Online Exclusive: From the Forums

This is a bonus article that is not in the print version of the magazine.

NO I WILL NOT BE JOINING YOU LOT FOR A DRINK

MuslimSisLilSis:

Is anyone sick of saying it?

Do people not SEE the hijaab or beard?

Mr Honey's Day Out:

It is better than ignoring you. If I was your friend and inviting people down the pub I'd feel terrible just specifically inviting everyone except you.

If you can't go and order a Coke, maybe it is your opportunity to suggest something specific another time.

Yaqub:

I was invited to the pub after work before, and I said 'no thanks, i don't drink' and they all laughed cos they thought i was joking. then the next week they invited me again and i had to make it PROPER clear to them that i REALLY don't drink cos im a muslim. now they don't invite me to the pub, but they are a bit scared of me.

But i think its good they keep inviting you, even out of politeness. it shows they're not intentionally leaving you out.

Dave:

You might be misinterpreting their meaning or intententions. I have muslim friends who I invite to go out regularly. With my other friends it's understood I mean drinking alcohol, but with muslims I generally mean to communicate I do not want them to feel left out, and that I do not mean that they should drink alcohol (unless they want to). "Drink" is anything from ice water to vodka depending on what they are comfortable with.

And that is the key word - comfort. No friend or host wants to make their friends uncomfortable. Inviting some of your friends out and deliberately leaving others out places them in an uncomfortable or ambiguous situation. I want my friends to know I am thinking about them and consider their feelings, ergo I invite them out. By that same token I do not want to pressure them into doing something that makes them uncomfortable. I prefer to be known as the guy that makes you feel welcome and easy.

Naz:

All my friends no i dont drink, ppl at work always inviting me out to go clubbing or down the pub so i dont feel left out. Others that dont know me see the hijab and automatically know. When i go out with my friends (some of them who are non muslims) they no pubs and clubs are no go zone so we always do the usual, cinema, bowling, pizza hut.

Yashmaki:

What's there to get annoyed or insulted about? If they invite you for a drink just simply decline, explain why without giving a lecture, and suggest a coffee shop instead, or suggest lunch together some other time. that way no offence taken on either side.

UK TERROR ALERT: Are Muslims in denial?

Sirus:

Latest for the conspiracy corners... A set up, 2 days after Gordon Brown comes in, to help push though his new anti-terror laws.

Dont know if thats true, but would be hard to totally dismiss

MuslimBro:

Yep, we now know that they are Muslims.

But what makes it even worse is the fact that they were doctors, exactly the people who were supposed to save lives... not take them.

TheRevivalEditor

I was speaking to a muslim colleague at work and his reaction to these terror alerts are similar to alot of Muslims:

  1. its a conspiracy.
  2. "...theyve..." done it themselves to make muslims look badli>
  3. govt pays muslims to do this act
  4. the muslim imams/extremists who incite naieve muslims do this are paid by the govt...

think alot of muslims are in denial. we cant accept that MUSLIMS out there are terrorists... the main issue is HOW DO WE REACT:

  1. IGNORE IT. NOT BOTHER ME. I DIDNT DO IT?
  2. BE APOLOGETIC.
  3. CONDEMN IT. FULL STOP

newspaper article the other said Muslims havent done enough to condemn this. they should be on the streets protesting against teh terrorists etc...

so what do you say ppl? where do u stand? whats your reaction?

Noor:

I totally condemn this, i'm frankly disgusted! I can�t believe these so-called Muslims are still doing this!!! And all for what? In the name of Islam, yeah whatever!

They should be kicked out of this country for good or locked up for life.

You:

I did nothing wrong. I will not try to defend/justify/condemn actions of another. Got tired of doing that a long time ago. Considering the man charged over the plot is an Iraqi who was in Iraq after the war, do you think the (new) government will still deny it has any links to the Iraq war?

How dare they. We give them freedom, democracy and is this how they repay us? Where is the gratitude? those good for nothing foreigners!

Yaqub:

Its more than just that:

one was an Iraqi national, one was a Lebanese national, and one was a Jordain-Palestinian! (coincidence???) yet there is Ed Hussein (hopefully no relation to our Ed) saying the same old 'no link to foreign policy' gibberish. then again, he has a book out at the mo and perhaps needs some publicity...

The views in this section are not necesarily of The Revival, but were expressed on the forums, some by people who write for The Revival, others who don't.