Global attitudes towards Islam survey

pewglobal.org...

I havn't had the time to check out the validity of this survey. - how many people were surveyed, how were they found, what weret he exact questions etc etc...

However this is an interesting if not unexpected insight into the fear of muslim extremists int he world.

India, Russia and Germany are the most worried about extremism.

Summary of findings...
pewglobal.org...

Muslim publics worry about Islamic extremism, but the balance of opinion in predominantly Muslim countries is that Islam is playing a greater role in politics – and most welcome that development.

Western publics believe that Muslims in their countries want to remain distinct from society, rather than adopt their nation's customs and way of life.

Moreover, there is a widespread perception in countries with significant Muslim minorities, including the U.S., that resident Muslims have a strong and growing sense of Islamic identity.

For the most part, this development is viewed negatively, particularly in Western Europe. In France, Germany and the Netherlands, those who see a growing sense of Islamic identity among resident Muslims overwhelmingly say this is a bad thing.

Originally posted by Netchicken

Western publics believe that Muslims in their countries want to remain distinct from society, rather than adopt their nation's customs and way of life.

I don't see how that is any different from any other minority.

How many cities have a China town or a little Italy.

Many groups immigrate into Western society and keep to them selves. I can't speak for France, Germany and the Netherlands. But here in Canada we are a multicultural society. People have a right to keep their culture and 'way of life'.

Do they?
When that minority culture conflicts with the dominant culture and instead of accepting the difference the minority try and change the majority to their cultural practices.

What about where the majority culture that accepts them is considered satanic and only worthy of destruction by the minority culture?

For example, I read that gays in Amsterdam are afraid to walk openly holding hands, not because the Dutch are against it but because moslem youth attack them.

Originally posted by Umbrax
People have a right to keep their culture and 'way of life'.

Originally posted by Netchicken
For example, I read that gays in Amsterdam are afraid to walk openly holding hands, not because the Dutch are against it but because moslem youth attack them.

... which is an odd thing, considering that straight males of the Islamic faith in Egypt would have no compunction about walking down the street holding hands when they are friends.

[edit on 18-7-2005 by MaskedAvatar]

Originally posted by MaskedAvatar

Originally posted by Netchicken
For example, I read that gays in Amsterdam are afraid to walk openly holding hands, not because the Dutch are against it but because moslem youth attack them.

... which is an odd thing, considering that straight males of the Islamic faith in Egypt would have no compunction about walking down the street holding hands when they are friends.

[edit on 18-7-2005 by MaskedAvatar]

Well, I'm not sure if you are informed of the difference between friends and lovers. But there is a difference trust me. But true in many other nations male (friend only) hand holding is the norm.

The Islamic youth know that it is not the norm in that nation.

[edit on 18-7-2005 by Boatphone]

Of coarse there are exceptions. If the 'way of life' is being a criminal, then that is unacceptable. No one had the right to bring harm to the community.

Other than obvious things like that you can't expect people to assimilate and become just like everyone else. You can't tell people they have to stop dressing like they used to or to convert religions.

Ahh but it IS the norm in the Dutch culture, its not in Islamic culture. So which culture should have the supremacy in Amsterdam?

There are many examples like this around.

I know a teacher who's islamic students wouldn't let him teach in shorts in the middle of summer. Bare legs were offensive to them. As a result they demanded he wear long trousers, he refused. Boy were they in for a shock when the rest of us started wearing shorts.

Originally posted by Boatphone

The Islamic youth know that it is not the norm in that nation.

[edit on 18-7-2005 by Boatphone]

NetChicken
Gays attacked by arabs for holding hands? I would be interested to see something about that, because it seems contrary to the customs of the middle east. Male friendships are displayed much more affectionately in that part of the world.



A better comparison to Muslims, rather than using the Chinese or Italians, is to use Jews. They maintain religious courts and live by laws above those of the land. It's been accepted to a certain degree in this day and age, but historically that behavior was what got them expelled from nation after nation. The Muslims may be facing now, what was a common problem for the Jews centuries ago.

It's interesting, and illuminating, because we can draw conclusions from the experiences of the Jews. They survived, not by becoming more enmeshed with society, but instead by becoming more insular. They consciously acted with the good of their race as the agenda, and agressively promoted such concepts as wealth retention and marriage control, to keep the population heterogenous and keep the wealth concentrated (power).

If the Muslims do the same things, it's reasonable to expect they will also have a good shot at survival and culture retention. Ethnic immigrants are much more easily assimilated than religious ones, because religion's demands preclude the laws of the land to a great extent.

So, it shouldn't surprise people that Muslim arab immigrants are increasingly insular, and it also shouldn't surprise people that society is distrustful of the immigrants as a result of that behavior.

I agree, Muslims come to the US and many of them expect us to adapt to thier needs and culture.

Why is it OK now for many muslims to pray in school, but it is not OK for a Chrisitan to do so? Why do many US Muslim leaders advocate burning American flags but will send someone to the chair for flushing the Koran?
Ofcourse the same can be said for many other groups/religions in America, but the issue here is on Muslims.

On the other hand I enjoy the little culture communities very much. There are many in D.C.....Vietnamese, Korean, Philippino, Hispanic, latino and many others. It's good to experience other cultures.....I prefer to actually go there to the country, it's alot better.

"Culture" is not something constant, culture of a nation changes with time and there is ALWAYS oposition when the change starts, mostly from conservative sides.
When black people started to integrate nomaly in american society in the 50s and 60s, they were faced with a LOT of oposition from stupid white men, because they saw equal black people as "not fitting" into their culture.
Nowdays, it is "american culture" that all races have equal rights.

All white, all christian, used to be western culture, now it is all about "multicultural" society.

Now that many races, religions and cultures have mixed into one society, it is absolutely logical that "old" cultures have served their purpose and have to go.

It IS our culture now to have kebab on every street corner, chinese take-out food, arab market places, women with head scarves walking around, multi-religious gatherings to bring faiths closer together, and all I can say is: thank God for that. Life is much more interesting.

There is oposition to this from BOTH sides and we have to deal with it.
There are immigrants who try to force extreme forms of life on their new homeland and there are certain parts of native population who can't stand to look at "different" people on the street, you know those, the average neo-nazi human trash.
They always talk about them foreigners destroying their life and when I ask them to give me one single example of how a foreigner has negatively influenced their day to day activities personaly, they usualy shut up, there is nothing they can say.

A lot of people are afraid of change, but change is inevitable. It creates better societies and better people.
So, embrace it.




[edit on 18-7-2005 by paperclip]