Some Here In Ab Tar All Followers Of The Islamic Faith With The Same Brush...

[sandyRoe]

...and suggest that because some don't speak out and condemn outrages they actually support them.
What are they to make of this?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24582781

[boxtops]

That's terrible, sandy, if people protesting against terrorism are now being threatened with "silencing". Terrifying. The rank and file Muslim person doesn't want anything to do with terrorism.

[LazyGun]

I would agree with boxtops sentiments entirely.Even though I have little patience for religious faith, and abhor some of the more repressive intrusions of religion into our culture, I do not hate nor believe that your average muslim is a terrorist or a threat. No axe to grind against them ,but I do dislike those who express a militant/fundamentalist belief.

[pixie373]

I hope not, sandy. There will always be extremists in everything, but i don't think a few should give the others a bad name. It is very individual. You, yourself are a Christian - I'm not, but i find you a perfect gentleman and don't think you can ever "lump people together" because they have something in common.

[jim360]

Silence can be borne of fear as much as support. I can't necessarily blame people for drawing the wrong conclusions, but it's a form of prejudice all the same. Religion is divisive -- and that applies both to followers of religion, and those who condemn it.

[mikey4444]

I certainly don't tar them all with same brush. I have had work colleagues who are Muslim and they have been very nice people. Equating Muslims with terrorism is a bit like suggesting that all Catholics were murdering bast*rds, because the IRA bombed Birmingham.

But of course, in the case of IRA outrages, that is exactly what happened. I know because I was brought up as a Catholic and because my father was Irish, I had a hard time at school. What were we supposed to do every time a bomb went off in Belfast or London ?...run out into the streets protesting about the IRA. The phrase " am I my brothers keeper" springs to mind.

But people who are prejudiced about foreigners will always find a way to vent their vitriol, whatever the facts are. With most Muslims in Britain also being non-white, these racists have had a field day.

We have our share of bigots here in Britain....education is the only way forward sandy.

[LazyGun]

How many do you think, fender? As a %?

[sandyRoe]

By the same token, how many hate it? Speak up and you make yourself a target.

[naomi24]

//if people protesting against terrorism are now being threatened with "silencing". Terrifying.//

It's nothing new. Many people who have been deemed to criticise Islam have been slaughtered, and many live in fear of their lives, as do thousands of apostates. I don't know what the answer is, but militant Islam is growing, it is holding the rest of the world to ransom, and the people who share the faith - the only people who can really combat this - are on the whole failing to make any objections they may have known. Having said that, in the light of the threat they are under, their reluctance to speak out is understandable - it takes a brave Muslim to condemn a brother - but the madmen can't kill them all.

Mikey, you are wrong. People who mistrust Muslims aren't necessarily bigots or indeed, racists - in fact yours is a rather bigoted view - but they are afraid - and understandably so. Education is a wonderful thing. ;o)

[anotheoldgit]

We see converts to Islam, as that pathetic creature in trt's later thread, but we see very little evidence of those Muslims who condemn radical Muslims giving up their faith.

When one sees the evil slaughter that is taking place all over the world, all in the name of Islam, one would think that moderate Muslims would be distancing themselves from this evil religion in their thousands.

[naomi24]

AOG, actually I agree with you. When Lee Rigby was slaughtered, the media made great efforts to report that people were going to mosques to condemn the actions of the murderers and to pray – 5000 in just one London mosque alone. Imagine the impact if, instead of confining themselves to mosques, all those people had taken to the streets in protest and pictures of that were beamed around the world. Sadly, it didn’t happen – but if it had, it would have given the extremists something to think about. That is what is needed.

[sandyRoe]

AOG, are you suggesting that the actions of a misguided few is reason enough for devout people to give up their faith? Seriously?

[naomi24]

sandyRoe, many are abandoning the faith.

[jim360]

Ultimately it surely has to be true that the battle over radical Islam will only be won from within Islam itself. Given that, it will take some time -- after all, the battle against fundamentalist Christianity raged for centuries, and is still going on today to some extent.

[jomifl]

I saw an interview with the threatened muslims. They came over a reasonable decent and brave people. Aret here more like this? if so why don't they appear in the media?

[sandyRoe]

Ordinary decent people aren't the stuff of news

[naomi24]

They would be if they stood up to be counted.

[sandyRoe]

Believe me, the people who have the courage to stand up and be counted are anything but ordinary.

[naomi24]

Not necessarily - especially in droves. Ordinary people often need a leader - but once they have that, they can move mountains .... so to speak. ;o)

[sandyRoe]

A Messiah? Of all the people who use R&S I would have thought you the least likely... No, no, I must have misunderstood that post ^ ;-)