The MYTH of American Islamophobia

[badgenome]

superchunk said:

badgenome said:

 

I don't think you have to be an "Islamophobe" to think that choosing this location for a mosque shows a serious lack of propriety, and I'm pretty sure that 70% of the population isn't Islamophobic (regardless of what Time magazine says, and it was that article to which Goldberg was responding).

It seems to me that you're suggesting that nobody should even be talking about this because it might encourage radicals to do something.  The tenor of the whole debate on both sides has disappointed me, but people are still responsible for what they do. "I SAW SUM SHIT ON TEH NEWZ AN IT MAED ME ANGREY" isn't an excuse, and if someone punches out a mosque opponent tomorrow, I doubt you'll be so quick to blame it on the intemperence of a whole faction.

The reason given to the mosque issue is based on a series of fallacies. Its not at Ground Zero, nor is it a terrorist center or a trophy for the terrorists, etc. The whole issue is stemmed in Islamaphobia and the underlying ideas by way too many Americans that Muslims are simply terrorist and as such Mosques are breeding grounds for these terrorist. Why else is there another big uproar in Tennessee over another new Mosque proposal? Just because these people are not physically attacking people doesn't mean they are generally afraid of Muslims and Islam due to ignorant beliefs about the religion.

I never said the issue shouldn't be discussed because it might incite radicals, but that it shouldn't be discussed because its entirely ludicrous and a result of its discussion is a natural increase in attacks.

As for your last statement, true I wouldn't call it intemperance of a whole faction; I'd call it another example of inflamed actions out of hate and anger that came from this absurd Mosque conflict.

You find it to be absurd, and it can be argued that there is no rational reason for the mosque not to be there, but there is certainly an emotional reason to locate it elsewhere. The overwhelming majority of Americans oppose it, and since the Cordoba Initiative says its mission is to build bridges, one would think they would see the value of respecting people's sensitivities. After all, the imam involved said during the Mohammed cartoon uproar that he respected freedom of speech but found the cartoons to be appalling and even a "willful fomentation" (and this at a time when death threats were flying like crazy).  So he, of all people, should understand that just because someone has the right to do something, doesn't mean they should.

I think most people's anger and frustration is less about "mulimz r terists" and more about the perception that tolerance is always going to be a one way street.