Dan's Essential Question Response

Dan E.
January 7, 2007
Junior Urban Adventure

Since the events of Sep. 11, 2001, even more tension than that which was already present developed between many Muslims and the USA which leads to the question, are all Muslims taught to hate western culture and more specifically the USA, or is this radical Muslims trying to speak for all of their religion?


From my shortened experience in Boston with the Junior Urban Adventure group, “Why do they hate us,” I gathered research which led to my answer of the essential question above.

I do not believe all Muslims are taught to hate the USA. Many Muslims, especially younger ones, fall into the trap of radicalism. They see how they can do something great for their faith, even if it is through blowing themselves up. They are convinced of the Western culture being filled with infidels, and we are just people who need to be cleansed. This is a very small percentage of all Muslims around the globe, but a group who carry so much political and military power, they can wreak havoc anywhere. We saw this firsthand with the collapse of the Twin Towers, the burning of the Pentagon, and Flight 93’s crash in Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001. These actions were done in the name of Allah by radicals. Many Muslims around the world and especially in the USA condemned the men who took part in it and their leaders, but this led to the widespread stereotype that all Muslims are violent people who hate our Western culture. Through speaking with American-Muslims, I find this stereotype to be completely false. Many people around the world have nothing to base their accusations against Islam on except the actions of terrorists. I see how ridiculous that is after talking to Muslims who condemn Islamic terrorists. I was told by an American-Muslim, “I cannot say those men are not Muslim, but I may say their actions are not Muslim actions.” The radical Muslims are the ones who are focused on, because they are committing the actions, which leave moderates unable to communicate their thoughts on the subjects. The reason for the tension between the USA or western cultures and Islam is because of the completely different cultures both groups have. Here in the USA, people drink and don’t dress modestly for two examples. In Islamic cultures, there is no drinking, they must dress modestly and just those two small things can cause some Muslims to dislike or hate our culture.

Given all of the research I have done and the people I spoken to, I believe it is absolutely unfair and irresponsible to say Islam hates western culture. There are small groups of people who are Islam that hate western culture, but these are radicals taking up the attention of our media and attempting to speak for their whole religion and that is why is may seem to some people that Islam hates the USA and western culture.