Is this board anti-muslim?

Lash,

I honestly am confused. I am not trying to start anything with you. I am obviously reading this statement differently than you are and I am asking you where I am differing from you.

If anyone could explain it to me I would greatly appreciate it. Lash obviously believes she is not being offensive with this word and if she really believes that then I need to try to understand, as I feel this way about something else and I know how it feels for someone not to understand my view.

It doesn't mean I will agree with her or not agree with her, but at least I can understand where she's coming from.

Help? Anyone?

Have you ever thought how infinitely easy it would be for me to just say what everyone wants me to say?

Have you ever wondered, since I hate some of these words, why I expend so much energy fighting against external controls of speech?

Is anything about more than small personal stuff to you? Instead of trying to score points, or wrapping everything in your own preoccupation with race, why don't you address the subject?

What do you think of the Holocaust denial legislation? Isn't it the same as censoring these terms? And, why do YOU use some of them, yet make something of ME using them? At least I don't bear ill will toward people--or pinpoint people with them like you do. How do you reconcile all of that?

sozobe wrote:

I've seen a few. I don't think you are -- especially, I think you're interested in learning more -- but I'd say there are a few who are pretty much just plain anti-Muslim.

Note, there have been the Muslim wackos here who haven't made things easier for those of us who keep saying variations of "Yes, there are plenty of reasonable, moderate Muslims", and there were understandable bad reactions to those guys.

This is sort of weird. I didn't think you were talking about me--yet I see the especially... I shall come out with my opinion and see what happens. If I have my terms wrong, someone tell me.

I am not anti-Muslim. A Muslim is a person.

I recently had a virulent, acidic disagreement with a Christian. Does that make me anti-Christian?

I AM anti-Islam. Although the Koran and Hadiths have some kind and loving passages, it also has passages that condone cruelty and murder, and they aren't condoned by a "Paul character" or some unknown writer, but they are attributed directly to Mohammad. This IMO is why so many adherents of Islam are violent and moreso, why they feel justified in their violence.

However, each person --just as in racism, or any other form of stereotype--deserves consideration as an individual. If you meet each Muslim person as an individual, you are not anti-Muslim, even if you have serious criticisms of their faith.

Like everyone else, I hope, I make my decision about each individual, based on who they reveal themselves to be, their content, not their label.

Intrepid wrote:

Why does it matter if you are referring to Muslims, Sikhs or anybody else with the word towelhead. It doesn't make it any better using this term with ANYBODY. Hoever, it seems that the term has been used specifically with Muslims on these threads.

If the term isn't a direct insult to a specific group, then, Intrepid, what is wrong with using it?? This is what I don't understand. Who has the right to say what anyone means by the word when they say it??

And, do understand, I am not defending myself--I am trying to get to the bottom of this word in specific and censured terms in general.