Welcome to Gaia! ::

What is interesting to note, however, is how many people DO associate Islam with terrorism and think that Islam is fundamentally a violent religion. Islam actually affirms the same ten commandments that the Bible does and then some. What is important to keep in mind are other cultural contexts surrounding a religion rather than just pointing a finger solely at one causal factor.

There will always be people who affirm all sorts of views. But regardless of what they assert, I can see with my own eyes and from those who follow Islam who I've known personally, that Islam is not by nature a violent religion. Otherwise there wouldn't be so darned many peace-loving and peaceful followers of the religion out there who vehemently argue otherwise.

It might be more accurate to say that humanity as a whole has a streak that breeds violence, regardless of creed or culture. neutral

1)Im muslim, shi'i twelver, and it seems like im the only one here,lol,(though islam is just islam and stupid beliefs shoudnt get into the way). i want to become suffi, i just dont know how.
2)It also isnt our muslims fault what some unknowing, ignorant muslims do that make our religion look bad. I hate when people do bad things in the name of religion and making that religion, or religion itself, seem bad, when it isnt. The stuff that terrorists do really have nothing to do with religion and is known as a sin in Islam.
3)Jihad is more of a battle/struggle in ones inner self, more mental and spiritual than physical and it is wrong how terrorists portray what should be a peacefull dealing.
4) If you read Islamic history, you can find out that Islam today isnt what Islam trully should be and that Islam was more of a religion of thought an philosophy, this conservitive islamic view really started in th 19th and 20th centuries.

Im not muslim, but Ive been reading up on it, and I am currently reading the Qur'an that is in my schools library. Ive always been fascinated with the seperation of the three abrahamic religions, how close they seem, yet so far apart they actually are. It kinda pisses me off when in school people flame muslims, most know nothing about the religion itself.
The one thing that confuzes me is the sepperation between sunni and shi'ite. Correct me if Im wrong, but when I asked my world history teacher, she had said that shi'ites (I think) believe that they should only be ruled by the descendents of Muhammad. But to me that seems like it goes against one of major beliefs of Islam, its bascially Idolization.

I too am Muslim. I would be considered a Sunni (and most likely a follower of the Maliki school)

However, I dislike using any title other than "Muslim". According to a Muslims scholar I listened to, he says: "The Prophet Muħammad (PBAH) and his family and followers were not Sunni, Shi'a, Wahhābî, Mālikî, Ħanafi, Shāfi3î, Ħanbalî, Salafî, Sûfî... They were only Muslim."

I have been learning about Islam, and Sufism in particular.