Is Islam that bad as what the media says about it?

[Wardead]

Is Islam that bad as what the media says about it?

Discuss.

[pepokish]

My views, in a nutshell:

It is basically the same answer here as was given by many in the "is communism bad?" thread, and it is the same answer I would give if the word 'Islam' was substituted with the name of almost any other religion:

No it's not, but essentially humans can't handle it outside of a utopian world.

Fundamentally, Islam is not bad at all; it is no different from most other modern religions.
However, all religions have extremists (not just Islam), and that is where religion turns "bad".

[tk13]

Where in mainstream media does it explicitly state that Islam is bad??

[Boingo]

Where in mainstream media does it explicitly state that Islam is bad??

Islam is not bad.  Those who choose to exploit others in the name of Islam are bad--brainwashing people into thinking blowing up bombs is God's will is not only cruel, it gives Islam (or any other religion) a bad name. 

Mind you, this phenomenon is not restricted to religious groups.  You could easily insert anarchists, radical environmentalists, anti-abortion groups, etc. into the same equation and they'd come out looking just as bad.  In the end, instead of sending a message with violence, violence becomes the message and the only thing people remember about a group that does it.

[Artois]

Is that the western media? 

I'm quite sure Islam doesn't get a bad rap in mainstream Saudia Arabian, Pakistani, Iraqi, Jordanian, Indonesian, Afghani, Malaysian, Tunisian, Libyan & Kuwaiti media to name a few...

[tyranim]

if you are a christian, but think all muslims are bad, think about this first.
just how different is what Al-Qaeda doing from the christian crusades?
think about it for a while

[Artois]

if you are a christian, but think all muslims are bad, think about this first.
just how different is what Al-Qaeda doing from the christian crusades?
think about it for a while

Its exactly the same.  Christians AND muslims are very naughty people.

[tyranim]

so far (that i know of) the only triplette of the wonder trio that hasnt gone on a killing spree is judaism. but they dont have a savior leading them either, suspicious much?
(jtlyk, im not saying Muhammad or Jesus were homicidal nuts, im just saying their early generation followers were, and some modern followers, but not as much as back then)

[Kamietsu]

Islam isn't bad, neither is Satanism, or Paganism, or any other one that gets a bad rep. People have a tendency to see the darker side of things more than the lighter side. You remember the tragic events of 9/11, but how often do you remember the people who tried so hard to help save the people that were still alive being crushed under rubble? Probably not nearly as much as you think about the initial act of it happening.

The extremists who do 'bad' things (by bad I mean what the majority consider to be bad) get remmebered far more than the extremists who do 'good' things. (by good I mean what the majority consider to be good)

I use the parentheses because those people who did the bad things most likely assume they were doing something just, noble and good, in the name of their religion.

It's all brainwashing basically, most every religion except christianity will have a worse rep than chrisitanity because here in the US christianity is the major religion and what this country was founded on, so of course those who run it will want to keep it the majority and shoot down othre religions. And by run I don't mean the President or Congress too much. They don't really run it. The people do, news, media, etc, that's what really runs this place. And what they say goes into your head and starts to sway your opinions. That's one thing this country doesn't need more of, people who let and news and media think for them.

[Artois]

so far (that i know of) the only triplette or the wonder trio that hasnt gone on a killing spree is judaism. but they dont have a savior leading them either, suspicious much?
(jtlyk, im not saying Muhammad or Jesus were homicidal nuts, im just saying their early generation followers were, and some modern followers, but not as much as back then)

No, no, no.  Read the old testament.  The Jews slaughtered all the tribes already living in Israel, and took it over, with the help of a divine homicidal God.

[SeddyRocky]

Islam, and muslims are of course not bad. Islamist, fundamentalists, etc, are per my definition bad. But so a christian/ANYTHING fundamentalists, so yeah.

[tyranim]

can anyone name ONE civilization that didnt conquer land? i cant, at all.