Originally posted by RTStabler51: Gooz, I don't know you or your history, all I konw is that you are Muslim and seem to be a 'common sense' (for a lack of better terms) Muslim, and I believe that is the exact problem with Islam is that people such as yourself aren't standing up for yourself and showing the world that these guys don't represent you. What the world sees, and thus believe is Islam, are the beheadings, rioting, etc. Stand up and voice yourself or Islam will continually get this rap. Period.
Exactly. I don't see widespread condemnation of this activity from worldwide leaders of Islam. When abortion clinics were bombed in the name of Christianity, Christian leaders worldwide publicly and incessantly condemned the attacks.
Its really hard for us living in the US to watch and condem these violences. We can condem them but the American people will go watch the news and the media will protray somthing else. However my feelings are that the cartoons were really distastefull and since the first newspaper company distributed them and had alot of riots regarding them, I felt it was a smack to the face when other Dutch newspapers did exactly the same. I mean its worse enough if you have one paper doing it but then other newspapers, this was bound to happen. The muslim world at the moment is very unstable due to the middle east. You got the whole Palestine issue, Iraq issue mainly and then Afghanistan. Its really not going oh so well for us ya know. Pakistan is pretty much doing what the US tells it to do. Pakistan is soo unstable because you got people blowing up public buses killing their own innocent people just to tell the government to stop listening to the US. Its really a shame and I do agree with most of you that in the end it comes down to lack of educataion. These people think they and their religion are under threat by others (mainly Bush, just a speculation) which has what lead to the famous "j" word jihad. This is complete nonsense where you go killing inoocent people in the name of Allah. It angers me because here we are are in the US trying to give Islam a good image and then you got these fanatics goin crazy there killing innocent people in name of Islam. Its really really hard being a muslim right now. But as I said before, the cartoons were very very distasteful imho, and the fact that other newspapers went along and published them really was a smack to the face. Violence is not the soloution to this, I would agree with friendly protests but then storming embassies and etc, complete insanity oh so i hope one day islam (the largest growing religion) has a good name to people
this is all I can say
Good to hear from you Goonz. That's ONE Muslim speaking out. Now gather a few more. A march on your local capital or Muslim gathering in any town to protest the violence by insurgents in Iraq, Afghanistan, & Pakistan WILL make headlines. The American people & the media have been waiting & watching for it. If your moderate views are mainstream and you denounce the radicals around the world, so much of this violence can be avoided. Once some moderate Muslims stand to be counted, many more will follow.
Considering the state of Islam & the fanatics that are running about making headlines, I am not at all surprised that those potentially affected by it will try to marginalize Islam & it's leaders - starting with cartoons. If things continue they way they have, Islam will have much more to be concerned with than just a few sketches in a newspaper. Jihad can work both ways.
oh so i hope one day islam (the largest growing religion) has a good name to people 
