Its a Religion thats all i know

Nothing at all.

Enough for someone who isn't a Muslim.

I had a full Catholic education, and every year through high school we had to do an assignment for RE (religious education). We had to pick one of the major religions (Islam, Buddhism or Judaism were what we had to choose from) and then write an essay/report/do an oral presentation/make a poster etc. For some reason I always ended up doing either Islam or Judaism. So I know quite a lot about it. I know about the five pillars, I know that Allah is also the Christian/Jewish God as well, I know that wearing the hijab is a choice thing (at least in the Western world), I know a little about Halal food, I know that they beleive that Jesus was a prophet, only not the Messaih, I know a bit about Muhummed. I know that "Holy War" or Jihad is religiously a load of bullcrap, I also know that women are respected as much as they are in any other religion. If anyone wants to know about Islam in Western society, I recommend reading a novel called "Does My Head Look Big In This?". It's by a Muslim woman, but I don't remember her name.

i know it is a false doctrine according to the Word of God

That if you approach it with an open mind, ignoring the shouts and screams of the scaremongers, you'll find it the most peace loving the most peace giving the most practical the most universal the most rational the only one to agree with verified science the biggest most monotheistic faith the most honouring of women the most honouring of Mary the only one to recognize all Prophets upto Mohammed the most historically verifiable having the most authentic scripture having an uncorrupted scripture only Abrahamic faith without a structure of 'priests' there's more here: http://www.whyislam.org/877/ http://www.shareislam.com/ http://www.islamicity.com/ http://www.isb.org.uk/pages06/home.asp http://www.1001inventions.org/ . Here's one lady's more flowing account on video .

That Jesus is in the Islamic book, and that there are all different kinds from all over the world, not just 'middle east.'

Enough to know that its holy book is 1) not historically based 2) contradictory 3) inflammatory Enough to know that I will be attacked for this answer.

I dont know much. Dont really care to, Im a atheist, and if they dont bother me, I wont bother them. I have a few issues with the Islam faith, but they like I said leave me alone, Ill leave them alone.

Not much. But thankfully I'm in Intro to Religion this semester, so I'll be learning about it soon. :)

Some of it's adherents are dangerous fanatics. The moderates don't speak up loudly.

I've read a lot about the Prophet and I've read the Koran. Pretty much the same as Christianity. There are some wacky parts that any moderate/liberal member of the faith shirk away from. But, like all religions, there are some beautiful aspects which I admire. Also, women in hijabs are gorgeous. Sorry, mission failed.

I have a Muslim doctor. He's very nice and I think he's a good man. But when I talk to him about the bombers he asks me to understand them instead of agreeing that it's wrong to kill innocent people. - There's something wrong.

I had a Muslim boyfriend. turned out he had a wife in Pakistan. He stank in bed. He lasted about two weeks.

That many people accuse it of being what it really isn't.

The whole conflict in Darfur is being perpetrated by Muslums who are killing non-muslums, spreading Islam by way of the sword, and enslaving black Sudanese People. In the 20th century it was Hitler who caused a genocide, in the 21st century it's muslums who are now pursuing genocide. Rank me down, but the truth shall prevail.

I know there are difference sects of Islam, that the Koran advocates for "true" practicing Christians (those who stay true to the bible) That Allah is the moslem's God. That every man is expected to make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in his life, that you should pray facing Mecca, that you don't eat certain unclean, therefore unholy animals. I know a bit about Sufism.

The early Islamic caliphates were socially advanced in numerous ways, women had rights compared to what they had in Christian Europe, and scientific research boomed (take that, all of you people who say science and religion don't mix), creating the basis for modern science and hence modern society. Unfortunately, Islam was radicalised by colonialism and Wahabbism has corrupted much of the Islamic world at the moment, just like neoliberalism has corrupted most of the Christian world.

I love what Lady Brackwell said and I must repeat it: LadyBrackwell Mar, 14 2008 at 10:54 PM Boris: A quote from your statement above: "That if you approach it with an open mind, ignoring the shouts and screams of the..." + I thought you were going to say,"...the shouts and screams of the WOUNDED AND THOSE WHOSE LOVED ONES WERE KILLED..." - wake up and condemn the evil in your own religion. If you don't condemn them then you stand with them.

Not a lot excepty . They want to convery the whole world and that they revere the prophet Mohammed , The Koran was not written until the 7th century . It is still the 1400s in the Islamic calender. A lot of other small details which may or may not be correct.

-it's one that i've grown to love and respect. i think it's kind of practical if you follow the rules and not all the invented crap and bias that people hear about. -i know that arab culture and islamic culture are two separate things - hence the idiot bombers who've completely screwed over the "fellow muslims" they have in the west -that modest dress is encouraged, but hijab is a personal choice for the women. -that the radicals of this religion as well as every other only make things worse -that most of them in the west are open minded and respecting of others -that they are forbidden to force the religion upon you and their own book says so: HQ 2:256 "Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things." -that women are supposed to be honored and respected, but that's a dif between arab culture and islamic culture sometimes HQ 4:124 "124. If any do deeds of righteousness,- be they male or female - and have faith, they will enter Heaven, and not the least injustice will be done to them." -that they're not supposed to be racist because God made them all, according to their own book HQ 49:13 13. "O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things)." -that they respect christ as a prophet and that he'll come again, that he was born of the virgin mary, and he performed many miracles -that they have all the prophets that the jews and christians believe in -that many people who practice it need to reform [just as christianity has done, and even catholics with the second vatican also did] -that they believe in heaven and hell -that they pray facing mecca as they believe it was the first mosque, but they used to face jerusalem when there were idols still in the ka'ba -that when they put their faces on the ground and bow and all of those different postures, they say "god is great" and it is their ritual the way catholics sit stand and kneel at different parts of mass. it's a sign of respect and sumbission to god ok so it's kind of a broad question for me to answer. i'm still learning, but there's a bit of what i know **edit** a video just for those who don't feel like reading my essay =)

Not a whole lot. However, the fanatics are dangerous just as fanatics are dangerous in Christanity.

All I know is that Islam is a great religion...In fact, I am on my way to convert...What I also know is that whenever the word Islam is brought up...Oh dear God...People go crazy..It's funny to me when I read people's answers..I could tell how much is the media full of crap...People that speak with no knowlege make me sick...or those that are full of hatred and all they do is attack. People GET SOME EDUCATION PLEASE?

As a christian who loves the Lord Jesus Christ, i know that islam is a false religion according to God's Holy Word.

http://www.dotsub.com/films/moredemands/index.php?autostart=true&language_setting=en_1618

I know that the moderate voices of Islam speak in whispers and rarely denounce terrorism. I know that in America there are plenty of loud voices against the war. That's the difference.

It is a religion that does not conform to a Judeo-Christian notion of religion. It is very hard to understand for a non-Muslim and when we see images of Muslim activities, they are often bad ones, like when Muslims blow up huge buildings. I also know that their holy men can issue "Fatwas"- essentially orders to do X__. Famously, I remember the issue with Salman (sp?) Rushdie and the Fatwa that called for his killing after he wrote some mildly controversial book. I understand that other religions, not just Islam, have committed atrocities in the name of their own religions. My concern is that Islam is such a totalitarian lifestyle that it is incompatable with the rest of the world's way of thinking. I also know they have 5 pillars of virtue. I know they worship in what are called Mosques. I know they do NOT generally wear "turbans." The turbans you see most often probably belong to Indian Sikhs. I know that Islam dictates that a true Muslim has a duty to kill ALL infidels (non-Muslims) as well as to dish out harsh punishment to Muslims who disobey Muslim law, Sharia. (I.e. collapsing walls on people for allegations of fornication, cutting off hands for shoplifting, etc) To get back to the original idea, that Islam as a "religion" is fundamentally different from other "religions," I know some argue that Islam's mandates are such that to step outside of good graces is not simply a "sin" but OUTSIDE of the realm of Islam in a way I don't understand and I'd love if someone enlightens me. I understand that some Christians and Jews are totally engrossed in their respective faiths, but there is this argument that, for instance, to do something "un-Islamic" is to become a sort of infidel, wheras Jews and Christions would consider it a transgression of the faith and one remains a "member" but must redeem him or herself.

Here is the link testimonial from former muslim why they are leaving their faith some pretty good reason and does make sense. Nothing against Islam trust me they are good people in general. My sister married to one and they are okay and of course they are moderate Muslim. http://www.answering-islam.org/Testimonies/index.html

PEACE LOVING MUSLIMS By KIM GAMEL, AP 13 hours ago (April 12, 2008) BAGHDAD — Confessions from Shiite militiamen led Saturday to the discovery of 15 more bodies dumped in mass graves south of Baghdad, officials said — the second such find this week. Women shrouded in black and holding family photos rushed to the muddy field in Mahmoudiya in hopes of finding missing loved ones who have disappeared. The grisly discovery came two days after the Iraqi troops found the remains of 30 people believed to have been killed more than a year ago buried in three abandoned houses elsewhere in the area. Mass graves have been turning up with increasing frequency as American and Iraqi military operations have cleared former militant strongholds, allowing troops to step up patrols in previous no-go zones. But the others have all been in mainly Sunni areas in Anbar province to the west and Diyala to the north of the capital. Those areas had been dominated by al-Qaida in Iraq until the group's brutal tactics helped turn Sunni tribal leaders against it. The U.S. military said the mass graves unearthed in Mahmoudiya were the first found in the area south of Baghdad, long known as the triangle of death before a recent decline in violence. The remains were found after recently detained militia leaders confessed to killing dozens of Sunnis as well as Shiite rivals and burying the bodies in the abandoned houses and adjacent fields, according to Iraqi army and city officials. The find offered new evidence of the atrocities carried out by Shiite death squads that were known for their trademark kidnappings and execution-style killings until they were reined in by an Aug. 29 cease-fire by anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, the leader of the feared Mahdi Army militia. Bullet-riddled bodies continue to turn up on the streets of Baghdad and other cities, but the numbers are now in the single digits instead of the dozens. An ongoing violent standoff between al-Sadr's fighters and U.S.-backed Iraqi troops has raised concerns the truce could be at risk. Thirteen of the bodies found Saturday had been dumped in one grave about 500 yards away from the local office of al-Sadr's movement, while two others were buried together in a nearby area, city spokesman Ather Kamil said. But an Iraqi army officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to release the information, said Shiites also were caught up in the violence but most of the victims were believed to be Sunnis. Neighbors said it was common knowledge that the Mahdi Army used the three abandoned houses as detention centers but nobody asked details about what was happening inside. "The Iraqi forces found many decomposed bodies in this house and I think that these dead bodies have been here for a long time and cannot be identified," said resident Shihab al-Azawi. Authorities said they have so far been able to identify only two sets of remains that were found Thursday — a 22-year-old Sunni woman whose clothing was recognized by a nurse at the hospital and a 31-year-old Sunni municipality worker who still had his ID. Their families have fled the area. In the vast majority of missing person cases in Iraq, families are left guessing forever about what happened because Iraqi officials usually lack such forensics aids as DNA and dental records. The insurgents also typically removed the IDs after killing their victims. But desperate women and children wailed and waved photos, hoping for any sign of their missing loved ones, as they surrounded the Iraqi troops who exhumed the bodies on Saturday. U.S. soldiers provided cover and helicopters buzzed overhead. Other Iraqi soldiers continued to comb the palm tree-lined desert area, apparently looking for more bodies. Laman Kamil, a 35-year-old Shiite homemaker, said her brother, Ali, disappeared about six months ago while he was on his way to the market. "After we heard the news about this mass grave we rushed to the site and I recognized my brother by his blue tracksuit and a broken finger on one of his hands," she said, weeping. It was unclear if other bodies had been identified by relatives on Saturday. Mahmoudiya, a predominantly Shiite city of some 600,000 people, sits in an area about 20 miles south of Baghdad that has a volatile mix of extremists from both sides of the sectarian divide. Sunnis comprise about 20 percent of its population, but many families have moved to escape the sectarian cleansing campaign, and their houses often were torched and belongings scattered. The Shiite fighters were angry over fierce attacks by Sunni insurgents in an area long known as the triangle of death, leading to a fierce cycle of retaliatory sectarian violence. The attacks ebbed last year with al-Sadr's cease-fire, a Sunni revolt against al-Qaida in Iraq and an influx of American troops. The lull in violence and the clearing of former insurgent strongholds has led to the increasing discovery of mass graves. An Associated Press tally shows that at least 662 bodies have been unearthed in mass graves since May 29, 2007 — about half of them this year. However, all but the 45 found this week were in predominantly Sunni neighborhoods in Baghdad and al-Qaida strongholds in Diyala and Anbar provinces.

too much...makes my head spin... sorta like the movie...possessed

This (To be amended): Londonistan, google it (not wiki it).

Islam wants each one of us, individually and collectively, to strive to bring about true justice, identify what is common between people and build on that to improve understanding. We should all be against “outrages” like raining bombs on families in their homes from ‘precision’ bombers in the sky or detonating bombs in trains or other public places while people are going about their daily business. Such acts are all very destructive and divisive no matter who perpetrates them. The majority of people would love to live in peace, security and friendliness with others. Islam discourages even the smallest things that could sour that friendliness, like calling people names (for example Mafioso) which connote wickedness and can be offensive. Islam says in HQ 49:11 “Nor slander each other, nor call each other by (offensive) nicknames: Ill-seeming is a name connoting wickedness, (to use on one) after he has believed: And those who do not turn back (from such behaviour) are (indeed) doing wrong.” Islam teaches Muslims to build bridges and be gentle with anyone who’s not hostile to them. HQ 60:8 says “With regard to those who do not fight you on (account of your) faith nor drive you out of your homes, God does NOT forbid you from dealing kindly and justly with them: for God loveth those who are just.” Islam also says in HQ 26:183 "And fall not short in giving people what is theirs”. This is a fundamental principle. If this principle is violated and stays violated, justice will have been violated. And where justice becomes and remains violated people’s rights become and remain violated and peace becomes and remains a casualty. Any peace that is not based on a solid foundation of total justice is in danger of breaking down at any time. I am pleased that you (Cubaneyes) liked the two fundamentalists at http://www.answerbag.com/a_view/2584297 so much as to say “either one would be welcome in my house.” If you are still having problems watching the third one there you can watch him at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2b8kcb_Wv_M you might like him too. You say “the Irish Bombings were preceeded by warnings so that there would be no loss of life.” I have two problems with that statement. First, even such bombings are unacceptable and secondly the statement is not fully true. I like to look beyond what is apparent and form an objective and fair view of events before commenting on them. Regarding the subject of your statement, I recall the bombing of a pub frequented by British army personnel with the clear intention of killing as many as possible in one go, then there was that foiled rocket attack on the cabinet office in Downing Street audaciously planned to kill the PM and all cabinet members, the bomb that exploded in an hotel in Brighton was aimed at killing Margaret Thatcher and her ministers who were staying there during their party conference and the explosion of a car bomb under the British parliament building itself, killing Airey Neave, the man trying to bring peace to the Northern Ireland conflict. This is not offered as a correction of your statement, that would be a bit pointless, but rather as an illustration of how, quite often, reality can be so different from popular belief or what is apparent on the surface. Similarly, if you really want to see beyond the surface and beyond what is portrayed by the popular media about Palestine, Stronghart, you might have to step back and probe a little deeper. My analysis is at http://www.answerbag.com/a_view/1404376. If you’re interested in the subject you might like to have a read and let me know if I’ve got anything wrong.

That there is humour in Islam jackofhearts, but it's not anything goes humour. There are rules like no obscenities, no insults, no swearing etc. This of course leaves a very limited area in which to operate but people still manage to bring in humour, even when giving serious advice. In some cases you need to understand Islam and Muslims to appreciate the humour. Here are just a few examples: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_upFqJ_vx-M http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3d04tgj17g&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOyLGJLHRms&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgRFVDc7z48&NR=1 , .

Probably not enough. "Islam (Arabic: الإسلام; al-'islām (help·info)) is a monotheistic Abrahamic religion originating with the teachings of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, a seventh century Arab religious and political figure. The word Islam means "submission", or the total surrender of oneself to God (Arabic: الله, Allāh). An adherent of Islam is known as a Muslim, meaning "one who submits (to God)". There are between 1 billion to 1.8 billion Muslims, making Islam the second-largest religion in the world after Christianity. Muslims believe that God revealed the Qur'an to Muhammad, God's final prophet, and regard the Qur'an and the Sunnah (words and deeds of Muhammad) as the fundamental sources of Islam. They do not regard Muhammad as the founder of a new religion, but as the restorer of the original monotheistic faith of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other prophets. Islamic tradition holds that Jews and Christians distorted the revelations God gave to these prophets by either altering the text, introducing a false interpretation, or both. Islam includes many religious practices. Adherents are generally required to observe the Five Pillars of Islam, which are five duties that unite Muslims into a community. In addition to the Five Pillars, Islamic law (sharia) has developed a tradition of rulings that touch on virtually all aspects of life and society. This tradition encompasses everything from practical matters like dietary laws and banking to warfare. Almost all Muslims belong to one of two major denominations, the Sunni (85%) and Shi'a (15%). The schism developed in the late 7th century following disagreements over the religious and political leadership of the Muslim community. Islam is the predominant religion throughout the Middle East, as well as in parts of Africa and Asia. Large communities are also found in China, the Balkan Peninsula in Eastern Europe and Russia. There are also large Muslim immigrant communities in other parts of the world such as Western Europe. About 20% of Muslims live in Arab countries, 30% in the Indian subcontinent and 15.6% in Indonesia, the largest Muslim country by population." Source and further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam

TY eternal0void. Your comments posted at http://www.answerbag.com/a_view/2611809 and including questions about Islam are over 7000 characters long. It must have taken you some time to write all that down, perhaps there was a little bit of copying and pasting also. Anyway, the comments start off with some very intelligent questions and points. The questions could be interesting to answer. However, I am not sure whether you are genuinely seeking answers or just venting your frustrations about Islam. Some of the intelligent points you raise are addressed by the scholars at http://www.answerbag.com/a_view/2584297. Imam Suhaib Webb agrees with you that a large proportion of the end use rulings come from the scholars and not directly from the HQ. You’re probably wasted here on AB, you’re thinking along the same lines as the scholars so you should be up there amongst them. The explanation behind the point made by both you and the Imam is that the HQ has fundamental rules. For how to implement these rules one has to turn to the example of the Prophet because the HQ says in 33:21 “Ye have indeed in the Messenger of God a beautiful pattern (of conduct to folow) for any one whose hope is in God and the Final Day” and makes clear in 4:80 “He who obeys the Messenger, obeys God. But if any turn away, We have not sent thee (Mohammed) to watch over their (misdeeds). Sheikh Hamza Yusuf address your points about fighting, backing his argument with quotations from the HQ. Sheikh Abdel Hakim Murad explains a bit about another of your points, the one concerning apostasy. Oh, btw don’t get too upset by the ‘H’ in HQ (Holy Qur’an) You don’t have to use it. It’s there to distinguish what is considered revelation in Islam and what isn’t. The ordinary Hadith, which are collections of anecdotes about Prophet Mohammed give us details of how the Prophet interpreted and implemented the basic requirements of the HQ. These Hadith are not called holy as the words, where they quote the Prophet, are his and so are the ideas conveyed by the words. In the HQ both the words and the ideas conveyed by them are believed to be of divine origin. There is another, much smaller collection of Hadith in which the ideas are believed to be divine inspiration but the wording is that of the Prophet. These Hadith are referred to as Hadith Qudsi or Holy Hadith. These Hadith concern spiritual matters. Islam is not a club you join or a label you sport, it is a faith you embrace because it’s the only one that gives you answers that are sensible and reasonable enough to convince you. If you’re not convinced in your heart you’re not a Muslim it’s as simple as that. The three scholars at http://www.answerbag.com/a_view/2584297 whom I mentioned earlier are all men who embraced Islam. They became respected scholars of the faith earning themselves titles of Imam or Sheikh. The first two are Americans while the third one is from the prestigious Cambridge University in the UK. It is probably their conviction and enthusiasm for Islam that led them to become scholars of the faith. The older gentleman in the video below is much loved for his jovial nature, he too is a Sheikh. He was a Christian preacher. Listen to him describe his enthusiasm at the prospect of converting a visiting Muslim from Egypt to Christianity and end up embracing Islam himself. Now how did that happen, perhaps the Muslim offered him a bribe or threatened him with a gun, but I missed that bit. See if you can catch it. The younger guy is explaining his journey to Islam. He sounds very agitated by the Muslims at the beginning especially when their layman had no difficulty answering questions from the Christian side while even highly qualified preachers from his side could not give reasonable answers to questions by the Muslim layman. Eventually he goes to a mosque. No he didn’t go to challenge them there. No, they did not hold a gun to his head asking him to covert, and no, he did not come out a Muslim with dollar bills falling out of his bulging pockets. He went there to tell them he was convinced about Islam and could he become a Muslim but they refused to convert him, asking him to come back if he was still interested and sent him away after giving him more to read about Islam. So much for conversion through bribery and force. What you’ve said about Israel sounds a bit like someone trying to convince people that hot is really cold and cold is really hot. I don’t know whether you’re familiar with the famous story of the Arab and the camel. This is where the Arab, feeling sorry for the camel lets it shelter it’s head in the warm tent. He then lets the camel step in further to include its neck, then its forelegs, and so on until, before long the camel is fully in the small tent and the Arab is out in the cold. That kind of summarises the story of the Palestinians and the Zionists. For a historical analysis of the tragedy that’s Palestine see http://www.answerbag.com/a_view/1404376 This quote from an American teacher gives you an idea of what really goes on in Palestine: “On 16 March 2003, my cousin Rachel Corrie was CRUSHED TO DEATH by Israeli soldiers operating a 64-ton armoured bulldozer, while she was attempting to prevent the DEMOLITION of the house of a CIVILIAN FAMILY, including FIVE CHILDREN, who were still inside.” You’ll find more at http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=1159 .

Moslems ... answer two questions honestly: 1. Do you think Islam will eventually become the only world religiion. 2. Do you think it should?

In ancient Syria and Canna, the Moon-god Sin was usually represented by the moon in its .... Muhammad was raised in the religion of the Moon-god Allah. The Sacred place Mecca was originally the Place for Moon god worship The Sacred place Vatican was a place for Sun Worship Allah is nothing more then a Pagan Moon God Jahwah is Nothing More then a Pagan Sky God jesus is nothing more then a pagan Sun God

Not as much as I'd like... But I did study it in RE and from what I know it is generally pretty peaceful, but fanatics let the side down. But that is a risk with most religions.

as usual, only the Muslim knows the most about Islam.

i am a muslim and i am asking anyone not to judge an entire religion by the action of a very tiny portion of the ones embracing it but not completely understan it.we should never judge judaism by the actions of the israeli army in palestine, or christianity by the actions of the american army in iraq, or the crusadors in the past.islam is a word derivetive of the word(salema) wich means to be peaceful with.and we believe that prophet muhammad is the final one.and that jesus is a miracle and a prophet too and a human not a god.we commit a sin when we insult anything even satan.and as for the punishment for out of marriage sex it's not stoning by the way.stoning is for commiting adultery when married.and if it's really done noone would ever dare cheat on his wife.and they would just simply leave each other peacefully as Allah allowed in islam.out of marriage sex when not married is not killed at all but of course punished in anohter way...and a lot of people even in the west believe in having sex only after marriage...otherwise we wouldn't have seen what is happening in the west...women testing for many times to know their babies' fathers....something noone on earth would ever desire... just plz respect others no matter how different they are.......and peace be upon u........ glad to receive your comments and answers but plz no cursing or calling names cauze am done with such kinds of persons....

I embrace Islam with my life. I am muslim and proud of it. I also served in the USMC. Trust me, the USMC is a bigger engine for violence than Islam. I truly love them both though. I suppose people will say "OH NOES! WE TRAINED ANOTHER ONE!!" Because I have military training and history in combat, I can say that I have been violent, I have been attacked and have attacked in the name of self defense and orders. As a Muslim, I justified this to myself in Islam by telling myself that I was under fire and thus, it's self defense. So the question I have now, am I a terrorist? I have taken lives in the name of doing what I was told and I found a way to justify it in my religion. If I had a bomb on my chest and did the same thing while wearing my BDU I'd be a hero that went down fighting for my country, if I was wearing a dishdasha, I'd be a terrorist. I can't really talk to my family about it and it's not like anyone else will fully understand the plight. Isn't it interesting that I have to quietly put my purple heart in a display case near my Qur'an and wonder if anyone will ever see the subtle irony.

Okay, For some reason I couldn't post this in a comment. I just wanted to clarify some things for the people that had the huge argument in answer 12 that go to be very heated. The Crescent moon and star are NOT officially the symbol for islam. I repeat NOT the symbol for islam. please continue to read for explanation. To get the whole story we must start in the beginning and I will have to agree with anointed cherub that it started out as a pagan thing. Some 2500 years bc in central asia and in Syberia they used this symbol to help worship the sun moon and sky gods. This culture didn't last however and through the thousands of years, the meaning behind this flag was lost but the symbol somehow lived on through the evolving society. Fast forward 3200 years. The prophet Mohammed PBUH received the Qur'an in a different part of the world and had not even seen this symbol. The symbol was 3.2 MILLENIUM old and in a different place. Though both facts (the symbol and Mohammed) are true, they are completely unrelated. In fact, Mohammed led many men to war and when he did they had solid colored flags that had no markings. The different colors were used to identify. Fast forward again 800 years. It is now the 15th century and the Crusades are going on. A Muslim nation rises up to fight back and have a real lesser jihad. This fight takes the turks into constantinople. When the Muslim army takes Istanbul, they adopt the flag they have there as they establish a place to fight from. The flag they took was the crescent moon and star that had somehow lived on for 4000 years at this point. There is even dispute as to whether or not it's a 5 or 6 point star. Different countries are using it differently and it looks different on every one because there is no guideline for it in the Qur'an. It was never intended to represent Islam as a religion. It was meant to represent the Muslims that were fighting in Istanbul. Many Muslims, myself included, don't even recognize the flag as the real symbol of Islam. I don't see it as the symbol of Islam because I don't think that any single icon can summarize Allah. The Qur'an doesn't have any hint to using it. So to wrap things up on my wall of text....yes, it was a pagan symbol, yes it had to do with a moon god, yes it was pretty much wrong, but no, it's not the symbol for islam, it isn't regarded as such, and no one knows if it's supposed to be 5 or 6 point. Please, research before you post inflamatory junk

I know I am learning more and more everyday, mostly by reading the questions and answers of muslims here on AB. I also know that out of the points given by both anti-muslim and pro-muslims on AB, I tend to side with the people who seem to be most at peace with themselves and the least violent towards those who are arguing against their viewpoints, and these people are of course, my new AB friends who happen to be muslim.

without acting on the side that is "an abomination" as the Christian bible puts it.

HERE'S WHAT I KNOW: AUG 25 2008 BAGHDAD — In video footage released by Iraqi police, a teenage girl with an explosives vest tightly strapped to her body is seen handcuffed to a metal grid, her head repeatedly falling forward as several policemen huddle around her. After several minutes, the officers lift her flowered robe, remove the white vest hidden underneath and then take her for questioning, videotaping her in the presence of reporters. They prod her to confess to plans to stage a suicide attack, but she denies the allegation. The arrest of the girl, who gave her first name as Rania, heightened concern about a rise in suicide bombings by women in Iraq. The number of female bombers has more than tripled, from eight in 2007 to 29 this year, according to U.S. military officials. That compares with a total of four in 2005 and 2006, according to the military. On Aug. 14, a woman suicide bomber struck a group of Shiite pilgrims south of Baghdad, killing at least 17 people and wounding dozens of others. Police in Baqouba, where the girl was caught Sunday, said she told them she was fitted with the explosives by female relatives of her husband, whom she married five months ago. One police official alleged that some in the girl's family had links to the al-Qaida in Iraq terror network. In displaying the dazed teenager — who says she was born in 1993, which would make her 14 or 15 — police wanted to deal another blow to the terror network's brutal reputation, officials said. Police wanted to "show the desperate level al-Qaida has reached, with members of one family driving each other to death," said Ibrahim Bajilan, head of the provincial council in the Diyala province, of which Baqouba is the capital. In publicizing the details of the case, police may also be trying to demonstrate they're effective in fighting the insurgents and to turn more Iraqis against the militants, said John Pike, a defense analyst and director of GlobalSecurity.org. U.S. and Iraqi forces have struggled for years to contain Sunni insurgents in Diyala. The province has been the scene of much of the recent violence in Iraq, even as the rest of the country witnessed a significant drop in attacks. With women bombers on the rise, the U.S. has stepped up efforts to recruit and train policewomen to search women at checkpoints and entrances to public buildings. Many Iraqi women wear long robes, ideal for covering bulky suicide vests, and Iraqi policemen hesitate to pat them down at checkpoints because of cultural taboos. The circumstances of the girl's arrest remained unclear. U.S. officials said she turned herself in after being hooked to the explosives against her will. Local police said she was caught by a police patrol after arousing suspicion while walking in downtown Baqouba. The video begins with Rania standing in a street, both hands cuffed to a metal grid attached to a wall behind her. A police officer is later heard saying she apparently had been drugged. For several minutes, officers surround her, speaking among themselves. One opens the robe in the front, and shouts out to his colleagues, apparently to confirm he spotted a vest. One officer pulls out what appears to be a wire before removing the vest, and she is left standing in a sleeveless, ankle-long orange undergarment. Police later said the vest was packed with 33 pounds of explosives. A police photo showed it had six compartments, including two stuffed with what looked like tubes and four holding packages covered in cling-wrap. The next scene shows the girl in an office, wrapped in a black cloak, her dyed brown hair disheveled, as she is questioned by several officers. The journalists invited to attend are not shown. Her exchange with the policemen offered a rare glimpse at a teenager allegedly recruited by insurgents in what the U.S. military has warned is a growing trend. However, it was not clear to what extent her answers were given out of fear and influenced by the presence of reporters. She insisted at first she did not know the women who gave her the vest. "I swear to Allah that I do not know them. They were strangers," she is heard saying. However, when pressed whether she knew the woman who put the vest on her, she replied: "Yes." Police asked if she intended to blow herself up. "No, no, they put it on me and told me to take it off at home," she said. "They did not tell me to explode myself." Reporters attended part of another interrogation session Monday, in which the girl told police that the explosives were strapped to her by female relatives of her husband. She told police that her husband was unaware she was given the explosives. Contradicting her previous testimony, she said she was shown the vest's two detonators and told to press the second button if the first one failed to set off the bomb. Rania's mother was also interrogated and told police she was unaware of the alleged plot, adding that her husband was missing. Earlier Monday, an Iraqi police officer said the girl's family was known for supporting al-Qaida in Iraq and that her father had carried out a suicide bombing. The officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information, also said a relative is suspected of having recruited her. The officer said that on Sunday, the girl led police back to where she was given the explosives and that they found a second bomb belt in an empty apartment. DO WE NEED TO KNOW MORE? WHERE ARE THE MUSLIM MODERATES? DO THEY EXIST?

I know this. This is a bitter taste of reality. Tough to watch,but much tougher if ignored. This is the film by Geert Wilders. He's a Dutch writer who is now under protection from the Islamists in the Netherlands. This is the film that has the EU and the muslim world with their pants in a wad. Most websites have removed it, including You Tube. All bowing to threats. Google still has it posted as of today but, will probably bow to pressure soon. It is about 16 minutes long but, worth the time. Can be a little tough to watch in spots. But this is what we are up against. I think we better get REAL serious. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3369102968312745410 What else do I need to know about fucking Islam, huh?

I don't know why I can't post comments lately. Pustic, this one is for you. You said that you wouldn't stoop so low as to join a religion that is hated world-wide. I would like to inform you sir, that the USA is hated world-wide...but I bet you that you love your country and would never leave it. I am also an American, I am also a Muslim. I think that you should try to see that some people hold to a belief more than a popularity contest. I didn't convert to Islam to impress anyone. I ocnverted to be closer to God. Don't think for one second that the right reason to join a religion is to be in one that isn't hated. Join in the one that you think is right and you will be a better person. To call me a dumbass for calling you an anti-semite is kind of interesting as well...I was calling you something by definition and you attacked me with slang. You should try to see yourself as a better person than that. If you think you are better than muslims...you should try using better linguistic skills to show that you are smart enough to carry on, at the very least, a simple debate. You give in to your anger too easily and like many people...turn that anger into hatred at anyone who is different than yourself. One day, you will see the world for what it is and you will see Muslims for the peaceful people that they are. I would say that more lives have been lost from American occupation. If Hitler was targetting Muslims...would you join his forces or fight him for inhumanitarian action?

Having experienced Islam during my time in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait... Not in the least.

No. Or any other religion.

not in the slightest they think they are above everyone who does not think the same as them. and they are too easily brainwashed by extremist wankers

No more than any interest in any other silly superstitious religions like christshun, jooish, muzzlem, boodist, hindoo, sun worshiping, knocking on wood, tossing salt over my shoulder, silver bullets to the heart and much, much more. It's all foolishness.

Nope. I'm satisfied with what I know about it so far.

No, absolutely not.

I'll pass

No, thank you. I'm not interested in being told what I can wear, what I can eat, who I am to marry, how to worship, or who to kill, or being forced into subservience to people who just happen to have been born with a penis. I prefer being an infidel. +5

I know all I need to know about that vile religion so it can burn for all I care.

That it's following is as fucked up as any of the other religions and that it's not doing the world any favours.

I think all religion is extortion.

i am islamic ı can tell whatever you want.

God sent the last prophet with islam..islam's holy book is the Quran...Lt's language is arabic..and prophet's name is Muhammed...and what do you wnat to learn?

Well first mr Johny Dangerously , i think you should be a believer before answering my question or rather before thinking , as even underdevelopped pple worship ...whatever,. let us stress what you've said abt all religions and let's read what is above: - you can't judge sth without knowing a think about it. - why don't you read abt orientalists at least, they are to criticize Islam , but once they deepen their studies , they just hold the white flag and say how impressed and how astonished they are , most of them get converted to Islam happily. Do you know about George Bernard Shaw ? have you know what he said abt the prophet Mohammed (pbuh)? well : He said that "if that man(prophet of Muslims) still lives till now, he would solve the problems of the earth while drinking a cup of coffee" - read abt that man's attitudes towards Islam first : http://heavenslights.blogspot.com/2006/04/george-bernard-shaw-and-genuine-islam.html - then read about Islam as a Religion if you wanna know more about it : http://www.islamreligion.com/

and you mr/mrs "who is she" It's because you keep you eyes shut from the truth, that you can't see it as clear as it really is , what about seeking benificial information in stead of swearing about what you know nothing abt. Islam has given more then the any other religion before, they were all sent by the same GOD to help humans develop and to show them how to live. Islam was sent just after Christianity as the last religion for worshipping the only one God. as well as to inform us about many interesting things we can ever know from other sources. Moreover , miracles are mentioned it the holly Quoran, happend and still happening. http://www.thewaytotruth.org/islam-humanity/islam-humanity-index.html Read the holly book to discover yourself what i've been talking about, http://www.islamicity.com/mosque/Surai.htm

Dear Johnny, It’s because you don’t have much to know that i made you an omlet by scrambled eggs, as a sentence wouldn’t reflect a wide knowledge about the topic been discussed, would it ? As far as your questions about the existance of God : If you like a plane or a car so much , what is the 1st question you’re going to ask ? «who is the designer ? » right ? Look at the nature as well, why is the whole world the way it is ? why do we have rives and oceans ? why are there different types of animals ? What if you stand in front of a mirror and look at yourself for a while – take it seriously and do it , just like lil children when they first wanna discover things - , Look at your eyes and and how well they were created,why do they produce tears, and how complicated it is when it comes to brain and organs related to senses , look at ur hands and why exactly we have 5 fingers in each , ears and so on … , you’ll see that everything is in the right place and every single part of your body should show the perfectness of its designer . Don’t tell me by chance ; this word should be dismissed from … as why do we all have eyes and nose and ears and mouth in the head, if it’s chance, some should have them in their feet or rather they’d be walking on faces ! and why don’t people turn into monkeys ? You can’t deny that , can you , ? then, GOD exists

I know that islam is a monotheistic religion that was founded by a pedophile and borrowing heavily from Judaism. I also know that Islam is, like all other Abrahamic religions, among the most misogynistic faiths in the world. Aside from that, I have known a lot of cool muslims. Most are reasonable until you have religious disagreement with them.

Nothing thank god.

Not a damn thing.

Just what I've read & what I remember from a comparative religion course I had in college.

Dear Who is she , I am pretty sure that you've read just the begining of my comment to you,and you the whole comment to mr Johnny D. If you clicked the links i gave you, your comment wouldn't be this one, it would probably be " I bare witness that there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet." Because you know what the truth is , you just keep hiding it and running away from it. Though you look smart enough to seek information yourself. Just be sure that you can't escape from death,and i bet you don't know what is going to happend to you then. Learning what exactly that makes your eyes look that open for you? I'll tell you a bit abt me to know how my eyes are more opened, I am 20 years old , as i speak Arabic,French,English and i am now learning spanish,apart from my own studies that are majored in the English language,can't mention everything about my private life, but i hope you get an idea if it's about learning. According to my faith,just read from Quoran and you'll know abt it.

Dear Johnny, It’s because you don’t have much to know that i made you an omlet by scrambled eggs, as a sentence wouldn’t reflect a wide knowledge about the topic been discussed, would it ? As far as your questions about the existance of God : If you like a plane or a car so much , what is the 1st question you’re going to ask ? «who is the designer ? » right ? Look at the nature as well, why is the whole world the way it is ? why do we have rives and oceans ? why are there different types of animals ? What if you stand in front of a mirror and look at yourself for a while – take it seriously and do it , just like lil children when they first wanna discover things - , Look at your eyes and and how well they were created,why do they produce tears, and how complicated it is when it comes to brain and organs related to senses , look at ur hands and why exactly we have 5 fingers in each , ears and so on … , you’ll see that everything is in the right place and every single part of your body should show the perfectness of its designer . Don’t tell me by chance ; this word should be dismissed from … as why do we all have eyes and nose and ears and mouth in the head, if it’s chance, some should have them in their feet or rather they’d be walking on faces ! and why don’t people turn into monkeys ? There is no design without a designer . And no creation without a creator . You can’t deny that , can you , ? then, GOD does exist.

Plenty. The basics, at least.

Alright guys i am not preaching or anything, i ain't even that good muslim as i am not wearing the scarf yet. i didn't like the way you talked about Islam as well as all other religions ( the f*** word, to be more specific), know that Islam has nothing to do with misogynism ; in contrast , it was the 1st to give humans rights and women's as well ,before any unisco,unicef or the like affiliations. Don't look at the scarf they wear as a negative thing to keep them hidden , it's what protects a woman ,and makes her pride, as she is not an object to be played with any time , and her beautiful body is not to be seen and enjoyed by strangers who would certainly like to have a physical relation with, and throw away later. you know that's why muslims' marriage and relations last longer. WOMEN are given the right to be RESPECTED for her MIND and for being her OWN PERSON.

That it is one of the three Abrahamic religions. I know that I was taught it was a peaceful religion but since it now seems to tell us anyone that does not convert to Islam deserves to go to Hell in a handcart or be blown to extinction what we were taught is becoming more difficult to believe. I do not know a lot but am coming to a point where I do not wish to learn anymore. Even friends who are Muslim are sick of what is being portrayed .

Alot more than most and not as much as some.:)

I don't know nearly enough but I am learning more every day.

I don't know a lot... but I know a bit. I studied Islam in Religious Education and Religious Studies the whole way through school, which was my favourite class. I have quite a few Muslim friends I have learned from, and have spent a fair amount of time in a Muslim country so learned things in these ways too. So I know a bit. Nowhere near enough to scratch the surface though, I'm sure.

I know quite a bit. I have a muslim colleague. I know the 5 pillars of Islam, all about Eid. I know about Haj and their beliefs on death and what they do when someone dies(funerals)

Not much and that's likely to stay that way. The only reason that I know so much about Christianity is because it was forced on me at a early age luckily I was able to break away from that. The one thing I truly hate in this world are those who think their view is the only one and if people would just open their eyes to the truth they would see things differently. That is arrogance on a truly massive scale.

Re: "Who Is She" The atheist point of view is that nature has not been designed beautifully, it has evolved beautifully. So, the existence of some God can be very comfortably denied. ************* Though my answer was directed to mr Johnny D, i'll anwer you ma'am by a some questions and choices of answers , and i am not expecting an answer: 1 - who made that "nature has evolved beautifully" - Human being , right? 2 - who created humans and their brains and their abilities? - Themselves ? - Nature? though "it couldn't've developed itself" - The answer of those questions seem to be going around in a no way out circle to end up with nothing but a terrible headaches. Till the answer is transparently clear: there must be someone who has got a special power that no one in this living has. who must be a God. Unless, you wouldn't have used the passive voice in YOUR COMMENT when you said:the nature hasn't been DESIGNED beautifully-which directly mean that there is a designer in ur brain- . If you come to read your answer once again. which means that there is something inside you, called the instinct, that makes you feel the truth, I've personally read about that instinct in Quoran.

Quite a bit. I've lived amongst them, and sipped tea (overly strong and teeth achingly sweet) with them. Like every religion- it makes a lot of sweet talk, but in practice they use it to justify being assholes. Just like Christianity.

Its creator was illiterate.

The crux of the whole debate this question has spawned seems to be that TRUE muslims blame the rest of the muslims (or make up crazy conspiracy theories that actually all the world's ill's are America's or other religion's fault), for all the bad stuff. There seem to be very, very few TRUE muslims standing up and making their mark on the modern world. Maybe it's because they are oppressed by the vast volumes of bad ones and extremists, but maybe not. Remember all the pictures we saw on 9/11 from reporters in the Middle East who were filming the normal muslim men, women and children dancing and celebrating in the street when they saw / heard that the towers had come down. To celebrate such a huge loss of life is a primitive tribal response to another tribe's downfall. Christian society was just as bad once but is more civilised now, (generally, not universally!!). That's what people see about the practice of Islam and that is therefore what they know. Question answered and answer justified. TRUE muslims may not like it but that makes it more important that you stand up and do something about it rather than trying to deny what's going on in many muslim hearts.

I believe it is one of the Divine religion =D

Filled with great loving and peaceful people. I disagree with them on the view of God, and dont accept their prophet, but love them nonetheless.

its barbaric sexist homophobic and is used by nutters to kill people ..........i yhink that is all i need to know...........thank you

All I know about them that they worship only God .. Because God is the only worthy worship ..