Practicing or Appearing?

[Guac]

Re: Practicing or Appearing?

@X2

plenty of those around too, go to an event and have conversations with ppl
what we think and know as qualities of a muslim are weak or missing, empathy, love, care, a real sense of justice,
too many are way too political and divisive, khutbas at many mosques in Pakistan will show u that
the approach and bullheadedness of dinosaurs runnung groups like ISNA and ICNA will show u that
look at how conservative and puritanical some of the boards of local masjid are.
as we say they take fun out of functions..

the character of a muslim is not some too serious, tied to cultural traditions guy, without a sense of humour, who instead of reaching out to people is divisive and thinks less of ppl who are not his community, sect, ethnicity etc etc.

I know what u mean too, so dont think I am discounting it..just giving u some food for thought

OK I do get what you are trying to say…and I guess I would agree to an extent.

I guess it all depends on your experience with or perception of the ‘appearing Muslims’ around you. While there may be a few people I know who do act like that…the majority of people I know (for example sake let’s say-people with beards) do not act that way.

Then again I admit I’m biased. I happen to have a very close relationship with a bearded man who also loves to wear his shalwar above his ankles…and while he might be conservative in his views I see all of the qualities of a Muslim that you mentioned in him: empathy, love, care, justice, etc.

I just think the whole generalizing thing goes both ways. I know people do not think* every* ‘bearded man’ is traditional/strict/serious/not-a-real-practicing-Muslim but it just seems to me the most people seem to think most bearded men are that way…which is what surprises me. (I’m not talking bearded men you hear/see on TV or through the media that declare new random fatwas every minute).

Apologies to posters and OP in advance, didn’t mean to dereail the thread.