Radio Hoax Exposes Anti-Muslim Sentiment in U.S.

Reuters on AOL News ^ | December 1, 2006 | Bernd Debusmann

[rightwingintelligentsia]

WASHINGTON (Dec. 1) -- When radio host Jerry Klein suggested that all Muslims in the United States should be identified with a crescent-shape tattoo or a distinctive arm band, the phone lines jammed instantly.

The first caller to the station in Washington said that Klein must be "off his rocker." The second congratulated him and added: "Not only do you tattoo them in the middle of their forehead but you ship them out of this country ... they are here to kill us."

Another said that tattoos, armbands and other identifying markers such as crescent marks on driver's licenses, passports and birth certificates did not go far enough. "What good is identifying them?" he asked. "You have to set up encampments like during World War Two with the Japanese and Germans."

At the end of the one-hour show, rich with arguments on why visual identification of "the threat in our midst" would alleviate the public's fears, Klein revealed that he had staged a hoax. It drew out reactions that are not uncommon in post-9/11 America.

"I can't believe any of you are sick enough to have agreed for one second with anything I said," he told his audience on the AM station 630 WMAL (http://www.wmal.com/), which covers Washington, Northern Virginia and Maryland

[rightwingintelligentsia]

Another example of liberals tossing up a red herring. The real danger, they say, is not the minority of islamic radicals out there, it's those stupid bigoted Americans.

[Callahan]

Yeah remember when those bigoted, hateful Americans crashed a a few planes into the World Trade Center and Pentagon? Oh right, that was the poor, persecuted Islamo-crazies.

[Paige]

I see there is a poll on AOL for this story and over half believe the Muslims pose no threat. I guess there will have to be another attack in order for people to wake up. (sigh)

[Lurker]

The 'hosts' analogy to Nazism is wrong.

Jews weren't hijacking Zeppelins and crashing them into German office buildings.

One more small point. 'islamic' isn't a race.

L

[muawiyah]

All the while Klein agrees with the Saudi practice of requiring Jews to note their religious affiliation in their passports and then refusing them entry on that basis.

Klein is little more than an unrepenetent Nazi provocateur who refuses to Anglicise his name ~

[Allegra]

The real danger, they say, is not the minority of islamic radicals out there, it's those stupid bigoted Americans.

I have a feeling you might get flamed for that.

But I agree with you. The terrorists are a big danger, but the ignorant bigots are part of the problem, definitely not part of the solution.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Although you apparently disagree, how about mentioning the Jews who put on stars of David for the Nazis.

The Jews were considered to be a threat by the Germans, as many of the leaders of Communism were ethnically Jewish. Such reasoning--because a few Jewish-descended people started Communism, all Jews are Communists--is crazy.

Although the number of Muslims who have attacked the West are much larger than Marx or Trotsky, most Muslims, in particular American non-convert, non-Nation-of-Islam Muslims, are no more of a threat than the vast majority of German Jews.

Islam as a whole should be discouraged. For example, the media could air a bunch of reports about how Islam is bad. However, to single out every Muslim from the rest of society is definitely not a good thing.

Furthermore, wasn't it decided that the Japanese (and probably the German and Italian) internees were not a threat. Also notable, the so-called Nissei regiment is one of the most decorated in all of American military history.

[outdriving]

Except for a few places like Dearborn, there are not so many Muslims here (yet) to avoid assimilation. And I think (hope?) that the ones here now are mainly the smartest and most hard working. Mainly secular in everyday life.

But with all due respect, I would suggest this is a good time to severely restrict or even eliminate Muslim immigration. At least until we see how Europe pans out.

There are things happening in the world that are bigger than all of us as individuals.

[dforest]

Those bigoted Americans would just like to have them identified. I haven't seen a rash of any Americans out killing muslims lately. We have a major enemy and they exist among us! I am not for stamps on the forehead, but I sure can't blame people for survival tactics.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

P.S. Muslim immigrants, tourists, etc. can have such physical labeling. Potentially, even a database of all Muslims in the country can be collected by the government. However, American citizens should not be singled out in such a way.

Sorry to keep asking these questions, but apparently organizing a webpage is very difficult. If http://www.freerepublic.com/~jedimasterpikachu/ is very disorganized on your screen, can you freepmail?

[Tribune7]

He should have simply suggested they be made to wear a yellow cloth and belt.

[olderwiser]

Maybe the radio host should've suggested that Christians in America who convert to Islam should be executed.

Or that Muslims pay a special tax for not being Christian.

Or that Muslims be restricted or entirely prevented from practicing their faith in our "Christian" nation.

Oh wait, I forgot. Those things aren't done by Christians who make up the majority in America. BUT THESE ARE EXACTLY the kinds of things that Muslims routinely institute in countries where they have control!

To sum it up: THIS RADIO HOST is a moron afraid to tackle the real prejudices and fanaticism of Muslims the world over, which reared its venomous head in all its fury on 9-11.

[JOHANNES801]

If they are true muslims and beleive what their koran teaches,then they are a threat and should not be trusted.

[Leisler]

Real Muslims believe in Mohammad and the Koran. The Koran demands of real Muslims they either kill, where every they find them, all non-Muslims, or in the case of Christians or Jews, enslave them. To believe anything else is not to be Muslim, including those that call themselves Muslim but do not obey and submit to the Koran and Gods Prophet, Mohammad.
Rinse, lather, repete.

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Clarification (rarely can be too much of that), Potentially, even a database of all Muslims in the country can be collected by the government (and kept from the average Joe). However, American citizens should not be singled out in such a way (as with a visible armband, and definitely a tatoo--remember those tatooed people in the Nazi concentration camps?).

[Michael81Dus]

AFAIK, there were no camps for Germans or Italians in America. The number of Americans with Italian and German would have been so large, that the half nation should have been imprisoned then.

[durasell]

Hey, this is America! Any mandatory article of clothing would be licensed.

[Michael81Dus]

... with Italian and German HERITAGE would ....

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Yes, if they are actually Muslim. There are many supposed Muslims who are as Muslim as the average European "Christian" (i.e. not very).

[Lurker]

The terrorists are a big danger, but the ignorant bigots are part of the problem, definitely not part of the solution.

I'm far more concerned about the hundreds of thousands of islamic male immigrants coming into this country than I am about homegrown bigoted rednecks.

For the life of me I can't remember the last time the Klan sawed the head off a Jewish reporter and put it on the internet.

Nor can I remember the last time members of the Aryan Nations hijacked a jetliner full of civilians and slammed it into an office building also full of civilians.

I'm also hard pressed to think of a single instance where a neo-Nazi rally attracted more than a few dozens whereas mohameden 'rallies' are typically tens of thousands all chanting "Death To Everybody Who Ain't Us" even in places like the UK or France.

Are American bigots unhelpful? Hard to say. What do you mean by 'help'?

Are we in a much more deadly danger from these islamofascist nutjobs who have absolutely no respect for human life? You betcha.

Besides it seems to me we're actually importing far more racist anti-semitic whackkjobs than we're growing domestically.

L