Comments | antof9: Have you seen the "3 things about Islam" video?

antof9

Have you seen the "3 things about Islam" video?

Aug 20, 2010 09:48

I just watched this (it's long -- 8 minutes), and am not sure what to think. I don't know anything about the person or organization who posted it, the "related videos" on the side give me pause, and I'll be honest; I'm confused by what could be implied from this video, if it's accurate. I'm very curious to hear your thoughts -- the people who ( Read more... )

religiosity

Comments 22

florafloraflora August 20 2010, 17:42:39 UTC

You asked us in good faith to watch this video. Here, in equally good faith, are my thoughts ( ... )

Further thoughts florafloraflora August 21 2010, 09:56:52 UTC

Here's another reason why the West doesn't have as much to worry about as the video implies: the arguments in this video are based on reading the Qur'an. But it's pretty common for a book advocating a spiritual path or health regimen to tell followers, now that they've found the truth, to go out and be fanatics about it, not to stray even for a single day from its teachings and to tell everyone they know about it. But whether the initiates actually go out and do that is another question. Radical Islamists are scary, but I think the root of their scary radicalism lies in certain political and social forces, not in the text of their holy book. We'll never change Osama bin Laden but we can change a lot of his footsoldiers by addressing those social and political issues, without having to change the text of the Qur'an.

Re: Further thoughts antof9 August 27 2010, 17:26:30 UTC

But whether the initiates actually go out and do that is another question.

Totally true. I'm still thinking :)

antof9 August 27 2010, 17:25:45 UTC

Your first point was one of mine! I could have read all of that in one article in about a minute or so. Thank you for being willing to watch it and discuss.

I was told by a lot of non-Christians and anti-Christians that my scriptures required me to be an arrogant bigot/jerk/bully and that if I wasn't, then I was doing it wrong

I've not been told that, but I know from comments that that is what people assume of Christians. Which makes me sad.

I appreciate your input, as I'd never heard any of these points (from the video, I mean), and am still digesting how to (personally) respond to them.

drutt August 20 2010, 19:37:44 UTC

To me, the arguments in that video just don't add up. The Qu'ran's been around for 1400 years. If the beliefs put forward in that video were widely held by the majority of Muslims, surely the Muslim majority countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia wouldn't be as diverse as they still are today. It just doesn't make sense, unless we're meant to believe that they've been like sleeper agents for centuries, and that 9/11 has triggered an instruction for 1.2 billion people to convert the other 5.6 billion of us.

I'd love to know more about the background of the guy who made the video though - I noticed he mostly used the American "z" but also the British "s" once or twice in words like organization/organisation.

antof9 August 27 2010, 17:28:02 UTC

Thanks for your comments. You bring up really good points, and I feel the same way about the arguments in that video. However, since it was totally new information to me, I'm kind of at a loss as to where to turn next. I appreciate you guys watching it (it's LONG, right?) and thoughtfully commenting.

I also noticed he pronounced "fiery" oddly. Or at least, odd to my ear :)

appleshoelace August 20 2010, 20:54:47 UTC

Yes, I think all those three things are true about Islam. They didn't suprise me, even though the video said they would. I say this as someone who doesn't hate Muslims, and I have several Muslim friends, and certain things have come out in conversations that have made me realise certain things, so that I think what this video is saying is true.

The guy doing the video is German by the sound of his accent. I find a lot of Germans have a very strict form of Christianity (to the extent of considering the Narnia books to be evil) and I imagine the purpose of this video is to get people to see Islam as a threat, and not the same as Christianity. But in a more reasoned way than the emotive fear-mongering way that a lot of Americans do, because German culture is more into reasoning and less into the emotive stuff.

antof9 August 27 2010, 17:30:33 UTC

Thanks for your thoughts. I had Muslim friends in high school, but realized as I was posting this that I don't think I know any Muslims right now. Not because I'm avoiding them or anything; I just (sadly) live in a very white-bread plain vanilla area. Thus, I turn to the interwebs for my diversity :)

The three things did surprise me, as I hadn't heard any of them before.

I'm not sure I want to spend another 8 minutes on this video, but I am sort of curious about you thinking he's German! I know your ear for that kind of thing is probably the best of anyone's I know, so for now I'm taking your word for it :)

appleshoelace August 27 2010, 19:09:22 UTC

I think he is German because I know German people who talk with that same accent. I've met quite a lot of German people - when I went to Bible School, and also when I've been to Christian conference thingies, there were always lots of German people. Christianity is very big in Germany - international Christian things always seem to have lots of Germans. That's also how I know that German Christians tend to be stricter in some ways about certain things.

Also I went afterwards to YouTube to see more about it, and I saw that the video had a German version, so it would make sense that he is German. But it says that they are not affiliated with a religion, so maybe they are not Christian. I didn't look in great detail, but if you go to the YouTube page they talk a bit about who they are, although they didn't give a nationality other than Europe.

florafloraflora August 27 2010, 18:07:26 UTC

Just popping back in to say, I definitely think the guy's German or else maybe Dutch or Danish... Hanseatic, anyway, definitely not Middle Eastern.

Honest opinions... judio August 20 2010, 21:34:46 UTC

I have to admit to being very, very surprised - and confused. When the video started playing, I thought (and this is probably a totally unjustifiable assumption I made but I did it) from the accent of the speaker and the title of the video, that the content would be pro-Islam. After watching it, I'm very confused. Was he trying to convince the viewer that Islam is good or bad ( ... )

Re: Honest opinions... antof9 August 27 2010, 17:37:30 UTC

Sorry to create confusion! I actually first saw the link to this video on my ultra-conservative cousin's Facebook page. I almost didn't watch it because I know that almost everything she posts about this kind of thing I find offensive. But then I thought I should watch it to see what she (and other conservatives, frankly) are watching, so I can have more intelligent conversations with them. All that to say I was pretty sure that it would be saying that Islam is bad. Or to put it more succinctly, that Islam is a lot more nefarious and insidious than *anyone else* is aware, and we should "guard" ourselves against it ( ... )

(The comment has been removed)

antof9 August 27 2010, 17:40:43 UTC

That's a very good point -- unless the Koran's chapters and verses have "date written" stamps next to them, how DO they know which came first? Or maybe it's in chronological order? You're right -- this is where it would be good to read the source.

Furthermore, *all* religions evolve over time and adapt to changes in society and our understanding of the world and our place in it.

Also a good point -- certainly Christian women (most) aren't wearing headcoverings anymore, for example.

Yes, I viewed it as an attempt to 'fear monger'. But I still have one question (that I said to Judio above) -- if in fact those "three things" are true about Islam, then (theoretically) shouldn't any Muslim viewing the video be all, "oh yes, that's all true"? That's what I'd like to know, I think. Among other things.