# Muslims defend Christians **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 21, 2015, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslims-defend-christians/741010 "2015-12-21T16:46:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2015, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslims-defend-christians/741010/1 "2015-12-21T16:46:12Z")
Do we really [need proof](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-35151967) that most Muslims are ordinary decent people? [ > [@BBC](#): > > A group of Kenyan Muslims travelling on a bus ambushed by Islamist gunmen protected Christian passengers by refusing to be split into groups, according to eyewitnesses. > They told the militants “to kill them together or leave them alone”, a local governor told Kenyan media. ]([Kenyan Muslims shield Christians in Mandera bus attack - BBC News](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-35151967)) ---
**Author:** ![Bibliovore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Bibliovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bibliovore)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2015, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslims-defend-christians/741010/2 "2015-12-21T16:52:14Z")
No, we don’t (or at least _shouldn’t_) need proof, but speaking as a Muslim, that’s great to see. Thanks for sharing it. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2015, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslims-defend-christians/741010/3 "2015-12-21T18:12:47Z")
Those aren’t ordinary people. They’re extraordinary people. That’s an awesome story. ---
**Author:** ![TwoCarrotSnowman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twocarrotsnowman/32/15879_2.png) [@TwoCarrotSnowman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwoCarrotSnowman)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2015, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslims-defend-christians/741010/4 "2015-12-22T18:10:59Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > Those aren’t ordinary people. They’re extraordinary people. That’s an awesome story. Times like this, we need an Anti-Pit forum. That’s extraordinary bravery in the face of terrorism. Meanwhile, in London, hundreds of Muslims protest against terrorism and [no-one notices](http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/muslim-anti-isis-march-not-covered-by-mainstream-media-outlets-say-organisers-a6765976.html). ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2015, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslims-defend-christians/741010/5 "2015-12-22T18:46:40Z")
> [@TwoCarrotSnowman](#): > > Meanwhile, in London, hundreds of Muslims protest against terrorism and [no-one notices](http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/muslim-anti-isis-march-not-covered-by-mainstream-media-outlets-say-organisers-a6765976.html). I don’t mean to dismiss the possibility of media bias, but there are other potential reasons for a lack of coverage. There’s a tweet cited in the article: [quote=] “Hundreds of Muslims flooded the streets of London yesterday to condemn terrorism. Media’s response: Silence.” [/quote] For one thing, [this gathering is an annual observance,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arba%27een) the oldest annual Muslim event in London according to the article. IOW, they didn’t gather to condemn terrorism, they gathered for a religious event, and the protest was an appendix to it. It’s not clear whether the organizers made an effort to alert the press that this year’s Arba’een gathering was going to include a protest; if the media was unaware that this was NOT just another religious gathering, that might account at least in part for the unsatisfactory level of coverage. And FWIW, in a city with about 1 million Muslims, an anti-terror protest garnering “hundreds” of attendees isn’t exactly an inspiring show of force. Given Islam’s public image problem, this event was a great opportunity to overwhelm the non-Islamic public with an absolutely _massive_ number of attendees protesting against terrorism; the fact that only hundreds participated in the protest is a sign of either poor organizing, or a genuine lack of support for their message among the wider Muslim population of London. Things look a little better when you realize that this was a _sunni_ Muslim event, and that the sunnis are only about 10-15% of the Muslim population, but even with that…hundreds? Out of 100,000-150,000? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2015, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslims-defend-christians/741010/6 "2015-12-22T18:51:17Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > Those aren’t ordinary people. They’re extraordinary people. That’s an awesome story. And this bus just happened to be the one packed with a bunch of extraordinary Muslims? I prefer to think that they were _ordinary_ Muslims, which actually makes this story more awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2015, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslims-defend-christians/741010/7 "2015-12-22T19:00:58Z")
The incident described in the OP is heartening. However, saying that “most” people in any particular group behave decently is besides the point, as that applies to virtually any group you could name.\* It’s how the rest of the group reacts to the sleazebags in its midst that counts. \*exceptions include lawyers and developers. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2015, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslims-defend-christians/741010/8 "2015-12-22T19:02:30Z")
It’s about time they started getting some positive press coverage. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2015, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/muslims-defend-christians/741010/9 "2015-12-22T19:10:46Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > The incident described in the OP is heartening. > > However, saying that “most” people in any particular group behave decently is besides the point, as that applies to virtually any group you could name.\* It’s how the rest of the group reacts to the sleazebags in its midst that counts. > > \*exceptions include lawyers and developers. Refusing (under threat of death) to abandon a group to slaughter like that is beyond decent; it is _extraordinary,_ for any group. Contrast that incident with [the École Polytechnique Massacre:](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89cole_Polytechnique_massacre) > [@Wikipedia](#): > > After approaching the student giving a presentation, he asked everyone to stop everything and ordered the women and men to opposite sides of the classroom. No one moved at first, believing it to be a joke until he fired a shot into the ceiling. > > Lépine then separated the nine women from the approximately fifty men and ordered the men to leave. > … > He then opened fire on the students from left to right, killing six, and wounding three others… For most individuals, a willingness to lay one’s life on the line is usually reserved for family members rather than total strangers.