9/11: Five years later Typecasting Muslims as a Race

The San Francisco Chronicle ^ | September 3, 2006 | Matthai Chakko Kuruvila, Chronicle Religion Writer

[Tamar1973]

As the war on terror heads into its sixth year, a new racial stereotype is emerging in America. Brown-skinned men with beards and women with head scarves are seen as "Muslims" -- regardless of their actual faith or nationality.

Law enforcement measures, politicians, religious leaders and the media have contributed to stereotyping Muslims as a race -- echoing the painful history of another faith.

[zimdog]

Considering Islam is the religion practiced by Muslims it is difficult to say that some Muslims aren't Islamists. It just becomes word play at some point...

Perhaps, but we're not at that point at all.

Some Muslims aren't Islamists. Some are. However, they are not evenly distributed across the globe.

If you were forced to spend the rest of your life in a predominantly Muslim country of your choice, would you rather live in Turkey or Saudi Arabia? Senegal or Pakistan? Dubai or Somalia? Would you really say that the differences between them are "word play"?

[zimdog]

Radical Islam does what radical Christianity and (laughable) radical Judaism has never done -- demands that you die, OR renounce your faith,

And what, pray tell, did the Spanish Inquisition demand?

[zimdog]

Which Christians are those? Where are Christians doing this terrorizing?

Europe and Russia, mostly.

During which time period has this been going on?

Since the idea of Jewish blood libel began, through the Crusades, and on past the end of WW2. Vatican 2 officially renounced the idea of Jewish blood libel.

I have heard no stories of Christians having "terrorized" Jews during at least the past century if not longer.

You haven't?

[zimdog]

For my part, I agree with internment camps in WWII because they were necessary for the security of both the nation at war and the people being interred.

If internment camps grant security for the people being interred, why are we not shipping ourselves out to camps in the Califonia deserts?

[SoldierDad]

No, I have not read or heard anything anywhere that suggests Christians are terrorizing Jews. I've read and heard of Islamic facists, Arabs, and Muslims having terrorized Jews.

[zimdog]

Our polices have nothing to do with Islamic terrorism. Muslims terrorise Americans because they hate us with every fiber of their being.

So Muslims inherently hate us that that's why they terrorize us, but this has nothing to do with Islamic terrorism? That doesn't make any logical sense.

[zimdog]

you havne't heard of christians terrorizing jews at any time over the past century, maybe more? (your initial phrasing of the time period)

[Tamar1973]

So Muslims inherently hate us that that's why they terrorize us, but this has nothing to do with Islamic terrorism?

Here's a couple of examples: We helped the Afghan's kick the Soviets out of their country, what thanks did we get? The Taliban and 9-11. When Clinton was CiC, we sent troops to Yugoslavia to protect Muslims from the Serbs, what did that get us in terms of gratitude from the Muslim world?! Nothing.

My point is that when we are nice to Muslims, they hate us. When we protect ourselves and defend ourselves against them, they hate us. Our polices do not affect whether an Islamic terrorist will try to blow us up or not. If they cant' make up a modern excuse, they will bring out the Crusades, or the Inquisition or some other ancient canard and start the "cycle of violence" anew.

[Cobra64]

Christians have been terrorizing Jews since before the Crusades too.

I'm confused. Where do they get this stuff?

[Cobra64]

I don't know where he's coming from either. Maybe he's a Muslim trolling here on FR to incite arguments and hate. The USA has been giving Israel billions every year.

[zimdog]

The USA has been giving Israel billions every year.

You may have misread my post.

"The USA" is not the same as "Christians all over the world, since before the time of the Crusades". Similarly, "the State of Israel" is not the same as "Jews living in Christiandom, since before the time of the Crusades".

US aid to Israel is laudable, but that alone does not erase the long and very ugly history of anti-Semitism.

[zimdog]

We helped the Afghan's kick the Soviets out of their country, what thanks did we get? The Taliban and 9-11.

The Taliban -- a group that had some roots in the US-funded resistance movements of the 1980s back when we felt that Islamists were infinitely more preferable than International Communism -- conquered the country just as the Soviets tried to do. You wouldn't suggest that after we helped France in WW1 that their rapid fall in WW2 was an anti-American act, even though it did make Hitler stronger.

Also, it's more of a semantic quibble, but Afghanistan the country was not responsible for the attacks of 9-11. The Taliban gave shelter to bin Ladin and al-Qa'ida operatives, certainly, but the attacks were planned, funded and carried out by Islamists from the Arab world.

When Clinton was CiC, we sent troops to Yugoslavia to protect Muslims from the Serbs, what did that get us in terms of gratitude from the Muslim world?! Nothing.

I believe most Bosniaks and Kossovars are very grateful. The 9-11 terrorists hell-bent on destroying us were not from Bosnia-Herzegovinia or Kossovo however. To suggest that Islam is so monolithic that a good deed in the Balkans should be received exactly the same way by Muslims the world over is a bit ridiculous. It would be like saying that the Emancipation Proclamation should have earned us the gratitude of the Ethiopian Empire.

My point is that when we are nice to Muslims, they hate us.

You're confusing "Muslim" and "terrorist".

Our polices do not affect whether an Islamic terrorist will try to blow us up or not.

Probably not. But "a Muslim" is not necessarily the same as "an Islamic terrorist".

[Rembrandt_fan]

You wrote, "US aid to Israel is laudable, but that alone does not erase the long and very ugly history of anti-Semitism."

It isn't intended to. Insofar as I know, the aid given to Israel is not meant as recompense for ages-old antisemitism.

Christian antisemitism has always baffled me, but even so, as a non-Jewish, Christian American, I feel no guilt whatsoever and no need to atone for the bigotry of others. The God I worship was a Jewish carpenter. He proclaimed His Jewishness often, loudly, and succinctly. While on this earth, He was addressed as 'Rabbi' by his disciples. As an individual, I support Israel partly because I think He wants me to, partly because I think the Jewish people are deserving of a homeland safe from persecution, and partly because Israel is one of the few allies we can count upon in an altogether hostile world. I can't presume to speak for my government, but I think implying the US is more or less paying reparations is way off the mark.

[FreedomPoster]

The real Inquisition, or the one people "know" of via popular culture?

http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/madden200406181026.asp

[Rembrandt_fan]

You wrote, "But "a Muslim" is not necessarily the same as "an Islamic terrorist"."

Unless and until significant numbers of Muslims start speaking out against terrorism in toto and loudly, publicly repudiating the terrible violence done to innocents in the name of their faith, I view them all with suspicion and loathing. Yeah, that's right: all of them. I look at Muslims the same way I look at scientologists or any other whacked-out cult members.

To hell with their mad, blood-soaked, satanically inspired prophet. To hell with their so-called holy book. Literally.

[Junior_G]

And what, pray tell, did the Spanish Inquisition demand?

Truly effective Christian-bashing unfortunately requires that you go back many hundreds of years.

[Junior_G]

You're confusing "Muslim" and "terrorist".

That's funny...terrorists and muslims seem to get the meanings confused as well.

[RodgerD]

There appear to be a number of these "muslims are the victims" articles coming out on the fifth anniversary of the muslim assault on America. Predictable MSM anti-Americanism.

[zimdog]

Truly effective Christian-bashing unfortunately requires that you go back many hundreds of years.

Perhaps that's why Muslim-bashing is so much more popular among the bigots these days

In any case, criticizing the Spanish Inquisition is hardly "Christian-bashing" is it?

[zimdog]

Insofar as I know, the aid given to Israel is not meant as recompense for ages-old antisemitism.

I did not mean to suggest that that was the intention. I only meant to point out that the fact that we have given Israel billions of dollars in aid over the past 60 years does not mean -- as the original poster came close to suggesting -- that 1600 years of Christian anti-Semitism is no longer a fact.

I can't presume to speak for my government, but I think implying the US is more or less paying reparations is way off the mark.

That is not what I meant to imply. Sorry for the confusion.