Religious Baiting

Flopping Aces ^ | 02-12-15 | Wordsmith

[Starman417]

I've read a number of headlines that essentially frames it this way: "....the killing of 3 MUSLIM students". By reading just the headlines before the story, the impression given to me is that this must be a case of anti-Muslim bigotry and a "hate crime" (I hate that term). As Retire pointed out to me a while back, supported by Pew research, anti-Semitism remains a larger problem than anti-Muslim bigotry.

After reading the actual known facts, it's evident that those headlines are pushing a perspective and an agenda. Meanwhile, commenters whose own bias leads them to believe that this was a case of anti-Muslim prejudice and hatred, are whining about American media hypocrisy, drawing moral equivalency between this and Hebdo, blaming "Faux" news and "hate radio"; calling this a case of "Christian terrorism" and blaming mainstream media for not condemning it as such.

Dean Obeidallah of the Daily Beast writes a highly inflammatory, irresponsible piece. He's essentially become the religious equivalent of an Al Sharpton race hustler. It is biased, agenda-driven trash. After patting himself on the back for being one of those "Muslim leaders" invited to meet with President Obama at the White House a week ago and warning the president of rising anti-Muslim bigotry, Obeidallah writes:

Yes, I know that we can’t be certain at this moment exactly why the gunman murdered three Muslim-American students—Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23; Yusor Mohammad Abu-Salha, 21; and Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19—in cold blood. And true, the local police have noted that its “preliminary investigation indicates that the crime was motivated by an ongoing neighbor dispute over parking.”

But I doubt very much that anti-Muslim hate didn’t play some role in this attack.

Why not? Because this is a writer and activist with a political agenda. He wants this to be a case of religiously-motivated anti-Islam bigotry.

After offering personal bias as "evidence" for this being a "hate crime", mostly by relying on the personal bias of "friends and family" members, Obeidallah then admits,

As of now, we have no public statements from Hicks as to his motivation for the murders, although his wife insists it had nothing to do with the victims’ religion. Hicks’s Facebook page sheds a little light but it also paints a complex picture of the man. Hicks wrote, “Some call me a gun toting Liberal, others call me an open-minded Conservative.” He was apparently a supporter of gay marriage and a fan of certain progressive organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center.

He was also an avowed atheist and had expressed contempt for all faiths, including Islam. Hicks had posted passages from famed atheist Richard Dawkins and “liked” Sam Harris’s Facebook page, both of which have spewed hateful comments about Islam. Dawkins has condemned the attack on Twitter.

The investigation will continue into this tragedy that ended the lives of three young Muslim Americans. I can’t even imagine the heartbreak the parents feel, especially the father who lost two young daughters on the same day. And while part of me would prefer to wish that this was really a dispute over a parking space, I have little doubt that these three young people would be alive today if they were any other faith than Muslim.

Here's what Hicks' wife had to say:

[arthurus]

It is an anti Moslem hate crime the same way that opposing anything Obama says or does or could possibly say or do is Racism.

[xzins]

Muslims kill more Muslims. It’s a way of life for them. IIRC, a Muslim was burned to death recently by other Muslims.

[gusty]

The editorialists commenting on the NC incident have missed the mark by a mile, by design or stupidity I do not know. Lets lay out the truth, the MSM is going to down play this incident for one reason and one reason only. That being the low life skel perp is a howling moonbat MSNBC loving nut. If this dirtbag had indicated on his social media that he was a evangelical Christian, Tea Party Conservative NRA member with the song “Stranglehold” on his Ipod, the shooting in NC would have lead every MSM broadcast for the next two weeks, and return with a Law and Order Episode next year. Instead the goatroper posted he was a atheist fan of Rachel Maddow. A guy who would have been equally happy to murder a young Muslim couple or someone with a Romney/Ryan 2016 sticker. Because of this, it lands on page 23.

[gusty]

Change the above 2016 to 2012.