and then when some ignorant person comes along and wants to disrespect it publically you expect us to just say oh he is just a uneducated man. Another little thing that you might think of as one of the complaints is the south park episode about Muhammad peace be upon him. the prophet of Islam Muhammad is the role model that everyone aspires to be one day and if you ask any Muslim about how big of a deal are the teachings of the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) I think you will understand why people got offended. Going back to the Aladdin intro clip, as subtle as we think it is I have met people that actually said to me word for word when i asked them what do you know about the middleast “i just think it’s like Aladdin". Now if people think that that’s not an influence I don’t know what is.

Okay, now as subtle as the part in the opening song was I do feel that it does influence people to feel (children specifically) some kind of way about Arabs. Now I don’t think a child will hear and say that this was 1500 years ago and it’s not like that anymore. When we were children we believed so many things that we see on cartoons and Disney movies. Now going about the no reason to complain, I understand that you think that Arabs are too touchy about these kinds of things. But after the attacks that we have received not only from prejudice people but also from the media about our beliefs and the way that we feel about them, wouldn’t you think that that’s a natural reaction. if the Quran burning was one of the complaints then you have to understand that when you live your whole life learning from and reading the Quran, when you have a month in your religion that tells you to worship and read the Quran most of your time,

I do not see any reason why any person can specify that a male or a female doctor see them. the reason for Muslim women to ask for a doctor is that they might feel more comfortable talking abut their problem. I do not think that in any part of Islamic religion prohibits seeking treatment from a different gender. the only thing that I can recall is that it was better to be seen by the same gender. its a matter of comfort more than anything else. some people may want a same gender doctor to talk about problems that they would feel more comfortable talking to them about. I also agree that the freedom to choose the gender of your doctor is limited. it would be unfair to others if you held people back for your comfort unless you are at a private hospital of course. Another thing I wanted to touch upon is that I don't think that this is one of the big issues that Muslim women face or even have a problem with, to some people this might be seen as a religion issue when its really not.

Okay, this clip just shows us how ignorant and uneducated this man is. it just shows how much he does not understand or know anything about religion. Do you really think that those muslims in the UK have been forced to be muslim, or was it their choice. and shouldn't a the muslim population in the UK have the right to practice their religion. What he suggesting here is that the muslim religion is forced upon people and it is corrupt. Also when he says that he is alarmed about how rapidly islam is increasing is he suggesting that it should be stopped. and that just shows that he does not separate between religion and people. he is overlooking all of the white power crimes and KKK crimes and just looking at islam. Also he has a really bad perception about the united state even though he is american. he is suggesting that the freedom of religion should be controlled which makes it not so free. I found this video offensive not only to me as a muslim but to everyone who believes in equal civil rights and the freedom of religon in the U.S. to top it all what started the conversation was that the name muhammed was the most used name in the UK. so all of this didn't come from him because he just read about but rather that he had stereotypes even before he new that fact. Which makes me wonder how much has he really read or learned about muslims or how many people does he know who are muslims. if more people like him pop up some people will start actually getting scared of muslims and all of that is because he who represents a part of the media will give them ideas and facts that will be portrayed on to them and then they will take it as fact.

This story was about putting the phrase " put your self in their shoes " into action. what Cassidy Herrington did was something that not many people are able to do. The experience and the perspective that she came out of this experiment is amazing. this article has put light to the fact no matter how people accept person a piece of cloth can change that so radically and make someone who has known you for so long throw that out of the window and base it on a stereotype. and this shows that a lot of people who make stereotype do not understand the culture that that person is from. it is safer for some one to accept the stereotype than actually getting to know the culture. and in my opinion the experiment that this article talks about shows clearly that when we actually have the courage and get out of our " laps" we will actually be able to understand better. not necessarily in the way Cassidy Herrington did it but in other small forms of our interactions. Another thing that is mentioned in the article was the support that shown to her from the Muslim community around her which shows that Muslims really needed someone to be able to understand and share that with the community around them. and I think that if more and more people were able to have the courage there would be much more needed understanding of each other.

This clip might have been the best clip yet to talk about dealing with islamophobia. Thank you Rev. Deborah C. Lindsay for one of the most mind opening talk about Islam and how it relates to the world. I have been trying to explain how we are so much alike in faith for so long but this is actually the first time I hear it in words. The fear of Islam or Muslims comes from not knowing what Islam is or what it stands for. the world islam has been moved from referring to a religion, a faith, to being a group of people who are set to cause unrest and fear in the world. and that comes from what we see in the media outlets, from the extremests, and from the fear of the unknown. but if we can understand that Islam means nothing without the other religions of the book like Judaism and Christianity. if people could understand what Rev. Lindsay was saying I cannot even begin to imagine how this would change the way Muslims are viewed in the US. Understanding that Islam is a faith that derived a lot of its teachings from Christianity and Judaism, that we as Muslims have been taught in our religion to be peaceful and kind to others, and to respect and help them. the three ways that were referred to in the clip as how to deal with islamophobia are in my opinion very effective. and if every american could take it upon them selves to understand what it is about and how people who practice it live their lives it would turn from not knowing to knowing which at that point we will be able to reach a better understanding of each other. because I think people who hold prejudices and stereotypes about Muslims are not doing that out of anything but ignorance. when you don't know something you can shape anyway you like no matter if its right or not. and that is what i think personally is the way that we as a nation can treat this and go forward.

Wow, Sam Richards this was amazing. I have attended this lecture in my soc class but its has been brought to perfection. this experiment has accurately imaged how the normal Iraqi would feel and how the they interpreted all of the american media and internet sources. if everyone could just put themselves in the shoes of the other we could reach a better understanding about almost everything that makes us human. When we put our selves in the hoes of our so called enemies we realize that they are not just random names and numbers. but rather that they are a part of their society and culture that they are doing this not because of personal causes but mostly to the good of everyone else or so they think. Its also the same for us but would they be willing to step in our shoes?. thats what I think really matters. If a way is there that doesn't mean everyone will take it or at least understand what it is about. I guess I am trying to think how could we use this for a better understanding. I think I'm asking too much if everyone could understand this and we could all come to peace and understanding with each other. if we all just just tried to live and prosper with one another not build on the body of the other. as much as this experiment bring light and understanding into the whole global conflict. it saddens me because I feel that it is nearly impossible to accomplish. but nonetheless understanding will be gateway of peace and a better world.

I loved this part of the conversation because it really shows how different our cultures are, especially in determining personal space. From my previous experiences i understand exactly whats going on. well the whole thing starts with that in the middle east the ways of communication are more nonverbal than verbal communication. when you see middle easterners hanging out at a restaurant you can hear them from two blocks away. because the tone of the voice the speaker speaks with communicates so much about he feels and realy thinks about the subject. In Saudi Arabia for example the closer you are either man or women the smaller the personal space between them. you might see two straight males holding hands on the street talking, and that would infer that what they are talking about is probably something personal. or if they were talking really close to each other I would infer the same thing. That is a part of the norms of the culture and the reason why I think that is, is since Homosexuality is banned by law in most middle eastern countries it sort of became out of the question for two males to be homosexual, and that made holding hands one of the things that communicate personal relationship. The Arab culture focuses a lot on personal relationships and how the should happen, and thats why I think that Arab men in general are more willing to make personal deep relationships with other males than Americans are because in the states there is a chance that might be looked upon as a homosexual behavior.

when talking about the double standard or the differences between men and women in the middle east we just cannot compare whats going on in the states to the middle east in any way shape or form. The norm in the states is not the norm in the middle east. the way the culture interacts with individuals is different. I know that sometimes women are judged more heavily than men and i believe that's not right but its only because they are the focus of society. we have been taught since our childhood that women are the building block of society. it is stated many time in the Quran that women are to be treated with the highest respect. they are to be cared for. in marriage women are not expected to spend a single penny on their households. Now since this is all part of the Islamic religion which governs our day to day life in other words our culture. Thats why comparing different cultures is almost impossible. when we say freedom thats not necessarily talking about the same thing. going back to the video i know that women are judged more than men but not to the extent stated in the video. Dating as far as I know is not allowed in Islam because its is thought to be the road sin. so if my family is even suspicious of me going out with girls not even sleeping with them just going out with them on a date. I would be looked upon very badly and if the word spreads to th outside I might have a hard time getting married. but the thought that wouldn't do anything is very very unlikely.

This clip might come to some people as a bit harsh but that's actually the view on homosexuality. People in the middleast specifically in the gulf area have religion involved in their culture so much that some the new cultural changes are basically religion. so when you say that some families in the middleast are willing to accept homosexuality that just sounds unreal. it goes against everything in their beliefs there culture. the issue of homosexuality is clear cut in religion thus its also clear cut in law. where most laws in the middleast have to be approved by religion first. And lets assume that a family accepts that there son is a homosexual. His family or tribe will reject him and his family people will keep on going to his parents and tell them the behavior is un acceptable and it must change. Being a social out cats is the least of it. I know that not a lot of people agree with me but thats the actually view. In the Islamic religion it is considered as one of the biggest sins and I agree with that. It is not why both men and women were created. I have no hatred against homosexuals but I refuse to believe that it is normal. I might have skewed of topic but I believe in what my religion and culture have taught. I might not agree with some cultural things, but homosexuality is forbidden in religion.