Poll: Few Americans have favorable view of Muslim world

Billnew · Jun 2, 2009

Poll: Few Americans have favorable view of Muslim world - CNN.com

sum up the poll:
46% have unfavorable view of Muslim countries.
30% have neutral feelings

80% believe Muslim countries have unfavorable opinion of the USA.

36% believe the USA is at war with Muslim world.
but 60% of Muslims believe the Muslims are at war with the USA.

Should have asked one more question, Americans that believe Muslims are at war with the USA.(yes, the religion at war with the Nation.)

Any suprise here?
I truly would like to know what percentage of Americans believe the Muslim world is at war with us.(please link if you have seen it)

Veritas · Jun 2, 2009

Not surprising. We are in a war with Muslim extremists, but they started it.

rambot · Jun 2, 2009

I wonder how many average Americans have a comprehensive knowledge (based on fact [reality]) of Muslim culture (not the faith, the culture).

As for America being at war with Islam, while I disagree with the sentiment, I can completely understand how they arrive at that conclusion.

I mean, the simple fact that the main theater of war has been the middle east (and NOT the continental US) for the last how many decades? Certainly you can understand why they would incline someone to feel more attacked.

British One · Jun 2, 2009

I would like another question posed - how many non-muslims have actually read the Qur'an?

I ask that because I think people would have a much greater anti-islam position if they had read it. I had a fairly neutral position before reading it, but was shocked by its content.

rambot · Jun 2, 2009

I ask that because I think people would have a much greater anti-islam position if they had read it. I had a fairly neutral position before reading it, but was shocked by its content.

The same could be said of the people of Israel.

Everlasting33 · Jun 2, 2009

British One said:
I would like another question posed - how many non-muslims have actually read the Qur'an?

I ask that because I think people would have a much greater anti-islam position if they had read it. I had a fairly neutral position before reading it, but was shocked by its content.

I have read bits and pieces and I can concur to this statement.

Veritas · Jun 2, 2009

British One said:
I would like another question posed - how many non-muslims have actually read the Qur'an?

I ask that because I think people would have a much greater anti-islam position if they had read it. I had a fairly neutral position before reading it, but was shocked by its content.

I have a copy and read much of it several years ago. I was impressed that they had a lot more about Mary and Jesus than I had expected. But yes, it is very anti-Christian/Jewish/woman, etc. We are the infidels and need to be anihilated.

rambot said:
The same could be said of the people of Israel.

Huh?

Joachim · Jun 2, 2009

The thing with Muslims is that there are good Muslims who are in touch with reality and who want to be a part of the real world, like Azerbaijan, Turkey, Syria and so forth and then there are other Muslims who are psychotically crazy and who want to restore the caliphate like Saudi Arabia and all the countries that ban alcohol.

Saudi Arabia is not our friend.

Chipahualca · Jun 2, 2009

Veritas said:
Not surprising. We are in a war with Muslim extremists, but they started it.

this is a common fallacy colported by history-denying right-wing extremists in the USA. In fact the USA started war with the muslim world by terrorizing murdering and robbing their countries for the past 60 years...

JFox1 · Jun 2, 2009

British One said:
I would like another question posed - how many non-muslims have actually read the Qur'an?

I ask that because I think people would have a much greater anti-islam position if they had read it. I had a fairly neutral position before reading it, but was shocked by its content.

I'm a non Muslim who has read the Qur'an in the Pickthal and Shakir translations, and yes, much of it is shocking.

katautumn · Jun 2, 2009

The problem is that you can't separate the religion from the region, as most Middle Eastern countries are steeped in theocracy. I can admit that I do not look favorably upon countries such as Pakistan, where women can be executed for being raped. I think it's awful when girls leaving school have acid thrown in their faces because they dare to receive an education. I think it's horrible the way the Koran has been twisted in perverted in some of those regions to the point where women are not treasured, where a woman can be killed by her husband for failure to produce a son.

I will, however, always stand up and defend Islam whenever it is portrayed as a religion of terrorism, just as I would if someone made blanket statements such as "all Christians are terrorists by nature". The problem isn't the religion. It's how people choose to interpret it.

katautumn · Jun 2, 2009

Veritas said:
But yes, it is very anti-Christian/Jewish/woman, etc. We are the infidels and need to be anihilated.

Then, I'm sorry to say, you have not read the Koran. The Koran is actually no more anti-Jew or anti-woman than the Bible. The "infidels" are people who have no faith in God. From my readings I see no difference between how the Koran and the Bible tells believers to handle the unbelievers.

Of course, I can't say much about people becoming more anti-Islam after reading the Koran because I know lots of people who found Christianity to be a load of hoo-hah after reading the Bible in-depth. Of course, we've been told we don't fully comprehend the text because we're not reading it through "the spiritual lens of a Christian". Could the same not be said of the Koran then? That, perhaps, people who gain an anti-Islam perspective are simply blinded to the beauty contained within the pages because they are not of the Muslim faith?

lawtonfogle · Jun 2, 2009

British One said:
I would like another question posed - how many non-muslims have actually read the Qur'an?

I ask that because I think people would have a much greater anti-islam position if they had read it. I had a fairly neutral position before reading it, but was shocked by its content.

So it would be like reading our Old Testament?

Good thing we have a New Testament (except for the 'discriminatory against women' part).

Joachim · Jun 2, 2009

Chipahualca said:
this is a common fallacy colported by history-denying right-wing extremists in the USA. In fact the USA started war with the muslim world by terrorizing murdering and robbing their countries for the past 60 years...

Uh, come again?

Chipahualca · Jun 3, 2009

Joachim said:
Uh, come again?

America's colonial meddling into middle eastern affairs and support for criminal israeli policies after WW2 should be no secret

Billnew · Jun 3, 2009

rambot said:
The same could be said of the people of Israel.

Israel's book of faith is our Old Testament, Isn' it?
There is some violent references in it.

KatAutumn said:
The problem is that you can't separate the religion from the region, as most Middle Eastern countries are steeped in theocracy. I can admit that I do not look favorably upon countries such as Pakistan, where women can be executed for being raped. I think it's awful when girls leaving school have acid thrown in their faces because they dare to receive an education. I think it's horrible the way the Koran has been twisted in perverted in some of those regions to the point where women are not treasured, where a woman can be killed by her husband for failure to produce a son.

I will, however, always stand up and defend Islam whenever it is portrayed as a religion of terrorism, just as I would if someone made blanket statements such as "all Christians are terrorists by nature". The problem isn't the religion. It's how people choose to interpret it.

Q the Quran. Maybe taken out of context, so that simple people believe killing the infridel is good, but the Quran does encourage violence and demands that Islam be the world religion.

KatAutumn said:
KatAutumn said:

Then, I'm sorry to say, you have not read the Koran. The Koran is actually no more anti-Jew or anti-woman than the Bible. The "infidels" are people who have no faith in God. From my readings I see no difference between how the Koran and the Bible tells believers to handle the unbelievers.

Click to expand...

Again, Q. New Testament does not encourage violence against
non-believers.

Of course, I can't say much about people becoming more anti-Islam after reading the Koran because I know lots of people who found Christianity to be a load of hoo-hah after reading the Bible in-depth. Of course, we've been told we don't fully comprehend the text because we're not reading it through "the spiritual lens of a Christian". Could the same not be said of the Koran then? That, perhaps, people who gain an anti-Islam perspective are simply blinded to the beauty contained within the pages because they are not of the Muslim faith?

Click to expand...

People can't see the beauty of the pages, because the followers cast the blood of innocent people on it. Pointing to the appropriate passage as to why it is ok.
I do agree, Christians in past have taken Christianity to far, but we can't change the history, we are living now, and now the Muslims are the violent religion.(not all, but not all Christians of old were violent either.)

We see thier violent religious book, and we see thier violent following, thus we link the 2 together.

Oops, I did not know it was spelled both ways. Quran and Koran. I appologize.

Joachim · Jun 3, 2009

Chipahualca said:
America's colonial meddling into middle eastern affairs and support for criminal israeli policies after WW2 should be no secret

A denizen of Deustchland making a comment about Israel.....thinks that make you go hmmmm.

However, what about Israel's policy is criminal? I am no defender of Israel but history does not lie. A two state solution was passed by the U.N. in 1948. Israel accepted it. The Palestinians and the Arab League didn't and invaded to try and wipe Israel off the map. Israel whipped their tail in that war. The cease-fire lines became the borders between Egypt, Israel and Jordan. Not once did the Palestinians revolt while they were under Egyptian or Jordanian occupation. I'm sorry, but their cries for "freedom" are hypocritical and nothing more than wanting their cake and eating it too.

And how was our foreign policy "colonial meddling" and how was it any different than what the U.K, France, the Soviet Union or Red China was doing at this same time? You'll be hard pressed to find the difference on this on but I'll give you the opportunity.

AmyGlen · Jun 3, 2009

KatAutumn said:
Then, I'm sorry to say, you have not read the Koran. The Koran is actually no more anti-Jew or anti-woman than the Bible. The "infidels" are people who have no faith in God. From my readings I see no difference between how the Koran and the Bible tells believers to handle the unbelievers.

Christians are not told to murder unbelievers in the Bible. Jesus, Paul, etc, never said anything about slaying unbelievers or forcefully converting them. Those type of actions completely go against Christianity. In the Koran however unbelievers must be annilhilated. Seems like a pretty big difference to me.

There's an interesting bit in the Koran concerning a woman who tells Muhammad that she has committed adultery. Interesting parallel with Jesus there. Jesus' reaction in the same situation was to tell the people "whoever is without sin cast the first stone" and then to tell the woman "go and sin no more". In contrast Muhammad had the woman stoned to death.

katautumn · Jun 3, 2009

AmyGlen said:
Christians are not told to murder unbelievers in the Bible. Jesus, Paul, etc, never said anything about slaying unbelievers or forcefully converting them.

The Qur'an does not either. It says that if you are not met with peace by an unbeliever that you are to slay them. What that means is that if you are out minding your own business and a "heathen" seeks to do you harm, fight back. No, it doesn't follow Jesus' teaching of turning the other cheek, but it certainly pales in comparison to God commanding that the elderly man gathering sticks on the Sabbath be stoned to death or a man cursing children in the Lord's name and sending bears to savagely eat them just because they made fun of his bald head.

Those type of actions completely go against Christianity.

It depends. There are still Christian sects out there that follow the Old Testament, which is pretty gory and without mercy for those outside of the Jewish faith.

In the Koran however unbelievers must be annilhilated. Seems like a pretty big difference to me.

Is it? "Thou shall not suffer a witch to live"? People committing adultery must be put to death? If a man has intercourse with his wife during her menstrual period they are to be cast out (a fate almost as bad as death in those days)? These seem pretty harsh, and I haven't even gotten to "dashing their newborns to pieces" or the passover or God having all of the firstborn sons of Egypt drowned in the Nile yet.

There's an interesting bit in the Koran concerning a woman who tells Muhammad that she has committed adultery. Interesting parallel with Jesus there. Jesus' reaction in the same situation was to tell the people "whoever is without sin cast the first stone" and then to tell the woman "go and sin no more". In contrast Muhammad had the woman stoned to death.

Because the Qur'an is more like the Old Testament of the Bible. I may not believe Jesus is the savior of mankind, but I do believe if he did exist in the flesh that he was a pretty chill guy. Peaceful and kind. Loving and forgiving. He did not judge. I don't think if Jesus walked amongst us now he'd be very pleased with the manner in which some Christians judge, even among their own brothers and sisters in Christ.

Chipahualca · Jun 3, 2009

KatAutumn said:
The Qur'an does not either. It says that if you are not met with peace by an unbeliever that you are to slay them. What that means is that if you are out minding your own business and a "heathen" seeks to do you harm, fight back. No, it doesn't follow Jesus' teaching of turning the other cheek, but it certainly pales in comparison to God commanding that the elderly man gathering sticks on the Sabbath be stoned to death or a man cursing children in the Lord's name and sending bears to savagely eat them just because they made fun of his bald head.

It depends. There are still Christian sects out there that follow the Old Testament, which is pretty gory and without mercy for those outside of the Jewish faith.

Is it? "Thou shall not suffer a witch to live"? People committing adultery must be put to death? If a man has intercourse with his wife during her menstrual period they are to be cast out (a fate almost as bad as death in those days)? These seem pretty harsh, and I haven't even gotten to "dashing their newborns to pieces" or the passover or God having all of the firstborn sons of Egypt drowned in the Nile yet.

Because the Qur'an is more like the Old Testament of the Bible. I may not believe Jesus is the savior of mankind, but I do believe if he did exist in the flesh that he was a pretty chill guy. Peaceful and kind. Loving and forgiving. He did not judge. I don't think if Jesus walked amongst us now he'd be very pleased with the manner in which some Christians judge, even among their own brothers and sisters in Christ.

The discussion bible vs. Coran is futile, given that much more facts are on the ground now. Islam is, when comparing the number of casualities due to religious hatred, muh more peaceful than christianity. Victims of islamic extremism are counted in the thousands, but victims of right-wing christians are counted in the millions.

OBL looks more like an innocent puppy when compared to christian executioners like Bush or Clinton.

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