Recent Mood Towards Muslims/Islamic issues on DU

[JCMach1]

I have really been upset recently with the content and tone of a number of threads.

Is this just latent DU racism?

Troll influx?

Or, just :wtf: is going on?

[Orrin_73]

1. I try to avoid them

as much as possible or I dont read them at all. That way Im not upset.

[Violet_Crumble]

2. I think the mood has been around for a long time...

But now there's an excuse to display it. Best thing to do is to remind yrself that the most hateful tend to drown out those who are appalled by it, and that all the hatemongers do is sit there and praise each other for their complete ignorance. DU's a large place and there's always a very vocal minority who show intolerance for whatever group they select, whether it be Muslims, Jews, women, gays, African-Americans, or any other group. There is one difference between the intolerance I'm seeing manifested currently and when it's aimed at other groups, but I won't go into that publicly. All I can say is that if I was at work and uttered some of the comments I've seen posted at DU about Muslims, I'd be hauled over the coals for the intolerance I'd be displaying...

Violet...

[JCMach1]

3. very true

It is also maddening!

[PsychoDad]

4. Just a couple of observations.

These outbursts of Islamiphobia come in cycles whenever the news allows for the opportunity.

It seems the views tend to be expressed by many of the same folks time after time, people who may not have the opportunity of knowing any Muslims personally in their offline lives, and are thus unable to put a human face to the bogyman of fear created by this administration and M$M. Or, perhaps more sinisterly, maybe just persons with a desire to demonize Islam for whatever reason. All told, it always seems to be the same posters slamming Islam and often the same ones interjecting reason.

DU is an interesting microscopic slice of the greater American macrocosm. The views you see expressed here are out there in the real world too. Remember, western culture and the M$M have created many of the misconceptions of Islam that we see. Many Islamic words have been programmed to be emotional hot buttons to elicit desired responses,(such as Sharia, Jihad, Wahabbi, etc. Even the word Islam itself) from people who have absolutely no idea what any of these words mean. Sadly, you see it on here all the time.

And it's these pre-programmed reactions that are being played upon.

So what can we do? What we have been doing. Answer ignorance with light.

JCMach, you have been doing a heck of a job interjecting a healthy dose of reason and reality into many of these otherwise hysteric threads, as have Ayeshahaqqiqa and others.

Peace.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. Ya Nur!

Thank you, brother, for your wise words. I have gotten some PMs that indicate that there are some who have and read our words and who wish to learn more about Islam, that they can better understand. I have also noticed in the past few days a subtle shift, with some DUers saying that they had learned from our posts.