Where are all the reasonable Muslims?

[BananaChips]

So recently there has been the mass kidnapping (and forced conversion) of hundreds of school girls in Nigeria, and now today in the news a woman in Sudan is condemned to death because she refuses to renounce her faith for Islam.

Numerous political figures across the world and some other-religion figures (Archibishop of Canterbury if I recall) have spoken out against the kidnappings, albeit not in terms of religion.

But I'm sincerely curious as to why there seems to have been no one from the Islamic faith who have spoken out against these two recent atrocities. Is it just that the UK news media have not reported it? Is it that no one has spoken against these tragedies? Would we be wrong to say that these actions are putting Islam in a bad light? These actions are being carried out with distinct emphasis on religious grounds.

I am not trying to stir up any anti-religious feelings, I just want to understand why these acts have not been roundly denounced by members of their own faith. (Please point me towards it, if I've missed any in the news...)

When one bad Christian person does a bad thing do we look at other Christians to come out and speak about it....

I'm sure there are plenty of reasonable Muslims who think it's disgusting. Just because something's not in the news doesn't mean it hasn't happened. There are a lot of beneath-the-surface machinations about what does and doesn't get reported or discussed in the media.

Islam isn't like Christianity in terms of having a huge hierarchy with an Archbishop at the top who can give the 'Muslim' view. And in terms of newsworthiness, nice Muslims going about their daily business isn't very interesting, so the media don't show them.

Penelope yes, I'm sure you're right. Or at least I hope you're right. It's just that other religions (some times not so quickly) do eventually come out and say "child abuse was wrong" etc. And the equivalent for these 2 recent events has not yet happened, it seems. Are we going to have to wait years/generations?

And maybe by that public silence, the whole religion is cast into a bad light.

Balls Sure I get that, but were all the Imams in this country too busy doing something else than issue a "those geezers in Nigeria are doing a bad thing and should stop it" statement?

What about the Islamic leaders in Mecca? The Nigerian schoolgirls have been headline news across the world. Did they not say anything? Or was that just not reported I wonder.

They might have issued a statement. Whether any media outlet bothered to publish it is another matter...

It'd be like asking vicars to comment, Banana. The media aren't interested in reasonable Muslims, they prefer them frothy.

Also, it's not the fault of moderate Muslims that nutters are kidnapping girls in the name of Islam.

Ref: Mecca, I don't think there are 'Islamic leaders' there, but Saudi stays pretty fucking quiet about all matters to do with Islamism. Which is based on Wahabi (sp?) ideology, and preached across the globe by men funded by the Saudi government. Our government keep pretty bloody quiet about that.

All the "reasonable muslims" are just going about their daily business whilst being appalled at what they're seeing on the news like the rest of us. Just because the 2 news stories happen to have related to Islam in some way doesn't mean that it actually is related to Islam. The kidnappers who stole those poor girls are terrorists! It doesn't matter if they call themselves muslim, christian or fucking pink ponies they're still sick nutters whatever they choose to call themselves. Same with the mother fuckers who have condemned the woman to death for not renouncing her faith. They're not killing her because they're muslim and think she should be they're killing her because they're fucking insane twats who'll use any means to justify their sick acts.

You can't say muslims this bla bla because of this event or that event in the news recently, christians have done their fair share of fucking atrocious acts as have all religions. Any one who commits atrocities in the name of god, allah or the green alien from mars is fucking insane. They're just putting up a front of religion in front of their insanity and using it to justify to themselves what they're doing, To the rest of the world they're evil cunts.

Try googling 'imam condemns kidnapping' before spouting anti-Islamic nonsense. Lots of condemnation going on.

I am a Muslim, and I whole heartedly condemn these atrocities, as have many other Muslims and Muslim scholars over the past few days ( as my Facebook has been nothing short of flooded with these condemnations).
Any crime is a crime and the criminals should be treated with the same standards, irrespective of their religion. Any Muslims committing crimes in the name of Islam are not practising their religion, as in fact Islam shows nothing but a peaceful way of life, these goons have tried to change the religion for their own personal gains and means. If anyone wants to judge a religion, they should indeed do so by studying the scriptures/ holy book of that religion, and not on the basis of its followers.
Hence, if anyone wants to judge Islam, please read the Quran, and not judge it based on the so called Muslims twisting the rules as they please.
It is indeed sad what the world is coming to. And yes as for the news not reporting a lot of things, it's due to them being biased- they report what they wish and hide what they wish.
Here's hoping for a better world where kindness prevails :)

This article give a summary of some condemnation:
abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/muslim-officials-condemn-abductions-girls-23623896

Also, I googled to find some of the Middle East newspapers have published some of the condemnations. Here are a few links:

english.alarabiya.net/en/News/2014/05/09/Saudi-Grand-Mufti-condemns-Boko-Haram-over-girl-kidnapping.html

www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-article-display-1.asp?xfile=data/nationgeneral/2014/May/nationgeneral_May104.xml&section=nationgeneral

And here: www.commdiginews.com/world-news/world-voices/muslims-express-outrage-over-boko-haram-kidnappings-17551/

Islamic leaders in mecca:

Http:www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/09/top-saudi-cleric-condemns-boko-haram-kidnapping-schoolgirls

Apparently that is this bloke.

As a muslim,I have never heard of him btw, to illustrate how Muslim leaders differ to church
leadership.

If you Google "boko haram condemn" there are loads of reported stories.

Trapper is that aimed at me? I don't believe I am spouting anti-islamic nonsense Just lots of confusion here.

YY Mojito and MrsBon those 2 instances are deemed newsworthy by our media, that's why they have been reported. And YY normal people, normal Muslims are going about their business as usual because those events are being committed by absolute '*** (fill in your own blanks)... But they're being carried in the name of Islam, and if I were Muslim I would be so upset and angry that my faith was being used and distorted by these horrors.

So we seem to all be suggesting it's the reporting rather than anything else, for any "silence"? Yet another nail in the coffin for fair and unbiased reportage then.

OK thanks for those links, will go off and take a read at those. Maybe that will restore some of my faith in humanity.

I haven't meant to be anti-islam or anti-any-religion, these 2 widely broadcast events just casts Islam in such a light that it is difficult to not want to try and understand the situation better. No offense intended to anyone.

General religion bashing will have to be a different thread...

I am happy to substitute the word 'ignorant' for 'anti-Islamic' if you prefer.

Yes, fine Trapper if that makes you feel better. I'd rather be ignorant and in search of knowledge than forever judgemental and rude. Thanks for contributing to the discussion.

These events don't cast Islam in a bad light for me, they just cast nutters in a bad light.

Other nutters have kidnapped masses of children before: White Australia Policy

I'm sorry but to me you're not coming across well. 'reasonable' Muslims are everywhere if you'd care to open your eyes. As others have said, you're projecting our own Christian heirachy onto a very different set up.

Also, personally I think saying that just because some higher ups opinion has been reported restores your faith in humanity is a bit much. There are thousands of Muslims just like you and me, appalled at the events. If you happened to come across some random spouting off about this being a good thing, would you hold him as representative of these Muslims? I'd imagine many wouldn't feel the need to condemn his hypothetical views as they wouldn't feel he represents them.

Op,

The nigeria kidnapping - the 'bring back our girls' hashtag which has been tweeted over a million times was started by a muslim.

I think your question is outrageous but you genuinely don't seem to realise why, which is scary.

I'm RC. I've never come across a priest who tried to abuse me or any of my friends, male or female. I went to a convent school, same thing, the nuns were fine. Its tar and brush isn't it.

however, I do find the Koran hard to understand, but I guess that's because I've never read it or looked into it. Therefore I can't make a judgement or form an opinion.

As a RC I was taught to never deny my religion for any reason (from the bible), so me and my compatriots got spat on, chased, and stones thrown at us as children because we lived in a sectarian area and on the way to school had to pass other children not of the same religion, who would question us and we'd answer truthfully.

I new see it all as madness. I truly do.

OP, when I don't know something, I find google very helpful.

Did you not try to look on google first, before starting this thread?

Or were you so absolutely certain that because you hadn't heard of any Muslims speaking out, it means that no Muslims have spoken out?

I do find the constant cries of Muslims must condemn things that clearly go against human decency to be very wearying. Are we deemed to be so inhuman that we don't know that kidnapping is wrong?

That's an encouraging post Gosh