How many muslims do you know?

Since I been on ATS, I have noticed how there is always an argument about Muslims VS non-muslims. Muslim this, Non-muslim that. Looks like the western media has succeeded in making muslims look like terrorist. Just because some radicals of a religion act in a violent way does not mean you can treat every person of that religion as a suspect.

Now, I come to the question?.....Please let me know how many muslims you actually know? and that is not counting some muslim guy who lives down the street whom you occasionally say Hi to. I mean, muslim people or families you actually know and have actually talked to on some occasion or hung out with.

Tell me how many and tell me how they acted towards you. Maybe you will begin to understand why you need to stop labelling muslims as terrorists and radicals.

Also, people always crticize the 'moderate' muslims of not standing up against radical muslim leaders. Tell me, how many americans actually stood up against Bush and stopped him from killing thousands of people in Iraq and afghanistan. Surely, not every single person living in those countries was a terrorist. In fact, to kill a terrorist in one house, they blew up the entire block (just an analogy). So why didnt the americans stand up against Bush and protested against killing so many innocent people and not to mention its own soldiers. It was like pushing them into the lion's den.

How many actually did something or stopped Bush. None. Why? because you cant, he is your president and can do watever he wants with or without your support as long as he can get enuough people to support him.

So I suggest you stop the stereotyping and tell me how many of you know a muslim? and if you dont i suggest you might wanna meet some and try to get a picture of how muslims are. You will be surprised to know that they are human and eat and sleep just like any other human. They even go to work and pay taxes and raise a family and protect their family. I know, unbelievable isnt it. Also they dont have explosives sitting on top of their shelves at home. You can go check if you like.

The question is fairly loaded...

I think since 9-11, most every American has made it his or her job to GET to know your muslim neighbor...
I have, and have learned much...
I have now "unofficially adopted" 6 muslims...

I really hope that all my fellow Americans are doing their job as western ambassadors of good faith, and of course, checking the attitude of our neighbors...

You might be surprised to learn much...
so go down to your local conveniance store, and sign up for the "adopt a muslim program" today...
Most come with rich cultural historys, good humor, and great stories...

And please forgive my pointed , but with good intent, humor...



[edit on 10-10-2006 by LazarusTheLong]

Zilch...
I think even my Syrian general practitioner is Catholic.

I know 1 muslim guy named Dakel(I think thats how he said he spelled it) first thing I noticed about him was he had one eye because I found out later he was robbed and shot in the eye in cincinnati not because he was muslim it was random. Anyway I met him at a party( he is muslim but not hardcore) and me asking about his eye started our first conversation. Dakel has turned out to be a good friend you couldn't find a guy more respectful. I'm a christian and we get along great we talk about the diffrences in both our faiths. Some things we don't agree on but I'm glad to have met him and look forward to meeting the rest of his family

[edit on 10-10-2006 by Kramthenothing]

[edit on 10-10-2006 by Kramthenothing]

[edit on 10-10-2006 by Kramthenothing]

i would also like to see how many muslims people here know for real
and what propective they get from them

I guess I cant's say I know any Muslims personally, only worked closely with one person I knew that was Muslim. I drive a tow truck for a living and run into people of all types many of whom have been Muslim.

I use the opportunity in the truck to talk to many people about current events, gov, situation in Iraq etc. Every Muslim I have spoken to has denounced violence in general and none have voiced any support to terrorists or terrorist acts. I feel on the whole most Muslims are fairly peaceful and do not support the radicals that the man wants you to think they all are. As with all religions you have your normal peaceful types and you have your radical my way or the highway types.

I've worked and occasionally socialised with about 30 over the last 10 years.

Most of them were the first to admit they didn't like me much at first, i'm a 6'8" biker, but when they got to know me i got on perfectly fine with most of them. We didn't have much in common but we didn't have much to argue about either. Live and let live and all that....


We never discussed politics, things might have got heated if we had (then again they might not)
There was a couple i could have quite easily lost my rag with, to be honest though that's no different from every other race and religion i've met.

I mentioned i'm a 6'8" biker because alot of people seem to find me unapproachable, although when they do they wonder why they were bothered in the first place.

I guess in that regard we share something in common but for different reasons.

As far as I know, I only know two.

One was my family's doctor for many years, the other is the owner of a small supermarket where we sometimes shop.

I know from seeing them frequently on the street two or three more, but I never spoke to them.

Glad to know people are actually making efforts to see the truth themselves and have unbiased opinions. I also want to add that I am a muslim from a moderate muslim family and I have a catholic girlfriend. Both my parents and her parents are religious and follow their religions, u know, like go to mosque and church and stuff. But me and my gf love each other and our families like us too. And we just hate it when we see all the violence and riots on TV in the name of religion. Maybe we shud just be nice to our neighbours (muslims or not) and see wat a differnce it makes.

I never stopped to count... I'm guessing half a dozen as close friends, 30 - 40 aquaintances, nuther 12 or so at work, and most of the neighbourhood in which I live. Plus all the street hockey kids in the 'hood. Oh yeah, my former significant other, my accountant, our truck mechanic, one of our barristers. Does it matter? Perhaps to some... not to me. Different is good, so is sameness! What's the issue?

Victor K.

41'

about 14

all but 1 are good people, but that 1 is just a horrible person, regardless of religion

all of them are very politically aware, critical of the acts or extremists, and concerned about israel's "samson option"

I know of approx 20 Muslims who seem fine and i get on with them OK. My babysitter for the weekends when me and the Mrs go out is a young Muslim girl who has recently had an arranged marriage and she is excellent with my children.

There is 1 however which i have mentioned in the past here on ATS. He was a work colleague and he knew full well i was a ex British Soldier and knew full well my brothers who are still serving where out in Iraq. He went missing for some months a couple of years back he literally vanished off the face of the planet. He returned some months later this time in full Muslim clothing and shaven head and beard. He told me he had been sent out to Iraq to fight against the British and US Armed Forces. He said he was sent out by his elders at the mosque. He revelled when telling me how he had shot at allied soldiers and was like a crazed madman.
He had a glint in his eye when talking about it something i recognised from being a soldier myself as someone who was hellbent on using his newly learnt skills to kill and destroy.

Luckily a few days later he vanished again to where i dont know. Generally though i have met and had good working relations with Muslims

I know of and have befriended many Muslim belief'd person's.

Some before, some after 911.

ALL of them are upstanding person's with honorable attributes.

ALL of them strive to be naturalized or have achieved such.

Most of them have been treated very poorly and had racist comments and hatred directed toward them after 911, solely because of their heritage and belief's.

Yet they continue to love this country (USA) and strive to live their dreams.
Yes, I know them that well.
Yes, I support their endeavors.
Yes, I trust them.

Hatred based solely on heritage or religious belief, ...
... just sucks

These are my Friends I speak of.
These are honest hard working family men that I speak of.

About half a dozen at work and others in my community, shopkeepers, neighbours etc. They're like most people nice or nasty or just average. Which is why I don't subscribe to neither the 'all muslims are bad' or 'all muslims are victims' theory that so many threads on here descend into.

lots at college and who leave near me.

lovely people, they even send me Christmas cards and i spend many hours talking to them about religion and politics.

very interersting people.

I have been in my current job for 25years working for local goverment and I have met people from every walk of life, the poor to millionaires, and practically a person from every country on this planet. For me its the best part of my job and I feel priveleged that I have been able to meet and talk with so many diverse people with so many differing views and opinions.

Its a real education and very enlightening and conversely I dont know how many rows I have had with friends, family etc. who have an opinion about others but have never shared the same experience. So my advice to all is to get out there and meet people as much as you can, not just your own group but all others. where I live we have had a young Chinese family move in and my wife and I welcomed them into our little neighbourhood as we do with all newcomers. Unfortunately a number of our neighbours do not share our open views which is a real shame (despite best efforts to educate them). IGNORANCE, THE BIGGEST STUMBLING BLOCK TO ALL MANKIND.

Well I knew a whole family of 4. Their son went to a school for a year with my son. Their son was home school for a while then came into the 6th grade where my son was going. I didn't know their nationally at first when my son said to me he was invited at a friends house. Of course we have to meet the parents so we met the mother. We let my son play at his place for about two hours, then picked him up. He had fun and was telling me everything they had in common from legos to videos. All the way home. However, upon picking my son up we met his friends dad. Now that was a different story it was around the beginning of the iraq war and he immediately started talking about it. He then found out my brother was in that war and his whole attitude changed. He seemed anger and upset. Started talking about the Korean. (don't know if I spelled that right) He freaked me out at how upset he got. Sadly I could not let my son go there again.

4 of the 6 muslims i know, are pleasant people, whom i consider friends...
I have had religious discussions, and can say that open discourse seems to be easy...

the other 2 are another story... One refuses to warm up, no matter how nice, or determined i am... his partner finally opened up, and i learned that he is from a remote village in Kashmir, and was going home soon... (he is there now)

I have not heard anything else since then, but have noticed that afghanistan is having lots more troubles...
I certainly hope that Nassim (my Kashmiri friend) isn't in the troubled areas... (and isn't involved)

I hope that everyone trys to introduce themselves as "ambassadors" to our foreign guests...
I think it helps, when a immigrant populace sees a determined effort to integrate a new culture... and will usually reciprocate...

I once asked an iraqi cab driver how he liked America...
for some reason that embarrased the people i was with... maybe i am just socially retarded...
I see nothing wrong with asking a foreigner "whats it like here, compared to there?"
they usually seem happy to tell me...
in fact, they seem to give me respect, that I had asked, rather than assume...

I work at a university, so I know eight or ten Muslims (worked shifts with them in the labs and saw them many times each week.) They had a better work ethic, frankly, than some of the American labees.

We had some interesting conversations about traditions -- the lab workers were a real mixed bag of races and nationalities and religions. It was fun to hang out with them.

Originally posted by Shar
Well I knew a whole family of 4. Their son went to a school for a year with my son. Their son was home school for a while then came into the 6th grade where my son was going. I didn't know their nationally at first when my son said to me he was invited at a friends house. Of course we have to meet the parents so we met the mother. We let my son play at his place for about two hours, then picked him up. He had fun and was telling me everything they had in common from legos to videos. All the way home. However, upon picking my son up we met his friends dad. Now that was a different story it was around the beginning of the iraq war and he immediately started talking about it. He then found out my brother was in that war and his whole attitude changed. He seemed anger and upset. Started talking about the Korean. (don't know if I spelled that right) He freaked me out at how upset he got. Sadly I could not let my son go there again.

If I was in your place then I wouldn't send my son to his place ever (and I am muslim!). He is also a victim of society. He feels that since muslims are looked at with suspician then every non-muslim is going to look at him that way. Therefore, he was suspicious of you and talked to you about the Iraq war just to see where you stand and what your opinions are. He is the example of the kind of people that can never mix in with different cultures and shouldn't be living in such a country in the first place. He shud go live in a stritly muslim country where he will fit in well. But trust me, times r changing now, there are radical muslims out there but there number is reducing slowly. Their children are growing up with different cultures and are learning to adapt better than their parenst ever did.