"When 9/11 came, some Americans used the attacks as a tool to spread hate and violence among Muslims in America. Muslims were blamed, shunned, stereotyped, and in some cases assaulted. The media spread rumors and lies about Islam that still taint America's thought process. It took years for Muslims to get through it and still there is horrible racism in our country. Islam is a peace loving religion and what most want for the world is peace and not war. My fear with this recent attack is that it will re-fuel the hate and fear that America felt 11 years ago and will cause more oppression for the innocent Muslims who hate these attacks as much as we do. I want to stress that the few extremists should not be put in the same box as the rest."
"This man was defending his RELIGION and was apologizing for those who make a bad name of Islam and Muhammad's teachings. I do not view the context of this photo to be political but religious for the reasons I have stated above. I am speaking about this subject because I have researched it. If I didn't I would not have said anything as I do not like to state my opinion before learning the facts. I have a four year religious degree and have also researched Islam. I also have friends who have lived in the middle east or are from countries where Islam is the primary religion. I have also read books/articles and watched movies that deal with Muslim responses to terroristic acts done in the name of Islam. I have also heard arguments on both sides of the argument regarding Islam being a violent religion. The foundation that Islam is built upon is not killing "infidel" but on their core faith: There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet. They have five pillars (core beliefs) and none of them are related to violence or killing of any kind. In fact, the Quran contains many scriptures that promote tolerance and freedom of people of other faiths and beliefs, and also promotes good treatment of people in general. Mohammed himself prayed for non-muslims rather than harming them because they didn't convert. There are violent scriptures within the Quran, but taking into consideration historical context, translations of the words used, and taking into context the Quran as a whole, the meanings of these texts indicate that these are rules of conduct in combat rather than a commandment to terrorize and murder. Have their been instances where Muslims have used these parts of the Quran to justify murder and terrorism? YES. Is this a reflection of the beliefs of Muslims as a whole? NO. There are over a billion Muslims in the world. It is the world's fastest growing religion. Out of this multitude we see but a very small amount of Muslims that use their religion to justify terror. I also feel that it is unfair to use the crusades as an indication of Islam's principles. Throughout Christianity's history the Bible has been used to justify racism, violence, murder, and even more evils. I could go on forever about the history of the church and the murders that were done in the name of Jesus. However, Christianity is also a peaceful religion. It promotes love, peace, and mercy. Religion is like a gun. Guns can be used for good or for evil, it all depends on who is holding the gun. With this whole issue my whole point is this: with the recent attacks in Libya and with all instances where we see muslims negatively portrayed on the news, we should keep in perspective that this is not portraying an entire people group's actions or beliefs and that we should not act in prejudice or racism for it."
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