Did you know that SO from the Middle East

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Peezy, challenging is not what often happens here. True challenging is done as a means to educate, not to humiliate. What happens here, more often than not, is blood sport, piling on, trading insult for insult, and it's a real turn off. It educates no one.

Ah, yes. You're turning a new leaf then? Who is humilated, exactly? I do see you continuing peripheral arguments like this that portend to make nice but really are jabs at people you don't agree with. Your perpetual use of hyperbole to describe an internet forum continues: "blood sport"? I don't even know how to make a fist let alone make someone bleed, so let's leave the dramatic statements home today.

All you've done is insult, which is to be expected from you. There is nothing new in that post that engages thought or reason. Can you do better? That remains to be seen.

[doodlebug 3]

What the heck is the problem with saying muslims are brothers and sisters? Are those of you against that terminology even muslim in the first place????

I am a member of three Islamic message boards and it is customary to address each post with "assalam alaykum sister" or "assalam alaykum brother"

My muslim friends that I correspond with via email here in Boston address the emails "assalam alaykum sister bridget".

I'm not sure I'm getting the extreme reaction to her saying that and I think the harshness is really ridiculous. I'd actually love to see a debate here with people acting nicely towards each other but I guess that thought is gone out the window. Good luck you guys!!!

[Jenn! 918]

What the heck is the problem with saying muslims are brothers and sisters? Are those of you against that terminology even muslim in the first place????

I am a member of three Islamic message boards and it is customary to address each post with "assalam alaykum sister" or "assalam alaykum brother"

My muslim friends that I correspond with via email here in Boston address the emails "assalam alaykum sister bridget".

The objection was to referring to "Muslim" terrorists as brothers and sisters. My husband does not even consider terrorists to be Muslims. So why would he refer to them as his brothers and sisters?

[peezey 0]

What the heck is the problem with saying muslims are brothers and sisters? Are those of you against that terminology even muslim in the first place????

I am a member of three Islamic message boards and it is customary to address each post with "assalam alaykum sister" or "assalam alaykum brother"

My muslim friends that I correspond with via email here in Boston address the emails "assalam alaykum sister bridget".

The objection was to referring to "Muslim" terrorists as brothers and sisters. My husband does not even consider terrorists to be Muslims. So why would he refer to them as his brothers and sisters?

Exactly. Mine is the same.

[doodlebug 3]

What the heck is the problem with saying muslims are brothers and sisters? Are those of you against that terminology even muslim in the first place????

I am a member of three Islamic message boards and it is customary to address each post with "assalam alaykum sister" or "assalam alaykum brother"

My muslim friends that I correspond with via email here in Boston address the emails "assalam alaykum sister bridget".

The objection was to referring to "Muslim" terrorists as brothers and sisters. My husband does not even consider terrorists to be Muslims. So why would he refer to them as his brothers and sisters?

"muslims who speak out against some of the atrocities their fellow brothers and sisters are doing! "

Although the brothers and sisters who are committing atrocities are terrorists, they are also muslim. If my sister in my biological family committs a crime is she all of a sudden not my sister?

I think you all are picking her apart and I totally understand why she's done with this thread.

[Bosco 1]

What the heck is the problem with saying muslims are brothers and sisters? Are those of you against that terminology even muslim in the first place????

I am a member of three Islamic message boards and it is customary to address each post with "assalam alaykum sister" or "assalam alaykum brother"

My muslim friends that I correspond with via email here in Boston address the emails "assalam alaykum sister bridget".

The objection was to referring to "Muslim" terrorists as brothers and sisters. My husband does not even consider terrorists to be Muslims. So why would he refer to them as his brothers and sisters?

"muslims who speak out against some of the atrocities their fellow brothers and sisters are doing! "

Although the brothers and sisters who are committing atrocities are terrorists, they are also muslim. If my sister in my biological family committs a crime is she all of a sudden not my sister?

ETA: My brother/sister denotes respect, fellowship, etc. I don't feel any of that with a terrorist.

I think you all are picking her apart and I totally understand why she's done with this thread.

I think you just see this different. If I was to meet one of the Muslim women from this board, I may refer to her as my sister; however, if I was to some how run into Osama Bin Laden, I NO WAY IN HELL would greet him my brother.

Edited February 16, 2007 by Bosco

[doodlebug 3]

What the heck is the problem with saying muslims are brothers and sisters? Are those of you against that terminology even muslim in the first place????

I am a member of three Islamic message boards and it is customary to address each post with "assalam alaykum sister" or "assalam alaykum brother"

My muslim friends that I correspond with via email here in Boston address the emails "assalam alaykum sister bridget".

The objection was to referring to "Muslim" terrorists as brothers and sisters. My husband does not even consider terrorists to be Muslims. So why would he refer to them as his brothers and sisters?

Exactly. Mine is the same.

Well I guess if we're going by the opinions of our spouses, mine actually does consider them to be muslim, because they are muslim!!! Sure he thinks they are misguided and wrong, but they still believe there is only one God and that Mohammed, pbuh, is his messenger.

What exactly is the reason behind your spouses saying that some like Usama bin Laden is not a muslim?

[peezey 0]

What the heck is the problem with saying muslims are brothers and sisters? Are those of you against that terminology even muslim in the first place????

I am a member of three Islamic message boards and it is customary to address each post with "assalam alaykum sister" or "assalam alaykum brother"

My muslim friends that I correspond with via email here in Boston address the emails "assalam alaykum sister bridget".

The objection was to referring to "Muslim" terrorists as brothers and sisters. My husband does not even consider terrorists to be Muslims. So why would he refer to them as his brothers and sisters?

"muslims who speak out against some of the atrocities their fellow brothers and sisters are doing! "

Although the brothers and sisters who are committing atrocities are terrorists, they are also muslim. If my sister in my biological family committs a crime is she all of a sudden not my sister?

I think you all are picking her apart and I totally understand why she's done with this thread.

I know many Muslims who take offense to this lumping together, Doodle. It's not picking apart. If you don't mind being lumped together, then fine. But Muslims I know do not make any claim to terrorists, those who falsely claim their actions are for God when such activities are clearly not.

How can someone ask why moderate Muslims do not stand together often enough against terrorism and at the same time lump all Muslims together? Which is it people want? Muslims to stand up against it or stand together with terrorists? Sounds like a no-win set up to me.

It's impossible to move through the prejudice to understanding if this kind of broad generalization continues.

[Ban Hammer 13,334]

What the heck is the problem with saying muslims are brothers and sisters? Are those of you against that terminology even muslim in the first place????

I am a member of three Islamic message boards and it is customary to address each post with "assalam alaykum sister" or "assalam alaykum brother"

My muslim friends that I correspond with via email here in Boston address the emails "assalam alaykum sister bridget".

The objection was to referring to "Muslim" terrorists as brothers and sisters. My husband does not even consider terrorists to be Muslims. So why would he refer to them as his brothers and sisters?

"muslims who speak out against some of the atrocities their fellow brothers and sisters are doing! "

Although the brothers and sisters who are committing atrocities are terrorists, they are also muslim. If my sister in my biological family committs a crime is she all of a sudden not my sister?

I think you all are picking her apart and I totally understand why she's done with this thread.

agreed

[Jenn! 918]

What the heck is the problem with saying muslims are brothers and sisters? Are those of you against that terminology even muslim in the first place????

I am a member of three Islamic message boards and it is customary to address each post with "assalam alaykum sister" or "assalam alaykum brother"

My muslim friends that I correspond with via email here in Boston address the emails "assalam alaykum sister bridget".

The objection was to referring to "Muslim" terrorists as brothers and sisters. My husband does not even consider terrorists to be Muslims. So why would he refer to them as his brothers and sisters?

"muslims who speak out against some of the atrocities their fellow brothers and sisters are doing! "

Although the brothers and sisters who are committing atrocities are terrorists, they are also muslim. If my sister in my biological family committs a crime is she all of a sudden not my sister?

I think you all are picking her apart and I totally understand why she's done with this thread.

Go ahead and call terrorists your brothers, that's your prerogative. All I was saying is that not everyone feels the way you do, and that's why there was an objection to using the term brother when talking about terrorists. I personally can understand why some Muslims would object to being addressed as though they have something in common with terrorists. JMHO.

[doodlebug 3]

For those of you against calling muslim terrorists sisters or brothers of other muslims, I'm just curious as to how you define the "umma".

[Together4ever 1]

What the heck is the problem with saying muslims are brothers and sisters? Are those of you against that terminology even muslim in the first place????

I am a member of three Islamic message boards and it is customary to address each post with "assalam alaykum sister" or "assalam alaykum brother"

My muslim friends that I correspond with via email here in Boston address the emails "assalam alaykum sister bridget".

The objection was to referring to "Muslim" terrorists as brothers and sisters. My husband does not even consider terrorists to be Muslims. So why would he refer to them as his brothers and sisters?

Exactly. Mine is the same.

Well I guess if we're going by the opinions of our spouses, mine actually does consider them to be muslim, because they are muslim!!! Sure he thinks they are misguided and wrong, but they still believe there is only one God and that Mohammed, pbuh, is his messenger.

What exactly is the reason behind your spouses saying that some like Usama bin Laden is not a muslim?

Because his actions are in contradiction to the teachings of Islam... or at least as interpreted by the majority which is where this all gets really dicey and its unlikely there will be an agreement.

[doodlebug 3]

Go ahead and call terrorists your brothers, that's your prerogative. All I was saying is that not everyone feels the way you do, and that's why there was an objection to using the term brother when talking about terrorists. I personally can understand why some Muslims would object to being addressed as though they have something in common with terrorists. JMHO.

That's not fair. I don't call all terrorists my brothers. I do call all muslim men and women my brothers and sisters though based on my perception of the Umma overall. I equate it with a biological family although the bond is much tighter since it's eternal in my opinion. I think I just don't put emotion with it because I know that even if my bio brother were a mass murderer there would be nothing I could do to disown him to the best of my ability since I wasn't the one who made him my brother in the first place.

And I don't attach a loving feeling with the term brother and sister either which may be the problem in this argument. Who knows. Like abdoujen said it's near impossible to debate this stuff over the net because a lot is lost in the process.

[Bosco 1]

To me, my brother/my sister indicates more than a shared religion, it is a term of respect/fellowship. I don't extend those feelings to terrorists.

[doodlebug 3]

Because his actions are in contradiction to the teachings of Islam... or at least as interpreted by the majority which is where this all gets really dicey and its unlikely there will be an agreement.

ok i see your point but a lot would say my lack of wearing the veil is in contradiction to the teachings of Islam. A lot say drinking is too. I don't think that automatically takes them out of the umma though do you?