Green Energy
BELOW IS a list of responses you are likely to get when talking about the terrifying brilliance of Islam to someone who knows little about it. Most of the responses link to an article giving you suggestions about how to effectively respond. In the next few months, we will add answers to the unlinked ones.
If you ever come across a response not on our list, and you have difficulty answering it, please let us know; we'll work on it and add it to the list.
The good news is that the responses you will typically get are a fairly small number. You'll hear the same few objections over and over. When you have some good answers to these objections ready at hand, you will be able to answer smoothly and with poise, without feeling tense or antagonistic.
We're hoping you will add more possible responses or advice in the comments on the articles linked below. And if you have any possible answers to the unlinked responses below, we'd love to hear them (email us).
When you talk about Islamic supremacism with people, they are likely to say one of the following:
1. But it is just a small minority of extremists.
2. My friend is a Muslim and he's really nice.
3. What you're saying is racist.
4. Aren't you being religiously intolerant? People in this country have a right to worship as they please. Isn't religious tolerance one of our most important principles?
5. Christianity is just as bad.
6. Not all Muslims are terrorists.
7. We can't go to war with 1.3 billion Muslims!
8. Are you an Islamophobe?
9. Isn't this bigotry?
10. Are you a hatemonger? I don't believe in promoting hatred.
11. You should really talk to some Muslims. You're getting all this from books.
12. There are peaceful passages in the Qur'an too.
13. People take what they want from any writings. You can pretty much justify anything if you quote it out of context.
14. There are millions of Muslims in this country and they're not blowing things up.
15. My family and my community is Muslim, and none of us are terrorists.
16. Fundamentalism is fundamentalism.
17. Haven't mosques and churches and synogogs sat side-by-side in the Middle East for a thousand years?
18. You're taking the verses of the Quran out of context.
19. But jihad is an internal struggle.
20. Criticizing Islam will push the moderates into the arms of the extremists.
21. What about the good verses in the Quran?
22. What can we do about it?
I also have an all-purpose response to any objection you get. Simply ask: "How did you learn about Islam?" Your question will probably reveal to both of you how little the other knows about Islam, and that is a good place to start.
- The Bare Bones Message
What is written in Islamic texts is dangerous to non-Muslims. That's it. That's the only message we need to get across. When this sinks in, it changes everything. It's a bitter pill to swallow, but from that point on the person will see the...
-
What Educated Non-Muslims Don't Like About Islam in a Nutshell From Citizen Warrior:#fullpost { display: inline; } THE QURAN is Islam's most holy book. Sixty-one percent of the Quran is about non-Muslims. Writings about what Muslims should...
- A Message To Peaceful Muslims
On the Infidel Blogger's Alliance and other sites, I've seen many comments by Muslims trying to tell non-Muslims that Islam is really a peaceful religion and that the terrorists have it all wrong. A friend of mine I've known for years is an...
- Storm Track Disinformation: Say That Again?
From The Gathering Storm JihadWatch and the Evening Mail reported this little diddy - Muslims Take Over Catholic Web Site Islam Answers Back, a web site that is a division of Islaminfo.com, posted this plea. “Muslims have to provide answers to the...
- Robert Spencer On Moderate Muslims And Moderate Islam
Robert Spencer weighs in, for those who didn't already know his opinion, on whether moderate Muslim exist, and whether there is such at thing as moderate Islam: One of the most common responses to my work that I have encountered since I have been...
Green Energy
Answers to Objections When You Talk About Islam
An excellent post from Citizen Warrior:
BELOW IS a list of responses you are likely to get when talking about the terrifying brilliance of Islam to someone who knows little about it. Most of the responses link to an article giving you suggestions about how to effectively respond. In the next few months, we will add answers to the unlinked ones.If you ever come across a response not on our list, and you have difficulty answering it, please let us know; we'll work on it and add it to the list.
The good news is that the responses you will typically get are a fairly small number. You'll hear the same few objections over and over. When you have some good answers to these objections ready at hand, you will be able to answer smoothly and with poise, without feeling tense or antagonistic.
We're hoping you will add more possible responses or advice in the comments on the articles linked below. And if you have any possible answers to the unlinked responses below, we'd love to hear them (email us).
When you talk about Islamic supremacism with people, they are likely to say one of the following:
1. But it is just a small minority of extremists.
2. My friend is a Muslim and he's really nice.
3. What you're saying is racist.
4. Aren't you being religiously intolerant? People in this country have a right to worship as they please. Isn't religious tolerance one of our most important principles?
5. Christianity is just as bad.
6. Not all Muslims are terrorists.
7. We can't go to war with 1.3 billion Muslims!
8. Are you an Islamophobe?
9. Isn't this bigotry?
10. Are you a hatemonger? I don't believe in promoting hatred.
11. You should really talk to some Muslims. You're getting all this from books.
12. There are peaceful passages in the Qur'an too.
13. People take what they want from any writings. You can pretty much justify anything if you quote it out of context.
14. There are millions of Muslims in this country and they're not blowing things up.
15. My family and my community is Muslim, and none of us are terrorists.
16. Fundamentalism is fundamentalism.
17. Haven't mosques and churches and synogogs sat side-by-side in the Middle East for a thousand years?
18. You're taking the verses of the Quran out of context.
19. But jihad is an internal struggle.
20. Criticizing Islam will push the moderates into the arms of the extremists.
21. What about the good verses in the Quran?
22. What can we do about it?
I also have an all-purpose response to any objection you get. Simply ask: "How did you learn about Islam?" Your question will probably reveal to both of you how little the other knows about Islam, and that is a good place to start.
- The Bare Bones Message
What is written in Islamic texts is dangerous to non-Muslims. That's it. That's the only message we need to get across. When this sinks in, it changes everything. It's a bitter pill to swallow, but from that point on the person will see the...
-
What Educated Non-Muslims Don't Like About Islam in a Nutshell From Citizen Warrior:#fullpost { display: inline; } THE QURAN is Islam's most holy book. Sixty-one percent of the Quran is about non-Muslims. Writings about what Muslims should...
- A Message To Peaceful Muslims
On the Infidel Blogger's Alliance and other sites, I've seen many comments by Muslims trying to tell non-Muslims that Islam is really a peaceful religion and that the terrorists have it all wrong. A friend of mine I've known for years is an...
- Storm Track Disinformation: Say That Again?
From The Gathering Storm JihadWatch and the Evening Mail reported this little diddy - Muslims Take Over Catholic Web Site Islam Answers Back, a web site that is a division of Islaminfo.com, posted this plea. “Muslims have to provide answers to the...
- Robert Spencer On Moderate Muslims And Moderate Islam
Robert Spencer weighs in, for those who didn't already know his opinion, on whether moderate Muslim exist, and whether there is such at thing as moderate Islam: One of the most common responses to my work that I have encountered since I have been...