# What is the first word that comes in your mind when hearing the word ISLAM? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 26, 2003, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-word-that-comes-in-your-mind-when-hearing-the-word-islam/191116 "2003-07-26T18:04:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![MmmDonut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@MmmDonut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MmmDonut)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-word-that-comes-in-your-mind-when-hearing-the-word-islam/191116/41 "2003-07-26T20:05:04Z")
“Christianity”, when I hear “Islam”… and vice versa. ---
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-word-that-comes-in-your-mind-when-hearing-the-word-islam/191116/42 "2003-07-26T20:08:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Aldebaran \* > \*\*Yes. Because they focus on the connotation that word has when it comes to defend the religion and the umma against agressors. > > Do you know other meanings of the word? \*\* [Definition…](http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?jihad) Main Entry: ji·had Pronunciation: ji-'häd, chiefly British -'had Function: noun Etymology: Arabic jihAd Date: 1869 1 : a holy war waged on behalf of Islam as a religious duty 2 : a crusade for a principle or belief I know the term Jihad wasn’t created with a negative connotation attached to it, but neither was [http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:-v5NjSdmq7QC:www.duke.edu/~bis/img/spam.gif](http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:-v5NjSdmq7QC:www.duke.edu/~bis/img/spam.gif) and look where they are now 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![GoHeels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b3f665/32.png) [@GoHeels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoHeels)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-word-that-comes-in-your-mind-when-hearing-the-word-islam/191116/43 "2003-07-26T20:08:29Z")
Aldebaran, I understand “holocaust” when hearing Jew, but could you elaborate on “mother” for Christian? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-word-that-comes-in-your-mind-when-hearing-the-word-islam/191116/44 "2003-07-26T20:09:27Z")
I supposed your not allowed to edit your posts here…hmm ---
**Author:** ![Aldebaran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Aldebaran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aldebaran)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-word-that-comes-in-your-mind-when-hearing-the-word-islam/191116/45 "2003-07-26T20:10:12Z")
Carnal K, Yest, the prayer issue seems to make an impression on non Muslims. And believe it or not, but I’m myself overwhelmed by this everytime I come back in my country or in an other Muslim nation, after being in a non Muslim one. Just the same when I come in a nation with churches all over the place, the sound of the church bells is striking every time again. These are definitely very different societies. But I think you need to travel and live between and in both of them to become that much aware of it as I am. ---
**Author:** ![TVAA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c57346/32.png) [@TVAA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVAA)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-word-that-comes-in-your-mind-when-hearing-the-word-islam/191116/46 "2003-07-26T20:11:55Z")
The first thing that goes through my mind is “aargh”. Closely followed by “sigh”. ---
**Author:** ![Aldebaran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Aldebaran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aldebaran)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-word-that-comes-in-your-mind-when-hearing-the-word-islam/191116/47 "2003-07-26T20:11:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GoHeels \* > \*\*Aldebaran, I understand “holocaust” when hearing Jew, but could you elaborate on “mother” for Christian? > > Thanks. \*\* My late mother was Catholic. All her relatives were/ are Catholic as well. ---
**Author:** ![Aldebaran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Aldebaran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aldebaran)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-word-that-comes-in-your-mind-when-hearing-the-word-islam/191116/48 "2003-07-26T20:14:41Z")
alterego, your source for that incomplete and not even correct definition must be a very very Western one :). Can you name it? ---
**Author:** ![Aldebaran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Aldebaran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aldebaran)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-word-that-comes-in-your-mind-when-hearing-the-word-islam/191116/49 "2003-07-26T20:16:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TVAA \* > \*\*The first thing that goes through my mind is “aargh”. > > Closely followed by “sigh”. \*\* Is that expressing anger, frustration or an other feeling? ---
**Author:** ![Aldebaran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Aldebaran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aldebaran)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-word-that-comes-in-your-mind-when-hearing-the-word-islam/191116/50 "2003-07-26T20:20:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MmmDonut \* > \*\*“Christianity”, when I hear “Islam”… and vice versa. \*\* This is interesting. Where does that come from? ---
**Author:** ![GoHeels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b3f665/32.png) [@GoHeels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GoHeels)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-word-that-comes-in-your-mind-when-hearing-the-word-islam/191116/51 "2003-07-26T20:20:44Z")
Appreciate your explanation, Aldebaran, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Aldebaran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Aldebaran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aldebaran)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-word-that-comes-in-your-mind-when-hearing-the-word-islam/191116/52 "2003-07-26T20:26:49Z")
Sorry alterego, you gave the link… Webster??? Wait…I’m taking a look in my Webster’s comprehensive dictionary… ---
**Author:** ![Aldebaran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Aldebaran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aldebaran)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-word-that-comes-in-your-mind-when-hearing-the-word-islam/191116/53 "2003-07-26T20:32:50Z")
Well that is also not a great help… Jihad 1. A religious war of Moslems against the enemies of their faith 2. Any war for a faith. For Webster that is very unsatisfying. A. throws 1900 + paged Wester through the window… hits one of the dogs who isn’t supposed to be where he is… dog mad…attacks A… Bye… ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-word-that-comes-in-your-mind-when-hearing-the-word-islam/191116/54 "2003-07-26T20:38:53Z")
The first word that comes into my head? Oppression. The first word that comes into my head when I hear Christian is hypocritical. The second is sanctimonious. Julie ---
**Author:** ![Aldebaran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Aldebaran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aldebaran)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-word-that-comes-in-your-mind-when-hearing-the-word-islam/191116/55 "2003-07-26T20:40:10Z")
Why oppression? ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-word-that-comes-in-your-mind-when-hearing-the-word-islam/191116/56 "2003-07-26T20:43:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Aldebaran \* > \*\*Why oppression? \*\* I have a Taliban-shaped impression of Islam imprinted on my brain. Women in burqas, unable to lead lives that even approached (my) normalcy. Throw in the extreme cases that seem to get reported about the Saudi laws and it all gets turned into “oppression” in my head. To compare, I put oppression about third on Christianity. Julie ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-word-that-comes-in-your-mind-when-hearing-the-word-islam/191116/57 "2003-07-26T20:48:26Z")
Not so much a word, as an idea – “Part III of the whole Judaism/Christianity/Islamic Fairy Tale.” Followed by “moronic Westerners who think ‘terrorists’.” ---
**Author:** ![Aldebaran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Aldebaran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aldebaran)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-word-that-comes-in-your-mind-when-hearing-the-word-islam/191116/58 "2003-07-26T20:52:30Z")
jsgodess, Yes, the lunatic Taliban and their lunatic Wahabbi supporters. They became all of a sudden great stuff for the Media circus. But did you never reflect on it that this couldn’t possibly be the daily situation of al those millions of Muslims worlwide? ---
**Author:** ![Aldebaran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Aldebaran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aldebaran)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-word-that-comes-in-your-mind-when-hearing-the-word-islam/191116/59 "2003-07-26T20:55:33Z")
rjung, It is actually not part III. Muslims believe that Al Qur’an is the restauration of the original. Are there by accident things you like in the fairy tale? ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2003, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-word-that-comes-in-your-mind-when-hearing-the-word-islam/191116/60 "2003-07-26T21:05:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Aldebaran \* > \*\*But did you never reflect on it that this couldn’t possibly be the daily situation of al those millions of Muslims worlwide? \*\* You didn’t ask for my opinion about Islam. You asked for what word springs to my mind. And there is nothing “moronic” about people having “terrorism” spring to their minds. Word associations needn’t have anything to do with conscious thought. Someone saying “terrorism” comes to mind is not accusing all Muslims of being terrorists. Just as my thinking “hypocritical” doesn’t accuse all Christians of being hypocrites. Julie [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-word-that-comes-in-your-mind-when-hearing-the-word-islam/191116.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-word-that-comes-in-your-mind-when-hearing-the-word-islam/191116.md?page=4)