I have 3 questions here related to the Islam religion(not Muslim people): 1. What is the first thing appear in you mind when Islam is mentioned? 2. Where and whom do you get information about Islam? 3. If do you asked to asking a muslim who eager to answer anything from you about the Islam what will do you ask him?
Title: Very little, not enough to make an informed personal judgement about whether I think it benefits wider society. 1. Istanbul, one of my favourite cities. 2. News agencies. Killer & White = Murderer. Killer & Not White = Terrorist. 3. Depends on where they are from, but likely their view on Palestine/Israe. Like much global politics, I find it fascinating.
1. Muslims do not acknowledge the violence, hatred and racism in the koran/ahadith/sunnah
2. Websites
3. No Muslim will give me an answer to no 1. Living in a Muslim country I meet many good muslims yet they know less about Islam, koran, hadith, etc than I do- this is also true of most christians & their bible. Neither feels the need to ask but rather blindly accept what they are told. When Muslims deny the facts I have to ask 'why is 95% of the violence going on in the world related to Islam, then?' The usual reply is that these are 'bad' muslims who twist the koran's teachings; this is either taqiyya, or plain lack of knowledge. Two objections- 1. there are millions of 'bad' muslims, then?
2. No, they are doing what the koran/andMuhammad instructs them to do...
(see answer 1. above) The final and insoluble problem- ALL muslims I speak to insist the koran is from Allah, word perfect and true for all time, until the end of days. Therefore, unlike christianity it cannot be reformed and is stuck forever in 7th century values of savagery and primitivism.
1. The religion. I imagine some abstract thing I can't explain. It's somewhat similar to a moon but it's all messed up and squiggly. It's sorta gold and purple and it gives a sense of mysticism and coolness, oddly enough. 2. I have books on it as well as a Koran that I really should get to reading some day, as soon as I'm finished reading the Holy Bible, which given my progress, should take another ten years just to get to the New Testament. Hey, not my fault there's other stuff that catches my attention more than the bible. Right now I'm reading a book on the history of Logic that is simply fascinating. 3.If do I asked to asking? I would ask him what other interesting books I could read that are from people who are inspired by the Islamic religion, and are there any Islasmic philosophers I should know about? It's one thing to see the religion itself, but the missing piece is to see the people following it, believing it, and see how their lives are affected by Islam.
My honest immediate thought process: 1. Beards/Cat Stevens
2. Friends, Hubski, Print journalism
3. What virtues does Islam have that other religions don't?
1. Muslim friends of mine, especially the one who runs Muslims for America on Facebook. 2. Mostly from friends and from r/Islam. I've read some Quran, but not much. 3. I would be curious to hear their thoughts on how Islam can address the issues present in predominantly-Muslim cultures, where religious fundamentalists often co-opt Islam to commit atrocious crimes. These are no more Islamic than murder is Christian (despite the crusades), but at the same time it is doubtful that non-Muslims can do much to influence change. So, what can Muslims do and what WILL they do to ostracize the people who commit crimes in the name of Muhammad (PBUH) and God?
1. It''s social-geographic distribution throughout the world 2. Anthropology and History books 3. I would ask him or her how muslims can work towards greater gender equality within Islam
If you look at the tenets described in the Koran, they really aren't any less equal than what's laid out in the Bible (new or old testament). Neither book does a particularly good job of that by today's standards. I would argue it's not so much a problem with Islam, as it is the actual implementation of it. So I think that your point in number 3 is actually a greater problem with societies in which Islam is prevalent. Certainly the actual book plays a major part in how things play out, as Christianity is no shining star when it comes to (gender) equality. But I think what's more important is how Islam's pillars are applied to society. Why are they applied so strictly? Why must they be applied to public policy, why not allow a secular society? I think those are some major issues, that I'd like answered.
I understand what you mean when you say "Islam religion(not Muslim people)" but I think it is impossible to disintegrate any religion from the society and treat it as an abstract object. 1. Women rights. 2. I grew up in Turkey and in Turkey there is a mandatory "Religious Culture and Morality" course throughout the elementary and high school education. Apart from my immediate family every relative I have is a practicing Muslim. So I got the information through education and experience. 3. I can't think of any question about Islam particularly but on religion in general I would probably ask "how is your definition of God different than the definition of a self aware/conscious universe?". Or similarly "how do you feel about your God, still having done everything you think it did, not being self aware/conscious?".
Hmm. Your first question is a little too general, but I'll pretend we're free associating. I happened to have a couple of Islam-related questions in IRC trivia last night, so I would probably talk about how Muhammad was apparently held in the most reverence because of his transposing of the Quran via the angel Gabriel. I get all of my information about everything from the internet, and more specifically Wikipedia. I don't know too many Muslims, and I don't discuss religion with anyone I know anyway, so that isn't an option. It depends who I was asking. I think I might ask them how they feel about some of Islam's more anachronistic traditions, because that's something that fascinates me about all religions.