Why do Atheists defend Islam?

[Dystopia]

By your post, I am remembered that today I learned that if you live in Dubai, even if you're a modern western moving there for a well paid job, you cannot legally live or have sex with your SO if you are not married, and you can be jailed for it - You can't even sleep in the same hotel, but I think most tourist hotels ignore this law. Also, being gay is illegal and there's signs telling people to dress modestly in a lot of places like malls.. Kinda weird, but interesting for a mere tourist visit I think.

[dyresand]

I don't defend any religion i sure as hell don't defend Islam.

[abaris]

That's like saying that there's a distinction between America and Americans.

You might want to rethink the last part of your post. On second thought, you might not, since it's not in your nature. Anyway, it's idiotic, but I'm not the least bit surprised of that cropping up in that kind of context.

As far as the quoted part of your post goes, I do make that distinction. Otherwise I would have hated the guts of America during the Bush years. But having quite a lot of American friends and being able to judge a person and not their origin or affiliation, I rather blame the Bush supporters and not the whole group or nation.

Which, as usual, probably goes over your head.

[Wyrd of Gawd]

Fuck Islam.  Fuck Allah.  Fuck Mohammed.

Does that make you feel better?

That's a whole lot of... :

[Catholic_Lady]

I don't know about Atheists defending Islam, but a lot of liberals sure seem to. I too have noticed the double standard with Christianity vs Islam in the American liberal mentality. Like, it's ok to bash Christians/Christianity but politically incorrect to do it to Muslims/Islam. Considering Islam is much more extreme and far right on social issues, I too don't understand why this is the case. The only thing I can think of is that us small minded Americans generally tend to think of Christians as white/European descent and Muslims as brown/Arabic. So it becomes a "minority" type thing.

[Cecelia]

I don't know about Atheists defending Islam, but a lot of liberals sure seem to. I too have noticed the double standard with Christianity vs Islam in the American liberal mentality. Like, it's ok to bash Christians/Christianity but politically incorrect to do it to Muslims/Islam. Considering Islam is much more extreme and far right on social issues, I too don't understand why this is the case. The only thing I can think of is that us small minded Americans generally tend to think of Christians as white/European descent and Muslims as brown/Arabic. So it becomes a "minority" type thing.

Their defense of Islam seems to be rooted in the inability of conservatives to separate radical Islam and the rest of Islam.  The inability to see that many many Muslims disapprove of the way Al Qaeda and ISIS are doing things.  Imagine if Christianity were blamed for the Planned Parenthood Attacks, and all Christians were treated as if they were violent.  Imagine if someone said that we shouldn't allow in any Christian Refugees because they might shoot up a planned parenthood clinic.

People mistake this for taking the side of Islam, as if there are only two sides and as if Islam and Christianity are at war with one another.  Liberals believe good Muslims and good Christians should be able to practice their religion (so long as it doesn't interfere with anyone else) however they like. 

Some of this seems to be projection.  You have many christians who praised the planned parenthood shooter and various other Christian extremist activities.  So they begin to feel the other side is sympathetic to the Islamic extremists because they're sympathetic to Christian ones.  And many others probably pick up on this, so even if they aren't sympathetic to the extremists, they side with the people who do and pick up on their feeling that liberals are pro-Islam and Anti-Christian.

[Mr.wizard]

I don't know about Atheists defending Islam, but a lot of liberals sure seem to. I too have noticed the double standard with Christianity vs Islam in the American liberal mentality. Like, it's ok to bash Christians/Christianity but politically incorrect to do it to Muslims/Islam. Considering Islam is much more extreme and far right on social issues, I too don't understand why this is the case. The only thing I can think of is that us small minded Americans generally tend to think of Christians as white/European descent and Muslims as brown/Arabic. So it becomes a "minority" type thing.

This is simply not true, what is the only thing we see on tv here in America about Islam? Muslims are always portrayed as terrorists and I think that is the misconception that most liberals object to. Just like Christianity, Islam is made up of many good men women and children who shouldn't have to bear the label of "terrorist".

[abaris]

I too have noticed the double standard with Christianity vs Islam in the American liberal mentality.

There's no double standard, at least for me and for everyone I take seriously. I don't defend any religion and I don't condemn people for their faith. For some it may come over as defending Islam, but that only points to their own weakness. They make no distinction between the religion, it's radicals and the people, who simply believe.

As shown by the OP. Islam, Islamist and muslim are the same for him. Equally despicable. And that's definetely a mindset I have a problem with because it's stupid, bigoted and potentially dangerous.

[Dystopia]

That's like saying that there's a distinction between America and Americans.

You might want to rethink the last part of your post. On second thought, you might not, since it's not in your nature. Anyway, it's idiotic, but I'm not the least bit surprised of that cropping up in that kind of context.

As far as the quoted part of your post goes, I do make that distinction. Otherwise I would have hated the guts of America during the Bush years. But having quite a lot of American friends and being able to judge a person and not their origin or affiliation, I rather blame the Bush supporters and not the whole group or nation.

Which, as usual, probably goes over your head.

Have you studied my genes to know my true nature? I don't hate America, but I will say this tough - If I ever said I hated America, I would gladly accept that Americans would react negatively to my opinion. There is an abstract distinction between a belief and its adherents, but in practice believers are merely incorporating and executing what belief and the ideas behind it are meant to be. Yes, there is an abstract distinction, but if you say you dislike Islam most Muslims will not like you and the same is true for any other religion - The comparison with bush is not accurate because I'm not talking about any person specifically, but whole groups of people Vs ideas.

[mralstoner]

Why is it that when one criticizes Islam, and criticizes the extremists of Islam and points to their religion as being, in part, responsible for such behavior, that it is Atheists who will come in rushing to defend the religion? ...

Inb4 you're a racist islamaphobe bigot, Islam isn't a race, it's an ideology.

That's probably the reason right there: Islam is an ideology, yet most people don't know that, they just see you being critical and they conclude that you must be a hater, a trouble maker, the problem not the solution.

Most people have no clue about the doctrine and history of Islam, and the barbaric example of Mohammed. It's beyond their comprehension that a religion could offer paradise for being killed/martyred while fighting to defend/expand the religion. All they see is you being "hateful".

And that gets to another deep reason why people defend Islam, because if we admit that Islam is not a religion of peace, then we have to admit that Muslim immigration is a catastrophic mistake, which brings the whole edifice of Western sanity crashing down. It reveals that the Western world, at its heart, is completely insane, and there's nobody in the driver's seat. Rather, we're driving headlong over a cliff. And that's just too crazy for people to contemplate.

That's part of the reason that Obama refuses to call terrorists Islamic, because it will logically put the spotlight on Muslim immigration. But Obama identifies with brown people and Muslims, and doesn't want to stop Muslim immigration, no matter what the cost to national security.