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Nara
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Greetings!
Since 9/11, islamophobia has taken root in many countries, including USA. One of the reasons for this is the climate created by mainly right-wing politicians in which looking at Muslims with suspicion is understandable. There has been cases when airline pilots refused to fly with Muslim looking passengers on board -- having cleared all the security checks not withstanding. Instead of calling on the pilot's islamophobia, the passengers are often made to deplane and take a different flight. In 2008 three Sikh passengers faced this treatment, yes the pilot thought the Sikhs were potential Muslim terrorists, read about it here.
There are many Mosques all over USA, there are many neighborhoods in the U.S. where Muslim live, work, and worship their god. But, they also live in fear of vandalism and more. There are scores of such incidences that get reported on a regular basis.
The sharp increase in islamophobia can be directly linked to the increasingly sweeping rhetoric coming from prominent people from the conservative right. I would like to present these cases here to give an idea of what is actually happening all across the U.S. I welcome people living in other countries, including India, to contribute.
Before I begin, I would like to mention that George W. Bush, whom I consider a war monger, must be commended for trying his best to separate Islam and more than a billion Muslims from the tiny sliver who engage in extremism and terrorism. Credit shall be given when and where due, even to the proverbial "devil". (Just in case my intent is misunderstood, this is just a figure of speech, I am not saying GW is a devil!)
The first politician I would like to cite is Newt Gingrich, who was the Speaker of the House of Representative -- Speaker of the House is one of the most powerful political positions in Washington -- and a prospective presidential candidate. He routinely equates the Sufi Muslims -- I doubt he knows or cares that Sufis are among the most gentle religious people -- trying to construct an Islamic Center in lower Manhattan, to Nazis. He keeps saying these Sufis are,“radical Islamists” who want to prove that “they can build a mosque next to a place where 3,000 Americans were killed by Islamists.”
I wonder who is an "Islamist" for Newt. If Islamists are responsible for 9/11, then people following Islam, i.e. Muslims are terrorists, this is the kind of connection ordinary right-wing people make. Their leaders keep harping on this theme, Islamic this, Islamic that. Such rhetoric cultivates hatred for Muslims in general so much so that being fearful of anyone who looks Muslim is considered reasonable. Most don't let this fear turn into violence, but that is no comfort to the Muslims who have to face the violence coming from just that odd handful of irrational people who get egged on by these politicians who are clever enough to couch what they say so that they can deny any responsibility.
Among the many instances of Newt's promotion of islamaphobia, here is one.
Since 9/11, islamophobia has taken root in many countries, including USA. One of the reasons for this is the climate created by mainly right-wing politicians in which looking at Muslims with suspicion is understandable. There has been cases when airline pilots refused to fly with Muslim looking passengers on board -- having cleared all the security checks not withstanding. Instead of calling on the pilot's islamophobia, the passengers are often made to deplane and take a different flight. In 2008 three Sikh passengers faced this treatment, yes the pilot thought the Sikhs were potential Muslim terrorists, read about it here.
There are many Mosques all over USA, there are many neighborhoods in the U.S. where Muslim live, work, and worship their god. But, they also live in fear of vandalism and more. There are scores of such incidences that get reported on a regular basis.
The sharp increase in islamophobia can be directly linked to the increasingly sweeping rhetoric coming from prominent people from the conservative right. I would like to present these cases here to give an idea of what is actually happening all across the U.S. I welcome people living in other countries, including India, to contribute.
Before I begin, I would like to mention that George W. Bush, whom I consider a war monger, must be commended for trying his best to separate Islam and more than a billion Muslims from the tiny sliver who engage in extremism and terrorism. Credit shall be given when and where due, even to the proverbial "devil". (Just in case my intent is misunderstood, this is just a figure of speech, I am not saying GW is a devil!)
The first politician I would like to cite is Newt Gingrich, who was the Speaker of the House of Representative -- Speaker of the House is one of the most powerful political positions in Washington -- and a prospective presidential candidate. He routinely equates the Sufi Muslims -- I doubt he knows or cares that Sufis are among the most gentle religious people -- trying to construct an Islamic Center in lower Manhattan, to Nazis. He keeps saying these Sufis are,“radical Islamists” who want to prove that “they can build a mosque next to a place where 3,000 Americans were killed by Islamists.”
I wonder who is an "Islamist" for Newt. If Islamists are responsible for 9/11, then people following Islam, i.e. Muslims are terrorists, this is the kind of connection ordinary right-wing people make. Their leaders keep harping on this theme, Islamic this, Islamic that. Such rhetoric cultivates hatred for Muslims in general so much so that being fearful of anyone who looks Muslim is considered reasonable. Most don't let this fear turn into violence, but that is no comfort to the Muslims who have to face the violence coming from just that odd handful of irrational people who get egged on by these politicians who are clever enough to couch what they say so that they can deny any responsibility.
Among the many instances of Newt's promotion of islamaphobia, here is one.
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