Posted on 09/25/2004 8:46:16 AM PDT by yoe
So, then you're saying there are thousands of brave muslim americans dying, fighting FOR america?
If I remember the numbers correctly, there are less than 4,000 muslim soldiers in all of the U.S. Military at present..
And at least one of them rolled a grenade into his commander's tent..
Another "disappeared" and was supposedly "kidnapped", and then ended up in.. Lebanon??
Weren't there some at Gitmo? Wasn't one of them (or was it 2 ? ) caught taking classified material out of the prison facilities there? Didn't one of them take classified docs to Syria/Lebanon on a CD?
It seems that even those who are "willing" to serve america and "defend" it's freedom have some serious issues as to where their loyalties lie..
Their enlisting seems to be more for an opportunity to act as a double agent than a defender of freedom and democracy..
I may be wrong, but I don't quite see the parrallel between Muslim-americans and German/Italian/Japanese-Americans..
Like you said, they proved their loyalties by fighting and dying for this country...
His headline was written poorly, I agree, but throughout the article the author clearly is referring to Arab-muslims, not Arabs in general. I would hope nobody on these forums would discriminate based on the birthplace of ones ancestors.
The question is not if, but to whom.
Still is. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2003/112/22.0.html
Probally the reason Lebanon is mostly muslum today, the Marinoities immrigrated here.
Not to generalize myself right under a pile-on, but back in the early 20th century, America was a melting pot and everyone understood that. People came here to become Americans. Nowadays there's something unsavory about that. Ethnic pride (ie, transcendent tribalism) demands that an individual resist assimilation. For many immigrants today, America is a network of troughs---and sewers.
"Until fairly recently tha majority of Arab Americans were Christians. These included Lebanese and Syrian Maronite Catholics , Iraqi Chaldeans, and Egyptian Copts. Immigration has changed this"
Excellent point. So why do we still have these politically correct immigration policies on the books?
No.
1. It is the liberals and Democrats who want to judge people based on the groups they belong to rather than the individual content of their characters. If you agree with the sentiments of this post, then you should go join them. They love to hate (or love) people based on their belonging to a group. Conservatives are supposed to respect competence, character and the rights of each individual. Whether someone belongs to a group should not matter.
2. I am not a Muslim, but, being of Arabic descent in America, I have known a few. As far as I can tell, the vast majority of Muslims in this country support the war on terror and want nothing to do with radical Islam. They are helping our government covertly, turning in strangers who show up at their mosques and otherwise lending a hand where they can. The fact that there have been no terrorists attacks in the US since 9/11 is somewhat of a tribute to American Muslims being willing to do some housecleaning. The reason they are not more public with their condemnation is that THEY ARE AFRAID. It's not because they hate you or are rooting for the terrorists. We may wish they were more public with their outrage, but we are not faced with the cultural pressures they are, and so maybe we ought to cut them a little slack.
There have been many condemnations of terrorism in the Muslim American community, but they usually fall on deaf ears. Bigots often get hard of hearing. Maybe their blinders end up covering their ears as well as their eyes.
Exactly my thoughts.
Many of us here have had immediate family and ancestors who made the sacrifices that these newly arrived Muslims/Arabs are benefitting from.
Are we being played for suckers ?
The question should have read "Muslim Americans" vice "Arab Americans." I believe that one in a thousand Muslim Americans, regardless of their ethnic background are loyal to a particular country. Their loyalty lies with Islam.
That statement was totally wrong. To lump all Arab-Americans in with terrorists or even Muslims is ignorant. I dont think a majority on FR think that way. But I have to admit that I mostly agree with the article about mistrust of American-Muslims. Its hard not to. Theres just to much misunderstatnding on both sides. And to feign trust, just to be nice and PC doesnt fly with alot of Americans. Unfortunatly some people have a hard time keeping that mistrust from spilling over on to others that dont deserve it.
Even if he is, he is still overreaching. How many American Muslims were on the planes that attacked the WTC? How many domestic terrorist events have Arabic American Muslims been responsible for? None that I know of. And yet, this author wants to paint them with the same brush as Osama Bin Laden.
Our allies in Iraq are MUSLIMS. Our allies in Pakistan are MUSLIMS. The blood they are shedding in this struggle is just as red as ours. It is folly to think we can exterminate the whole religion and make ourselves safe. That's the way our enemies think. We stand for civilization, and so we hold ourselves to a higher standard than that. The kind of rhetoric in this peace only alienates our friends and emboldens our enemies.
Some aren't, most are.
Don't bet on it. My experience during the first Gulf war...based on direct contact within arab Christian parishes...indicated that a significant percentage of arab Christians in this country opposed our intervention against the "ghoulish" Saddam to save Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Their ethnicity seemed to trump their Christianity.
Unless, of course, one is an Arab American. Then it's OK to take their rights.
Absolutely! I mean it's not like they're people or anything, I mean the dress funny, eat funny foods and sound different.
First they came for the Jews. But I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists. But I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists. But I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist.
And then they came for me. But there was no one left to speak out for me.
- Pastor Martin Niemoeller,
I believe that one in a thousand Muslim Americans, regardless of their ethnic background are loyal to a particular country.
Proof please.
Today's arab-and-muslim bashers remind me of my maternal grandmother, a real Archie Bunker type who nontheless worshiped Danny Thomas (real name: Muzyad Ahoob). They probably think Spencer Abraham is either Jewish or Scots-Amish and that "Sunnunu" is a Swedish name.
There is alot of ignorance concerning American-Muslims, but what can we expect? Do Arab Muslims that come to this country really understand American culture? The problem is that we just just dont 'get' each-other. Muslims tend to be very private. That is their right, but it breeds mistrust.
You say there have been many condemnations? I have heard a few, and God bless them for being brave enough to speak out. And maybe the word isnt getting out. But also, we have heard alot of equivicating and parsed words from the Muslim community. My ears are not deaf to such things. I love to hear the truth, good or bad.
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