Posted on 07/05/2004 7:21:34 PM PDT by Land_of_Lincoln_John
CAIRO, 6 July 2004 — Islamophobia is alive and well in the US, starting with the authorities down to individuals such as radio talk show host Jay Severin who, according to the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) claimed that Muslims want to take over America even if it takes centuries, adding “I’ve got an idea. Let’s all kill Muslims”. Amazingly Severin is still in his job, although he has been forced to apologize on air.
CAIR has also filed complaints over an offensive skit on the March 10 Bill Handel show on KFI AM 640 entitled “the New Iraqi Constitution — Handelized”. In it, a voice purporting to be that of a Muslim says: “Kill all Jews”, and complains of “the infidel custom of bathing on a regular basis”.
The Council has additionally demanded an apology from syndicated radio commentator Paul Harvey, who when talking about cockfighting in Iraq said: “Add to the thirst for blood a religion, which encourages killing, and it is entirely understandable if Americans come to this bloody party unprepared”.
Last November, syndicated talk show host Dr. Laura, heard by 12 million listeners, is said by CAIR to have “crossed the line from legitimate commentary on terrorism to Islamophobic bigotry”. Her rant began when she was asked by a mother whether her 16-year-old daughter should be allowed to attend a local mosque to learn how “Muslims are treated” in America.
Answered the wizened therapist: “…You’re joking of course. How many Americans have tortured and murdered Muslims… I think you ought to stand up against this class and this teacher. This is despicable. You tell him you are willing to go to the mosque only if it is one that has done its best to root out terrorists in its midst…”
But such ignorance and hatred isn’t confined to radio hosts. CAIR campaigned to have top US Gen. William G. Boykin, the Undersecretary for Defense on Intelligence, removed from office last year, after he referred to Islam as an idolatrous, sacrilegious religion against which “we are waging a holy war”. While discussing his efforts to capture a Muslim Somali warlord, Boykin said: “I knew my God was bigger than his. I knew that my God was a real God and his was an idol”.
CAIR earlier fought against President Bush’s nomination of “pro-Israel commentator Daniel Pipes — who many American Muslims regard as the nation’s leading Islamophobe — to join the board of the United States Institute of Peace — a federal institution created by Congress”.
In Oct. 21, 2001, Pipes stated before a convention of the American Jewish Congress: “I worry very much, from the Jewish point of view, that the presence, and increased statute, and affluence, and enfranchisement of American Muslims… will present true dangers to American Jews”.
Indeed, Pipes calls for increased surveillance of American Muslims in an article, which appeared in the Jerusalem Post. “There is no escaping the unfortunate fact that Muslim government employees in law enforcement, the military, and the diplomatic corps need to be watched for connections to terrorism,” he wrote.
Pipes has also been quoted as saying: “Palestinians are miserable people… and they deserve to be”, while his website entitled “Campus Watch”, which kept dossiers on professors thought to be critical of Israel, has attracted controversy.
The above all share a single trait and that is astonishing ignorance. Severin, for example, complains Muslims plan on taking over America, when it is Americans, who have, in the past three years invaded and occupied two Muslim countries, while supporting the Israeli occupation of another.
Handel gives the impression that Muslims are shy of bathing, when due to the fact Muslims have to perform ablutions five times a day before prayer, they are probably among the cleanest people on earth. It is doubtful that Handel knows about the Eastern custom of washing themselves and their dishes in running water and using the right hand for eating, with the left reserved for toilet functions. Harvey obviously has no idea of the peaceful nature of Islam or that the word itself means “submission” with the most popular greeting being “peace”.
And as for Dr. Laura, who asks how many Americans have tortured and murdered Muslims, the fact that the US is responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of Afghans, up to 15,000 Iraqi civilians, and the torture and abuse of detainees in Bagram, Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo must have entirely escaped her notice.
It is surely ironic that Boykin refers to Islam as an idolatrous religion when just the opposite is the case. Islam does not allow representations of either human or animal form whether depicted in paintings or sculpture. This is why the interiors of mosques are simple, decorated only with geometric patterns and calligraphic designs.
When it comes to Pipes, he is so bathed in discrimination, bias and paranoia that he doesn’t merit a response.
But it isn’t only influential individuals such as these who have an ax to grind against Muslims. In New Jersey and Texas, mosques have been targeted by vandals, who dumped dead fish outside the entrance to one, and liquor bottles inside an Islamic Educational Center. Inside a Muslim community center in Florida, was written “Kill all Muslims” while in Missouri, a Nazi swastika and “die” were painted on an extension to the Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis.
A message received by CAIR read: it may be time to “take Muslims hostage here in America, adding: “I believe the time is coming when Muslims will not be safe inside the US borders”.
Responding to this growing and deeply disturbing trend, CAIR has published a “Muslim Community Safety Kit” containing information “designed to equip local Islamic leaders and activists with the knowledge necessary to protect against anti-Muslim bigotry or attacks”.
However what is really required is a sea change in education and attitudes in the US, where a mere 14 percent of the population possesses a passport and relatively few have even met a Muslim, let alone befriended one.
Whoever said: “Fear plus ignorance equals evil” was right on the mark. It’s ignorance, more than anything else, which must be combated if tolerance and respect for other faiths can ever reign on our planet.
(Linda S. Heard is a specialist writer on Mideast affairs and welcomes feedback at solitairemedia@yahoo.co.uk)
There is visible hated within more than one major religion, and the Osama types are providing the human race a backhand favor in blatantly revealing Islam's violent side.
"specialist writer" means this was lifted from a terrorist sympathizer at an indymedia.
ClearBlueSky wrote: "The Koran instructs hatred of all things not Muslim."
Is this true? I haven't studied the Koran extensively, but from what I've read, it all comes down to: there is no other God but Allah, and Mohammed is His prophet. I don't know if they are taught to hate infidels, just convert them or give them second-class status.
And don't forget, the women are third class status no matter if they convert or not.
I did a very quick search, and yeah, you're right. Probably a Brit, so instead of a "Hate America" leftist, she's a "hate the West" leftie.
Al-jazeera publised one of hear rants, I discovered.
bttt
I'm gonna step out on a limb here and publicly announce that I am an Islamophobic.
There. I feel better.
When your co-religionists are happily cutting the heads off of 'infidels' on Al Jazeera, it's going to peeve some people and they're going to react. If some bunch of Klansmen started stringing up Muslims, the Muslims would be reacting likewise. To expect anythng else is to deny human nature.
Escalate the War against Terror now!!
Let's start by demanding it be renamed to : Infinite Justice
WHY?
================= EXHIBIT 1 ================
The latest subhuman IslamoNazi terror (ignored --but encouraged-- by American media)
Want more?
================= EXHIBIT 2 ================
Want more?
================= EXHIBIT 3 ================
AMERICANS HANGING ON A BRIDGE IN FALLUJA BY ISLAMIC SUBHUMANS
Want more?
================= EXHIBIT 4 ================
TORTURE OF AMERICANS BY ISLAMIC SUBHUMANS
Want more?
================= EXHIBIT 5 ================
PARTIAL LIST OF ISLAMIC TERRORIST ACTIVITIES
1968 Robert Kennedy assassinated
1972 Munich Olympics Sep-5,1972 (Black September)
1976 Entebbe Hostage Crisis, June 27, 1976
1979 Iran Hostage Crisis, Nov. 4, 1979 444 days
1979 Grand Mosque Seizure, Nov 20,1979
1981 Assassination of Egyptian President, Oct 6,1981
1982 Assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister, Sept 14, 1982
1983 Bombing of US Embassy in Beirut6, April 18,1983
1983 Bombing of Maring Barricks, Beruit, Oct 23,1983
1984 Hizballah Restaurant Bombing, April 12,1984
1985 Egyptian Airliner Hijacking, Nov 23,1985
1985 Rome Airport murders
1985 TWA Flight 847 hijacked, U.S. Navy diver murdered
1985 Achille Lauro hijacking, Homacidal maniac lived in saddams Iraq
1986 Aircraft Bombing in Greece, March 30, 1986
1988 Pan Am 747 Flight 103 Bombing, Lockerbie, 100's murdered
1988 Berlin Discoteque Bombing, Dec 21,1988
1992 Bombing in Israeli Embassy in Argentina, March 17,1992
1993 Attempted Assassination of Pres. Bush Sr., April 14,1993
1993 First World Trade Center bombing, February 26th, 7 Killed, Hundreds injured, Billions
1994 Air France Hijacking, Dec 24,1994
1995 Attack on US Diplomats in Pakistan, Mar 8,1995
1995 Military Installation Attack, Nov 13, 1995
1995 Kashmiri Hostage taking, July 4,1995
1996 Khobar Towers attack
1996 Sudanese Missionarys Kidnapping, Aug 17,1996
1996 Paris Subway Explosion, Dec 3,1996
1997 Israeli Shopping Mall Bombing, Sept 4, 1997
1997 Yemeni Kidnappings, Oct 30,1997
1998 Somali Hostage taking crisis, April 15,1998
1998 U.S. Embassy Bombing in Peru, Jan 15, 1998
1998 U.S. Kenya Embassy blown up, 100's murdered
1998 U.S. Tanzania Embassy blown up, 100's murdered
1999 Plot to blow up Space Needle (thwarted)
2000 USS Cole attacked, many U.S. Navy sailors murdered
2000-2003 Intifada against Israel - 100's dead and injured
2000 Manila Bombing, Dec 30,2000
2001 4 Commercial airliners hijacked, 250+ murdered
2001 World Trade Center attacked, 2800+ murdered
2001 Flight 93 murders
2001 Pentagon attacked, 180+ murdered
2002 Reporter Daniel Pearl, kidnapped and murdered
2002 Philippines American missionary, Filipino nurse killed
2002 July 4, El Al attack Los Angeles LAX, several murdered
2002 Bali bombing - 200 dead, 300 injured
2002 Yemen, French Oil Tanker attacked
2002 Marines attacked / murdered in Kuwait
2002 Washington D.C. sniper
2002 Russian Theater attacked, 100+ dead
2002 Nigerian riots against Miss World Pageant, 200 dead, dozens injured
2002 Mombasa Hotel Attacked, 12 dead, dozens injured
2002 Israeli Boeing 757 attacked by missiles, fortunately no one injured
2002 August Hotel bombing in Jakarta, Indonesia. 12 dead, dozens injured.
2003 Rusian concert bombing
2003 Phillipines airport and market bombing
2003 Foiled SAM plot in the USA
2003 UN Baghdad HQ Bombing
on and on and on and on their terrorism has gone .........
Want more?
================= EXHIBIT 6 ================
Too bad Bimbo S. Heard can't convince the mullafarkers to preach that sermon...
Its shocking to those twits that we have freedom of speech here. Heres an idea for them to consider. Maybe if some of the people in their cult of murder did not kill thousands of innocent civilians, some Americans would not hate them. What were they expecting? We are not the cowardly spanish.
Heard is a communist, anti-semitic nutjob fringe writer who believes Arafat at worst is a "suspected grafter." She really doesn't deserve to be posted on FR, IMHO. Let her preach to her fellow fringe nutjobs, not to us.
What if Americans began treating Muslims exactly as Christians are treated in Saudi Arabia? Would that be "hate"?
She's a communist, fanatically anti-zionist, calls herself an "Arabist," born in either Britain or Canada, writes for Alexander Cockburn's leftist anti-American periodical Counterpunch among other radical publications, and, IMHO, has no business being posted on FR.
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