.

Some Muslims complain about their treatment post 9-11. They haven't seen anything yet: after another (inevitable) disasterous attack, larger in scope than 9-11, sadly innocent folks will be hanging from lamposts, and cops & sherrifs will look the other way.

It's as american as apple pie, really.

[Publius6961]

Yes, the Koran really, really means what it says. Death to all infidels.

I think what the koran means is irrelevant and a red herring.
What tody's muslims think it says is the only thing that matters.

It's like the clueless morons that show up here saying that reading certain parts of the Old Testament makes Christians generally bloody killers.

One more time: what knuckle-dragging sandmaggots do is what shapes our perception of them.
No amount of PR can change that.

[TalBlack]

Here's a good one to ponder. Is Islam more unpopular because we are fighting a war against Muslims? Or is it more unpopular because Americans are reading and learning more about the religion? (Perhaps Both)


Indeed, in the case of Islam (The Religion of the Bogus Prophet) familarity breeds fear and loathing.

[Publius6961]

There are hundreds of millions of Muslims. If Islam were the great evil that some think it to be, we would be engaged in a World War which would require the focus of all of our resources - not just a handful of divisions, doing Stability and Support Operations and occasional, small-scale combat missions.

What a silly statement.
Take 20% of a billion and think about it.

Most arabs are cowards.
Suicidal nuts are a dime a dozen in any culture.
But facing a real army in the battlefield makes them soil their knickers.
Examine why the "Mother of all battles" has been a rout without exception. Not an accident.

And for ever suicidal nut, there are a dozen supporting nuts who choose to remain in the background.

It is a staggering number.

[FixitGuy]

I mistrust and fear Muslims.

God told me they're evil pagans and we must destroy them all! (/sarcasm)

[FixitGuy]

Seriously though.

Where are the Muslim clerics with the courage to speak out. They must know something we don't!

[Rome2000]

Gee, I wonder how popular Islam will be when more Americans see these

Amin Al Husseini seen inspecting his Hanzar Division made up exclusively of Muslims, mostly from the Crotia/Bosnia/Serbia region. They actively lead the genocide against Serbs, Serbian Jews and Gypsies.

Amin Al Husseini meets with Adolf Hitler in November 1942, weeks before the decision to implement the Final Solution which sent Europe's Jews to the gas chamber. The Third Reich provided Amin Al Husseini with a salary and appointed him Head of the Hanzar SS Division. The Hanzar Division was made of Nazi Muslims and implemented the genocide of 250,000 Serbs, Gypsies and Jews during WWII.

Amin Al Husseini shown here on a Nazi poster recruiting fellow Muslims to join Hitler in the fight against the West and the Jews. His disciples today include Yasser Arafat, Saddam Hussein and the leaders of Hamas, Al Qeida and Islamic Jihad.

Amin Al Husseini, future President of the World Islamic Congress (1961) and founding father of the Arab League (1944) inspects his Muslim Nazi troops, the Hanzar Division. Amin Al Husseini making the traditional nazi salute.

Yasser Arafat became a disciple of Amin Al Husseini since the age of 17. Here: recent picture of Palestinian soldiers under the leadership of Arafat making the traditional Nazi salute.