The first thing that is important to note is that this forum is not representative of all of Muslims that exist in the world. People are free to think and believe about foreign policy as they wish. Doesn't mean they're conspiracy theorists automatically. Some agree. Some don't. Allah knows. Secondly, when I first came here as a Christian, all the members kept telling me was learn Islam before I get to know Muslims. Because Muslims are human beings with flaws. How many born Muslims are only Muslim by name. No one here told me that Muslims are angels, especially when I constantly see duas asking for forgiveness and guidance for us all. I also get linked up to some pretty great Islamic lectures here too. And the topics?
Why Muslims need better manners. Why Muslims need to give advice respectfully. Why Muslims need not divide up the religion. Why Muslims need to be respectful of scholars. Why Muslims need to work on following the Sunnah. Why Muslims need to keep up with salaah. Why Muslims need to seek more knowledge in their religion. Why Muslims need to keep good company. Why Muslims need to give sadaqah or zakaah. Why Muslims need to stop putting their culture above Islam. Nothing about being perfect and sinless.
But you do realize that there is an evil "other" side at play here, right? Surely you recognize that many Muslims are being killed and droned. Many of them innocent. That is no ant on someone's lawn. Many of them not bearded men in turbans incorrectly using verses of the Quran to justify their violence. And you also recognize that Muslims are discriminated against too? Especially right here in America. I recognized this as a non-Muslim and I wondered why. So I came here. And I think it's valid to talk about that sometimes and advise each other on how to cope with that as well as talk about what we as a community need to do to improve ourselves as an Ummah.
I rarely see news on this forum about what Muslims are doing "right". It's always something about Muslims being attacked either in war, by waswas, by a family member, or spouse and what we need to do to improve. A call to "wake up" more than anything else here. And the way other members go about that is with evidence, resources and scholarly opinions. And disagreements arise from that material but most of the other members here, aside from the some of the kaffir, don't tear Muslims down and talk about how awful, stupid, hopeless and backwards we are like you do time and time again on this forum. Even some of our Christian and non-religious members on this forum show more respect than this. Pygo even said he would fight to help end the oppression of Muslims in one thread and he's an atheist and rarely agrees with anything we talk about here.
My little brother is a kaffir. He makes mistakes. He does things he shouldn't all the time just like any of us. And he gets advice about what he should do. The man he should try to be and what he needs to do to take those steps to grow into a mature, responsible young man. But I would not dare tell him that he is stupid and dumb for doing what he's doing, that he will never amount to anything, or call him hopeless, while someone else is kicking him while he's down. You just don't treat your family that way.
Holier than thou is Christian rhetoric and I don't know any Muslim on this forum or offline who believe themselves to be holy or sinless, astaghfirullah. But Allah does tell us in the Quran:
"And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided. And remember the favor of Allah upon you - when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His favor, brothers. And you were on the edge of a pit of the Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus does Allah make clear to you His verses that you may be guided."
"And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful."
"You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah ."
Yes. There are some Muslims who are not enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, but it doesn't mean you shouldn't offer support, encouragement and resources to help Muslims mend their ways. And until they do perhaps there won't be any prosperity for a little while. But with hardship there is ease. Support and encouragement to do better is what is needed. That is what I see all around me. At every khutbah. At every Muslim convention. At every halaqa. Always about how Muslims need to improve their conduct and do better and worship Allah in the correct way. The elephant is being addressed all around you. The call isn't being answered maybe as quickly as we'd like but the alarm is still blaring. Maybe it's time you step off the internet for a little bit, step back into the real world, and take a picture.
