why isn't there more of a voice in the Islam community...

jon1981

why isn't there more of a voice in the Islam community to speak out about the extremists and evil people that are ruining your religion ? There are many high powered and wealthy muslims out there, i have never seen one stand up and be counted , i know that muslims are very proud of their religion and that these bad guys are in the minority. just curious...maybe there is worldwide condemnation from the islam community but i have never noticed it.

this article triggered it

why isn't there more of a voice in the Islam community...

wes

There has been plenty of condemnation. A group of Muslims even put a Fatwa on Bin Laden. There was a group of Muslim scholars who have engaged in dialog with the Pope after the whole fiasco there. Iranians held candle light vigils after the 9/11 attacks and apparently there apart of some bloody axis of evil. The thing is that while this stuff is reported, it not exactly front page news. Remember, if it bleeds it leads.

Some guy saying death to the infidels is always gonna get more play. Another guy saying that guy is a nutter, isn't going to get the same.

Also, there is the simple fact there is no such thing as a Muslim community. Its a nice short hand, but it really shouldn't be any more than that. The Muslim community is actually several different communities, that don't necessarily have much contact outside of a mosque and maybe not even then.

Also, when it comes to Sunni Islam, there is no priestly hierarchy at all. This leads to a lot of noise and the loudest tend to be the only ones heard.

blackthorn

That link's not working for me for some reason, Jon.

Anyway, as Wes said, there has been lots of condemnation from Muslims around the world from all strata of society. Here are a few links as a starter:

http://www.islam-democracy.org/terrorism_statement.asp


"Who has the greatest duty to stop violence committed by Muslims against innocent non-Muslims in the name of Islam? The answer, obviously, is Muslims."
Ingrid Mattson, Vice President, Islamic Society of North America


"Hijacking Planes, terrorizing innocent people and shedding blood constitute a form of injustice that can not be tolerated by Islam, which views them as gross crimes and sinful acts."
Shaykh Abdul Aziz al-Ashaikh, Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of the Senior Ulama, on September 15th, 2001


"I'm a Muslim. I've been a Muslim for 20 years. I want the world to know the truth about Islam. I wouldn't be here to represent Islam if it were the way the terrorists make it look...Islam is for peace."
Former World Heavyweight boxing champion, Muhammad Ali, at the telethon benefit concert, September 21, 2001.


And there are loads and loads here:

http://www.unc.edu/~kurzman/terror.htm

another:

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/5458E4D1-D649-4C9D-B5DA-3F6F45535FC7.htm

It could go on and on.

Bottle_of_Smoke

Also, assuming you're in Ireland there aren't actually all that many Muslims here. No Muslim TDs etc/ You'd probably notice a voice a lot more if you lived in London.

jackdaw

jon1981 wrote: »

why isn't there more of a voice in the Islam community to speak out about the extremists and evil people that are ruining your religion ? There are many high powered and wealthy muslims out there, i have never seen one stand up and be counted , i know that muslims are very proud of their religion and that these bad guys are in the minority. just curious...maybe there is worldwide condemnation from the islam community but i have never noticed it.

this article triggered it

why isn't there more of a voice in the Islam community...

Well I'd imagine cos most muslims probably condone that fundamentalism ...

just what i think ..

wes

jackdaw wrote: »

Well I'd imagine cos most muslims probably condone that fundamentalism ...

just what i think ..

You think what ever you please, but that doesn't make is so.

Anyway, links were provided above that certainly show that to be not the case and plenty have condemned such things.

Jannah

wes wrote: »

You think what ever you please, but that doesn't make is so.

Anyway, links were provided above that certainly show that to be not the case and plenty have condemned such things.

Yeah, I'd have to agree with Wes- all generalisations are false (hoho, thank my calender for that ole gem!) Although I have never met what I would view as a rational Muslim in person, I know that there are many out there. Most people who are extreme and irrational in their views are the same people who are too insecure and incompetent in their beliefs to actual look for the logic behind their actions and find out more information about it. Its a whole lot easier to answer "Because God says so" than to give an response with some intelligence behind it.

panda100

jon1981 wrote: »

There are many high powered and wealthy muslims out there,
R

Do you really think that only the wealthy and 'powerful' muslims can have a voice? The only wealthy,high 'powered' Irish muslim I can think of is Krish Naidoo, the owner of the Miss Ireland franchise.Would the Irish muslim community really want someone like him, who makes money exploiting the bodies of young women, to be their voice?

Recently many ordinary members of the Dublin muslim community are engaging more and more with Irish people such as their succesful information stall every Sunday at the GPO. It is these young muslims that should be given a platform not millionaires and those in prestigous positions.

Caverna

Perhaps if the Western media reported Muslims condemnations more fully then this idea that Muslims dont condemn would be eradicated forever.

Muslims, Jews, Christians, Buddhists, Athiests, Agnosticists etc...any reasonable minded person condems violence.

Besides, why does there have to be a vocal condemnation by the Islamic community? We all know what Islam preaches, and for those who dont-go educate yourselves. Islam is a religion of peace. Those who think differently have not educated themselves properly.

InFront

I agree with Caverna. In the last eight to ten years, discourse on Islam has become linked excessively and unreasonably with global terrorism. If we (most of us) can agree that Islam in itself is not the cause for this trouble, but deeper political issues outside the teachings of Islam - and certainly not within the realm of the Islam board - then surely we must see how Islam and the pathogenesis of terrorism must be sharply seperated.

In kind, the responsibility for individual Muslims to personally decry and admonish terrorists as a sort of "duty" needs to be re-evaluated. It is everybody's collective responsibility to work together to build peace, the responsibility does not lie heavier on the shoulders of any given Muslim, simply because of the actions of some nutcases he or she has no control over in the first place.

On the other hand, this is not to deny the responsibility of the Ummah as one body, made up of scholars, elders, teachers, parents, siblings, neighbours etc. to teach correctly what Allah has taught us. But the same can be said for all communities from the street you live on, to schools, governments and organisations when it comes to promoting responsible and honourable human behaviour and peace.