Re: Living in USA
psyah, I will have to disagree with you here. I have lived almost half of my life here and on the contrary, I have to admit that I have actually started thinking more critically than ever.
I have actually found this land to be more of a strainer where I have witnessed people oscilating from one extreme of faith to another. I have seen how nifaq comes right out of the people who otherwise were extremely religious back home and never missed any prayer; and how they changed their path towards destruction. Some of them even went to commit henious crimes such as drinking and fornication.
On the other hand, it had made people more closer to the religion too. Some people realized that their is no safety for them but to stick to the Religion.
Problems with Muslims is that we are people who acts by our emotions rather than the teachings of the Prophet (SAW).
The day Muslims will learn to "Rally" instead of "protest", the reaction against their dislike will change too :)
Peace Jinx
I understand that there are exceptions ... I know you to be among them ... Alhumdulillah, but the response that you have given is not addressing the point that I was trying to make. The point I am making is that of American media and news, the film industry is Dajjalic in its approach - They have taken ideas directly from books such as Animal Farm and Brave New World and are implementing it on a global scale.
There are systematic methods being employed to ensure society graze like cattle - kept happy and productive and to have fights with one another - sports as well ... these keep society from asking the government difficult questions.
Education - dumbing down - there are lots of criticisms regarding this
Nationalism - people are taught to love flag with emotional attachment
Films - Americans always win or are the heroes.
Freedom - given to the public within a given framework
Fear - Enough conspiracies are released to keep the people cautious of the administration
Faith is not what they control ... they allow it fester in two main forms - radical right or ultra left ... this ensures the infighting and alienating of one another.
It is not that everyone falls in to this but the majority are ... I'm talking about their own people ... not just the minorities. People are generally unable to work out what is hypocritical about the US policies within the US ... Few try to make a stand ... Look at the slogan: You are either with us or with the terrorists ... This is a fallacy ... There is always another option. It is possible to be with neither ... Few raise this point ...
Otherwise, there are ongoing East Coast and West Coast issues, when really the main issue is unfair treatment of both by the government ... And the list goes on ...