Do you personally know a Muslim IRL?

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

I'm curious, have you actually met and know any Muslims? If so did it change your perception of Muslims?

[Mike Thick]

Southern CA isn't exactly the center of the Muslim world, but I run into some from time to time. I have never held a negative perception of Muslims.

However (fun story time :-D) I once stayed in a hotel at the same time that there was a major meeting of foreigners that were 99% Muslim. It was kind of a bizarre experience because, again I rarely meet Muslims, but most of them were nice and spoke English well.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I live in Minneapolis.

Take a wild guess.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

Sadly, no.

[Zioneer]

Let me put it this way: I live so far in suburban Utah that I've met maybe one or two Catholics.

Though now that I think about it, in my work at a thrift store I actually have met a Bosnian Muslim, and several Muslim immigrant customers from all over, though the latter briefly enough that I voted "no" before remembering them.

I guess I've known or met more Muslims than Catholics.

[RFayette]

Yes, quite a few.

[justfollowingtheelections]

Do you people live in a cave?  I have met so many Muslims in my life.  I had classmates in college from Iraq, Iran, Turkey and other countries, students from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, supervisors at work who were Muslims, social acquaintances  from Egypt, S. Arabia and other places, a tea shop barista who was covered from head to toe and was the coolest chick I have ever met and many, many others.

And, no none of them changed my opinion of Muslims because I never had a bad opinion of Muslims.

[Zioneer]

Do you people live in a cave?  I have met so many Muslims in my life.  I had classmates in college from Iraq, Iran, Turkey and other countries, students from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, supervisors at work who were Muslims, social acquaintances  from Egypt, S. Arabia and other places, a tea shop barista who was covered from head to toe and was the coolest chick I have ever met and many, many others.

And, no none of them changed my opinion of Muslims because I never had a bad opinion of Muslims.

Yeah, I live in Utah of all places and have met Muslims. What's everyone else's excuse?

[Middle-aged Europe]

Met? Of course.

Had a media studies professor from Afghanistan back at the university.

When I was an intern at the German Institute for Human Rights one of the other interns was a Palestinian girl who grew up as a refugee in (West) Berlin. According to her Facebook posts, she now works for the Red Cross in Damascus. Despite this she seems to have kept her hilarious sense of humour.

Last year we had a Muslim apprentice, son of refugees from Bosnia who managed to receive his German citizenship during the apprenticeship. Also a huge fan of American basketball.


Change perception? In what way? That they're all women-beating suicide bombers?

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Yes (normal, Muslim)

[Tender Branson]

Sure.

A) I went to school with several Turks and Bosnians (=Muslims). One of them was also one of my best friends at that time, but he later moved to Vienna.

B) Zell am See is a HUUUUUGE magnet for Arab tourists each summer. There are now about 500.000 visits each year and the streets are clogged with Muslim Arabs all the time.



http://edgardaily.com/en/travel/2015/zell-am-see-why-are-gcc-residents-flocking-to-the-salzburg-hotspot-28001

[DavidB.]

Yes, my neighborhood is like 30-40% Muslim, some of them really orthodox, walking around in djellabas. At my gym, like 75% are Muslim guys my age. Generally nice people.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Yes, hundreds (Normal Yankee)

[ingemann]

Yes I work with several, and none of those have lowered my opinion of Muslims as a group.

Of course as a rule I don't base my opinions about group on single individuals, because some people are just assholes, but at the same time I sometimes make a exceptiona. I have studied with Muslims, where I blamed the fact they was awful people on their religion and culture, some of them would likely have been awful people anyway, but they would have been awful in different ways (there's a cultural significant difference when you listen to a American misogynist, a Danish misogynist and a Turkish misogynist). As for how many Muslims I have interacted with all in all, well my guess are in the thousands, I live in a area where 10-20% of the population are Muslim.

[All Along The Watchtower]

Yes, a friend of mine who is of Palestinian and Syrian descent. Great guy.

Also, there were definitely a few in my classes in college.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Funnily I might know more Muslims than Catholics. The only Catholics I know are the family members from that side of my family who are still Catholic (<50% of them.)

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

Several actually. On one of my Chicago trips actually helped an Assyrian Christian family baby sit for one family. Went to school (yes at my high school in Indiana we had Muslims) with a few. The Iranian one and I sadly didn't get along(not for religious reasons surprisingly) but the brother/sister (didn't know where they were from) were easier to talk to.

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Doesn't Minnesota have a fair amount of Catholics? I know Lutheranism is larger, but still.

No. All Minnesota Catholics have abandoned the religion. No hyperbole.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Doesn't Minnesota have a fair amount of Catholics? I know Lutheranism is larger, but still.

Actually Catholicism is the largest single denomination in Minnesota, even larger than Lutheranism. However I live in south Minneapolis. Catholics in this area consist of: about 50% of the Hispanics, Vietnamese, olds who live in houses they inherited or paid off a long time ago, or even older olds who live in retirement homes. Sure I know plenty of people who were raised Catholic, but people who still are? Nope.

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

Yes, quite a few.

[Bismarck]

I know a student who is from Kuwait. He obviously can't vote here but he told me he was a Jeb Bush supporter. He is very wealthy and grew up in a largely westernized home from what I understand. Aside from not eating pork, I haven't seen him observe and tenets of the Muslim faith.

[Thunderbird is the word]

Yes several, and several other's who came from a Muslim background but were non-practicing.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I'm curious, have you actually met and know any Muslims? If so did it change your perception of Muslims?

Who the hell has never met a Muslim? I even dated a non-practicing.

[Grand Wizard Lizard of the Klan]

I don't. I know one guy from Azerbaijan but he is atheist although raised in Shia family. Also there are a lot of Erasmus students from Turkey but I don't talk with them. Also few times I saw Muslims selling kebap but I don't know them irl.

[anvi]

Many.