(Here is the link, if you really want more)
I thought these were fun because they juxtapose extremist ideology (which often characterizes depictions of Muslims in the West) with the concerns of ordinary people, be they Muslim or Christian or Hindu.
Unfortunately, many people from the West are only acquainted with the stereotypes of Muslims. However, over 1.5 billion people identify as Muslims, and they are as complex as people living anywhere else. A 2009 Gallup poll studied the opinions of Muslims living in many different countries, together representing about 90% of the total Muslim population. Some interesting patterns that emerged:
- In contrast to conservative American rhetoric, Muslims do not "hate our freedom": in fact, upwards of 80-90% of Muslims support the idea of free speech. A greater desire for free speech is also evidenced by the continuing protests against totalitarianism in the Arab world.
- When asked whether a woman should be allowed to work at any job she is qualified for, over 90% of respondents answered that she should. Considering the history of sexual segregation in many Muslim countries, and the portrayal of Islamic cultures in Western media as sexually "backward," this is notable. I should add that this does vary by country: respondents from Iran and Egypt were more likely to answer the above question in the negative. However, during my travels to the United Arab Emirates, I met many ambitious female university students who were actively training for jobs.
How has the Armstrong's book on the Prophet Muhammad changed your views on Muslims and Islam generally?
I really like this meme and I've been laughing for quite sometime while looking at this website. I've always found it in bad taste, and rightly so, I think, to make sweeping generalizations about one group based off of a select few individuals. I've thought of comparing it to saying that all Christians picket soldier's funerals because the Westboro Baptist Church does. Or you could say that all Christian women have to wear black and cover their heads because Catholic nuns do.
ReplyDeleteHaving more knowledge about the prophet Muhammad has helped me to strengthen the idea that Muslims are individuals too; they are different from each other. I mean, the knowledge from the book has done little in the way of changing my view of Muslims, it has however, given me more tools that I can to defend the religion against those who unfairly attribute to the many the characteristics and mindsets of the few
It also helps when you do a little research on your own, instead of assuming things or making uneducated generalizations.
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