Re: Why do people hate islam?

People hate Islam because they think all islamists are extreme and violent.

What percentage believe that anyone who converts from Islam to another religion should be killed? It's honestly hard to imagine something more extreme or violent than that.

I just moved back to America after nearly 10 years in Saudi. Even in liberally minded areas like Egypt, up to 70% of the people feel that apostasy should be punishable by death. The Wahabbis...and more specifically the Salafis....of Saudi (where 17 hijackers came from) ... put the 'fun' in 'fundamentalism'....ok, well, maybe just the mental.

There are two groups in the West who don't like islam....red-neck, hill-billy, knuckle-dragging, uneducated morons....and people who know exactly what they're talking about.

In no way should islam be looked at as "just another religion" until it has gone through it's own Reformation.

-Robert Harpool

So if I was in Saudi, and I went around claiming that Mohammed didn't split the moon in half, what would they do?

This State Department report is sobering:
http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/208622.pdf

Two things to keep in mind. First, Saudi Arabia is a US ally and the State Department would like to retain the ability to persuade, so this probably understates the problem. Second, Saudi Arabia is concerned about their public relations, so they tend to be better about cases that get publicity. So you'll hear about people eventually being released or having their sentences commuted after International outcry, but the cases that didn't get attention are almost certainly much worse.

There have been no reports of executions for blasphemy or apostasy in Saudi Arabia for about 20 years. Yet they still teach their children than death is the appropriate punishment for sorcery or apostasy.