Media makes terrorists, not Religion

[Masoom]

Recently the police folded a plot to kill a Muslim Soldier, the way the media explained the whole situation is just giving ideas to people that probably never thought of it, like a local news paper gave detailed explanations, they were going to kidnap him (soldier) and make him plea to Mr. Blair etc.

Killing an infidel makes you a martyr is something I only heard media reporting and never at home and my family is religious but my Parents always teach me to be nice to people and never do something that Allah forbids and that includes being rude to people regardless of faith or culture, and committing suicide is haram etc.

Only place I ever heard that committing suicide makes you a martyr and I know this is not true but many family that don't teach anything about religion but just tell their kids your a Muslim, will surly pick these silly ideas and might even one day just do that, as no one know when someone becomes religious and will do anything to make their god happy and sometime even without knowing what the truth is.

My point is that we blame Osama for spreading terrorism, when the main enemy is the media?

[GotheriK]

Quote by: Masoom My point is that we blame Osama for spreading terrorism, when the main enemy is the media?

Not really.

Are you saying that you refuse to believe there are religious fanatics because you're Muslim? I was brought up Christian, are you saying I should now just say that the Abortion bombings are a media-devised conspiracy?

[Jack]

Blaming the media is convenient, but we're all aware of real people who blow up other real people and the groups that claim credit do so in the name of Allah. I find that hard to spin into a non-religious activity or to blame the media for reporting it.

[nilan3000]

Quote by: Masoom My point is that we blame Osama for spreading terrorism, when the main enemy is the media?

I was agreeing with you, till I came to this final lane. Here I choose to part ways. The media does blow things out of proportion but accusing them of being the main enemy is ridiculous.

The media does not head Al-Queda, Osama does.

And while we talk about terrorism, Osama is in reaity just small fry. The real terrorists are those that have been fighting and creating havoc within their country for decades now (see sri lanka, algeria etc). But the world seems to think that Osama is the world's no.1 terrorist simply because he is at loggerheads with America. Admittedly, he is the most famous, but as far as power and fear go, there are bigger fish in the ocean (the LTTE for example) who have nothing to do with Islam, its just that we dont hear about them often. Now THAT is a terrorist!

[Jack]

Admittedly, he is the most famous, but as far as power and fear go, there are bigger fish in the ocean (the LTTE for example) who have nothing to do with Islam, its just that we dont hear about them often.

True, and I appreciate the correction. Terrorism is hardly restricted to the religious.

[Gods_Mercenary]

I would like to point out, though, that just because you and your parents are nice doesn't mean all muslims are good people. I grew up christian andwould like to think I'm an O.K. guy, but that doesn't excuse christianity from the inquisition and the crusades.

[Masoom]

I think most people misunderstood me. I admit Terrorists are a big problem but we would never hear of them and many young people today hate another human is because of the media, like the guys who was going to kidnap and kill this soldier in Iraqi style (as media describes) where did they get this idea from? The media don't have to give such detailed information. Like many media reports today portray that the war against terrorism is actually a war on Islam.

Like if terrorist were killed for killing innocent people, I as a Muslim have no duty to defend them, but if the war actually was declared against Islam then I do have such duty, now I know the difference between war on terrorism and Religion but many people out there don't because they will see it the way the media is showing them and that is "War against Islam".

[Zhavric]

I don't like the reasoning that violent video games make kids violent. I don't see this as being much different. Even if the media is portraying terrorism, people are not obligated to perform acts of violence.

[grandpa]

Extremist Muslims exist. We shouldn't blame news channels for that.

Grandpa h.

[Jack]

The media don't have to give such detailed information.

Yet people also complain when the media fails to fully inform us about events. Is full disclosure the best way to report, or is withholding information acceptable? Who decides what information gets held back? Is there an objective standard that could be set for the withholding of information? Are we really better served by not being informed?

[phoenix_fire]

There's something fundamentally wrong with the premise of this thread: whose media generates terrorists?

[nilan3000]

Quote by: Masoom I think most people misunderstood me. I admit Terrorists are a big problem but we would never hear of them and many young people today hate another human is because of the media, like the guys who was going to kidnap and kill this soldier in Iraqi style (as media describes) where did they get this idea from? The media don't have to give such detailed information. Like many media reports today portray that the war against terrorism is actually a war on Islam. Like if terrorist were killed for killing innocent people, I as a Muslim have no duty to defend them, but if the war actually was declared against Islam then I do have such duty, now I know the difference between war on terrorism and Religion but many people out there don't because they will see it the way the media is showing them and that is "War against Islam".

But the fact still remains that the media is only reporting things based on what happens. What they say may not be accurate and they may care about the ratings more than they do about the truth but they still cant make something up from nowhere. Muslim terrorists are muslims regardless of whether the media says so or not. Terrorism is a majoe threat in the middle east regardless of whether it is reported or not.

And it wasnt the media who ceated terrorism, it was the terrorists themselves. The media hype it up yes, but that is something you have to expect in any form of mass communicator. If we feel that the issue is 'war on islam' rather than 'war on terror', is it really fair for us to blame the media when the muslim terrorists are in fact muslims? Dont you feel people would notice these things regardless of whether they are stated by the media or not?

Actually, in this day and age, the Media is the Messiah (with apologies to McLuhan), and that's the nub of this discussion.


Regards
S

[rez]

Quote by: phoenix_fire There's something fundamentally wrong with the premise of this thread: whose media generates terrorists?

The Jewish media, duh!

[Jack]

I'll agree with the OP when I see Dan Rather strap on a bomb vest and blow up the NBC HQ.

[phoenix_fire]

Quote by: rez The Jewish media, duh!

And..um...how do Middle Eastern fundies have access to "the Jewish media"? I was under the impression that the terrorist sleeper cells in this country were already pretty convinced they wanted to blow themselves up long before they were exposed to our media.