[ohio]

I don't know the exact population of Muslims in the world, but I'm guessing it's well over 2 billion

1.3 Billion was the last figure I saw, making it the most popular religion on Earth.

And the overwhelming majority of them are peaceful and friendly. Extreme hospitality is one of the primary tenets of the religion, and one of the first things travellers through the middle-east comment on upon their return. I have several Muslim friends from college... haven't heard any of them calling for blood. Unfortunately, an American doctor that is indifferent to the cartoons despite being a practicing Muslim doesn't really make for good news.

 

[fluff]

1.3 Billion was the last figure I saw, making it the most popular religion on Earth.

And the overwhelming majority of them are peaceful and friendly. Extreme hospitality is one of the primary tenets of the religion, and one of the first things travellers through the middle-east comment on upon their return. I have several Muslim friends from college... haven't heard any of them calling for blood. Unfortunately, an American doctor that is indifferent to the cartoons despite being a practicing Muslim doesn't really make for good news.

Well, it is good news, just not very 'interesting'.

But I'm just being a pedant.

 

[Fshflys]

Judaism is not the only religion. Christianity is not the only religion. Muslinism is not the only religion.

God may have created the Earth, but Man created Religion....Therein lies the problem.

 

[Old Man G Funk]

God may have created the Earth, but Man created Religion....Therein lies the problem.

Actually, man created god too, therein lies the paradox.

 

[Changleen]

Actually, man created god too, therein lies the shortsighted idiocy of a large percentage of humanity.

Fixed.

 

[Old Man G Funk]

Fixed.

Thanks. I hate it when I make typos.

 

[The Amish]

1.3 Billion was the last figure I saw, making it the most popular religion on Earth.

And the overwhelming majority of them are peaceful and friendly. Extreme hospitality is one of the primary tenets of the religion, and one of the first things travellers through the middle-east comment on upon their return. I have several Muslim friends from college... haven't heard any of them calling for blood. Unfortunately, an American doctor that is indifferent to the cartoons despite being a practicing Muslim doesn't really make for good news.

Its real easy to gain such high numbers when you 'll go into prisons and recruit every scumbag you can find, as well as threaten anyone who doesnt accept allah with death

 

[Jabuttri]

No math guru here but I would say it is probably a similar percentage to Americans who participate in post sporting event rioting.

Im a Political Science and History double major who has spent the last year focusing on the middle east and I would say your percentage isn't that far off.

 

[Changleen]

Its real easy to gain such high numbers when you 'll go into prisons and recruit every scumbag you can find, as well as threaten anyone who doesnt accept allah with death

 

[narlus]

interesting...a few months ago an Egyptian paper re-printed the Danish cartoons and there was no mass rioting/response. a post on that islamica board had a good point:

I am sure some of the readers of the newspaper were pissed off when they saw the cartoons (they were published to show that a newspaper in denmark had insulted the prophet). Nobody ran out to burn stuff... The first time around, when the cartoons were originally published and publicized, there was NO REACTION

These rallies that are happening in the muslim world.. somebody has to organize them, somebody has to get the message out to the people to show up, somebody has to turn them violent, etc. Its all well organized and its mostly politically based. The people at the rallies mean well I'm sure, they want to defend our religion against being insulted. The people who are whipping everything into a frenzy do not mean well.. they saw an opportunity and they seized it and are trying to exploit it to the most possible benefit (for them). Notice how the rallies are now turning their anger at the US, whose government explicitly condemned the cartoons and called for the media to act responsibly. There are political players at work behind the current controversy.

 

[BurlyShirley]

interesting...a few months ago an Egyptian paper re-printed the Danish cartoons and there was no mass rioting/response. a post on that islamica board had a good point:

Why dont we put the muslim who wrote that in charge of Iraq?

 

[Old Man G Funk]

Why dont we put the muslim who wrote that in charge of Iraq?

We'd have to get him elected. Remember, they're democratic now...

 

[BurlyShirley]

We'd have to get him elected. Remember, they're democratic now...

yeah, right. just like the US. Make them voter for either that dude or John Kerry.