What is being a cultural Muslim?

[reboun]

My ancestors were mostly Muslim. However, I occasionally drink wine or beer and I also do not pray 5 times a day. In short, I am not as Muslim as a devout Muslim person. Is it true that I am a cultural Muslim?

[Ayetooey]

No such thing. You’re either a Muslim or a disbeliever. Stop drinking and start praying.

[sean]

What is being a cultural Muslim?

Ask Anjem Choudary lel.

Before:

https://i.imgur.com/i8aTBNc.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Aq4DBvm.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/OgZOvCf.jpg

After:

https://i.imgur.com/1lD6Bl7.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/aFaIyBQ.png
https://i.imgur.com/9MV9L7t.png

[TheMaestro]

You're muslim just not a devoted one.

[reboun]

Ask Anjem Choudary lel.


:eek:

[Marmara]

A person identifying Muslim solely due to growing up in a muslim household, but not actually paying attention to religion would be called cultural muslim.

[reboun]

No such thing.

Some people are using the term often lately.

[Ayetooey]

Some people are using the term often lately.

I agree, but I don't buy it myself. You're either a Christian, or a Muslim, or an Atheist, or a "insert religion", etc. Cultural Christian/Muslim etc is a bs term IMO.

[qylymla]

My ancestors were mostly Muslim. However, I occasionally drink wine or beer and I also do not pray 5 times a day. In short, I am not as Muslim as a devout Muslim person. Is it true that I am a cultural Muslim?

To be a Muslim, a person must also:
To believe that the Noble Qur'an is the Word of God revealed by Him
To believe that the Day of Judgment is true and it will come
To believe in the prophecies that God has sent and in the books that He cares for He has revealed to them.
To believe in angels as creations of God
To accept Islam as his religion
Do not worship anyone but the One God

[reboun]

I agree, but I don't buy it myself. You're either a Christian, or a Muslim, or an Atheist, or a "insert religion", etc. Cultural Christian/Muslim etc is a bs term IMO.

I think it might still be a useful term to indicate people like me, whose ancestors are Muslim but the person himself/herself doesn't practice Islam.

[Dandelion]

I notice many atheists of muslim background tend to have trouble fitting in with Europeans and often mistakenly think Europe is lacking in morals, just because they don't understand it and because they're self-centered jerks who abuse the auto-criticism in the Western host country they live in.

From muslim-majority countries I also notice as thinly-veiled hatred for Christianity that is very subtle. Even very decent people tend to be guilty of this.

[reboun]

I notice many atheists of muslim background tend to have trouble fitting in with Europeans and often mistakenly think Europe is lacking in morals, just because they don't understand it and because they're self-centered jerks who abuse the auto-criticism in the Western host country they live in.

Why do you think many atheists of muslim background often mistakenly think Europe is lacking in morals?

[Tooting Carmen]

Why do you think many atheists of muslim background often mistakenly think Europe is lacking in morals?

Discussions about feminism and homosexuality?

[Dandelion]

Why do you think many atheists of muslim background often mistakenly think Europe is lacking in morals?

I might be mistaken. On the internet every type of misguided exist. Sometimes yeah see such comments at unexpected moments from such disgruntled people who blame their failing on society.

The truth is more subtle of course. Like on the internet as guy (an atheist living in an Arab country) who applauded me that I am considerate for Muslim coworkers during ramadan when sharing treats and applauded me when I said I am glad I'm rid of my former religious Christian employer, yet is silent when I told him that I want to live in Zeeland where 25% is Christian.

I also know a very civil Levantine woman who occasionally applaudingy shares tweets of Christians converting to Islam or barely hiding that she's happy at the idea of Islam spreading in Europe. She doesn't do it very often, but I did catch her doing that at times and she's very educated and civilised.

[Dandelion]

Also recently on Flemish television. There's one Dutch Turkish woman who left Islam (Lale Gül) and wrote a book about it. She received death threats and is under police surveillance now. Another guest, a Moroccan-Belgian socialist (Meryame Kitir) spoke gibberish because of emotions and at the end to the broadcasting she glared angrily in her direction. She's supposedly not a fundamentalist.

But of course, we'll see where it leads. Those are just examples in a long sociological evolution taking place.

[reboun]

I might be mistaken. On the internet every type of misguided exist. Sometimes yeah see such comments at unexpected moments from such disgruntled people who blame their failing on society.

The truth is more subtle of course. Like on the internet as guy (an atheist living in an Arab country) who applauded me that I am considerate for Muslim coworkers during ramadan when sharing treats and applauded me when I said I am glad I'm rid of my former religious Christian employer, yet is silent when I told him that I want to live in Zeeland where 25% is Christian.

I also know a very civil Levantine woman who occasionally applaudingy shares tweets of Christians converting to Islam or barely hiding that she's happy at the idea of Islam spreading in Europe. She doesn't do it very often, but I did catch her doing that at times and she's very educated and civilised.

I really don't know but maybe both persons secretly dislike the religions other than Islam?

[Dandelion]

Discussions about feminism and homosexuality?

I assume so. Most recently a YouTube comment. Of course a poor reference. Twitter and YT comments are a cesspool of hate lol. Also a good outlet, so leave it be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llquJck7D-0

Brendan Vecchio
Brendan Vecchio
3 jaar geleden
The Bithynian King should visit Dubai, he'd fit right in there.


Nagihan Göt
4 maanden geleden
Europe has enough of that thing happening. At least Dubai pretends they have a morals

The West doesn't have morals according to this person, yet he probably was born in Europe from immigrant parents.

I also remember people living in the UAE misunderstanding Europe thinking we are some kind of haven of unbridled hedonism. And they can be very awkward at times.

[Tooting Carmen]

Newsflash to Islamophiles and Islamophobes alike: the Islamic world is much more similar to the West than is often thought to be the case. Except for Afghanistan and some SSA countries, birth rates are plummeting and divorce rates are soaring across the Islamic world just as they are everywhere else. In fact, Iran and Saudi Arabia have BELOW replacement rate birthrates, Bangladesh is about replacement rate, and even Pakistan is about 3 per woman (much much less than even 30 years ago). The apparent strictness and traditionalism of many Islamic societies - especially Iran and Saudi Arabia - is increasingly just a facade.

[Dandelion]

Newsflash to Islamophiles and Islamophobes alike: the Islamic world is much more similar to the West than is often thought to be the case. Except for Afghanistan and some SSA countries, birth rates are plummeting and divorce rates are soaring across the Islamic world just as they are everywhere else. In fact, Iran and Saudi Arabia have BELOW replacement rate birthrates, Bangladesh is about replacement rate, and even Pakistan is about 3 per woman (much much less than even 30 years ago). The apparent strictness and traditionalism of many Islamic societies - especially Iran and Saudi Arabia - is increasingly just a facade.

Yet, European Christians seemingly are less Islamophobic than vice versa. Saudi Arabia even funds groups in Egypt that kidnap Christian girls from poor families and forcefully convert them to Islam to marry them off. Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, you have Christian in the Bible Belt being offended if you insult Islam because they themselves are also religious. Though hypocritically too, as they prefer to be in a religious monolitic neighborhood of course and the most conservative among them not rarely are quite wealthy. ;)

No empathy from the ex-member Egyptian here neither. However, most people do empathise with the Uyghurs.

Of course, I am getting off topic. I actually am not here to guilt trip people. Dunno why I am using this thread. Still an interesting subject.

[Dandelion]

But to be on topic. I do think there's a thing as a cultural muslim of course and mayhap also Sunni or Shi'a divided between denominations.

[Mejgusu]

Thats nonsense, you cant be culturally a Muslim, either you are or not. Islam is a part of Turkish culture yes, but it is your concern how you are interpreting your religion. You can drink alcohol sometimes and you don’t need to pray 5 times and still you can be a Muslim. A perfect Muslim wouldn’t do this, yes but until you are reasonably believing in God it is ok imo. As a non believer you can’t belong to any religion, this culturally Muslim concept is nonsense. Since Muslims can be different culturally, a Bosniak Muslim is not equal to a South Asian Muslim or a Maghrebi Muslim is not equal to Iranian Muslim.

[reboun]

Discussions about feminism and homosexuality?

I ask because I really don't know, do cultural Muslims think bad about homosexuals and feminists?

[reboun]

Thats nonsense, you cant be culturally a Muslim, either you are or not. Islam is a part of Turkish culture yes, but it is your concern how you are interpreting your religion. You can drink alcohol sometimes and you don’t need to pray 5 times and still you can be a Muslim. A perfect Muslim wouldn’t do this, yes but until you are reasonably believing in God it is ok imo. As a non believer you can’t belong to any religion, this culturally Muslim concept is nonsense. Since Muslims can be different culturally, a Bosniak Muslim is not equal to a South Asian Muslim or a Maghrebi Muslim is not equal to Iranian Muslim.

I also think it is not the best term but in my opinion it is useful when explaining the situation of people such as me.

[RogueState]

Cultural Muslims are wannabe Western ass-lickers

[reboun]

Cultural Muslims are wannabe Western ass-lickers

Me too? :confused:

[RogueState]

Me too? :confused:

I don't know you kanka, I hope you not a sellout

[Mejgusu]

I also think it is not the best term but in my opinion it is useful when explaining the situation of people such as me.

Do you believe in God and do you consider yourself as a Muslim? If not, then you are not Muslim culturally. It is your concern if you live your religion out how you do like but if you are not believing in God or considering yourself as a Muslim but living out the Islamic culture, then it is a bit stupid. You could grew up in a Muslim family but that does not mean anything, here are people from Muslim countries who are totally westernized or the opposite way, Germans who converted to Islam who have a different way of life comparing to their childhood. Again, no one can be culturally Muslim, you are a Muslim or not.

[reboun]

Nonpracticing Muslim would be better term then.

[Unknown European]

I think when people say "I am an atheist (insert a religion) or cultural (insert a religion)". They seem to usually mean "I am of (insert a religion) heritage however I do not follow the religion myself" or they mean "I believe in the principles of my religion however I do not believe in the supernatural aspects like the existence of God or a higher power. So I act like a god or a higher power exists though I don't actually believe they exist".

[reboun]

I think when people say "I am an atheist (insert a religion) or cultural (insert a religion)". They seem to usually mean "I am of (insert a religion) heritage however I do not follow the religion myself" or they mean "I believe in the principles of my religion however I do not believe in the supernatural aspects like the existence of God or a higher power. So I act like a god or a higher power exists though I don't actually believe they exist".

Only atheism? Why not deism or agnosticism also?

[Unknown European]

Only atheism? Why not deism or agnosticism also?

deism and agnosticism would fall into the (insert religion)