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In U.S., fear and distrust of Muslims runs deep
Reuters on Yahoo ^ | 12/2/06 | Bernd Debusmann

Posted on 12/02/2006 12:10:44 PM PST by NormsRevenge

WASHINGTON (Reuters)- When radio host Jerry Klein suggested that all Muslims in the United States should be identified with a crescent-shape tattoo or a distinctive arm band, the phone lines jammed instantly.

The first caller to the station in Washington said that Klein must be "off his rocker." The second congratulated him and added: "Not only do you tattoo them in the middle of their forehead but you ship them out of this country ... they are here to kill us."

Another said that tattoos, armbands and other identifying markers such as crescent marks on driver's licenses, passports and birth certificates did not go far enough. "What good is identifying them?" he asked. "You have to set up encampments like during World War Two with the Japanese and Germans."

At the end of the one-hour show, rich with arguments on why visual identification of "the threat in our midst" would alleviate the public's fears, Klein revealed that he had staged a hoax. It drew out reactions that are not uncommon in post-9/11 America.

"I can't believe any of you are sick enough to have agreed for one second with anything I said," he told his audience on the AM station 630 WMAL (http://www.wmal.com/), which covers Washington, Northern Virginia and Maryland

"For me to suggest to tattoo marks on people's bodies, have them wear armbands, put a crescent moon on their driver's license on their passport or birth certificate is disgusting. It's beyond disgusting.

"Because basically what you just did was show me how the German people allowed what happened to the Jews to happen ... We need to separate them, we need to tattoo their arms, we need to make them wear the yellow Star of David, we need to put them in concentration camps, we basically just need to kill them all because they are dangerous."

The show aired on November 26, the Sunday after the Thanksgiving holiday, and Klein said in an interview afterwards he had been surprised by the response.

"The switchboard went from empty to totally jammed within minutes," said Klein. "There were plenty of callers angry with me, but there were plenty who agreed."

POLLS SHOW WIDESPREAD ANTI-MUSLIM SENTIMENT

Those in agreement are not a fringe minority: A Gallup poll this summer of more than 1,000 Americans showed that 39 percent were in favor of requiring Muslims in the United States, including American citizens, to carry special identification.

Roughly a quarter of those polled said they would not want to live next door to a Muslim and a third thought that Muslims in the United States sympathized with al Qaeda, the extremist group behind the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington.

A poll carried out by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), an advocacy group, found that for one in three Americans, the word Islam triggers negative connotations such as "war," "hatred" and "terrorist." The war in Iraq has contributed to such perceptions.

Klein's show followed a week of heated discussions on talk radio, including his own, and online forums over an incident on November 22 involving six Muslim clerics. They were handcuffed and taken off a US Airways flight after passengers reported "suspicious behavior" that included praying in the departure gate area.

The clerics, on their way to a meeting of the North American Imams Federation, were detained in a holding cell, questioned by police and FBI agents, and released. Muslim community leaders saw the incident as yet more evidence of anti-Muslim prejudice.

IGNORANCE SEEN AS KEY PROBLEM

Several American Muslims interviewed on the subject of prejudice over the past few weeks said ignorance was at the core of the problem.

"The level of knowledge is very, very low," said Mohamed Esa, a U.S. Muslim of Arab descent who teaches a course on Islam at McDaniel College in Maryland. "There are 1.3 billion Muslims in the world and some people think they are all terrorists."

Hossam Ahmed, a retired Air Force Reserve colonel who occasionally leads prayer meetings for the small Muslim congregation at the Pentagon, agreed. "Ignorance is the number one problem. Education is of the essence."

There are no hard figures on how many Muslims have been subject to harassment or prejudice and community leaders say that ugly incidents can prompt spontaneous expressions of support. Such as the e-mail a Minneapolis woman sent to CAIR after the imams were taken off their flight.

"I would like to ... help," the e-mail said. "While I cannot offer plane tickets, I would be happy to drive at least 2 or 3 of them. My car is small, but at least some of our hearts in this land of the free are large."

And optimists saw signs of change in the November 4 election of the first Muslim to the U.S. House of Representatives, which has 435 members.

Democrat Keith Ellison, a 43-year-old African-American lawyer, did not stress his religion during his campaign for a Minnesota seat, but said his victory would "signal to people who are not Muslims that Muslims have a lot to offer to the United States and the improvement of our country."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: banislam; cair; dhimmi; ellison; enemywithin; hitpiece; infiltration; islam; keithellison; mediabias; mooselimbs; nationalsecurity; propaganda; terrorists; trop; wellduh; yellowjournalism
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To: sonic109
Some people are working on it:


181 posted on 12/03/2006 3:53:59 PM PST by Salem (FREE REPUBLIC - Fighting to win within the Arena of the War of Ideas! So get in the fight!)
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To: Melas
You don't think that interring Japanese saved a lot of Japanese lives? It did. The anger of Americans after the bombing of Pearl was unthinking, and understandable. A number of Japanese never made it to the camps. Would you have seen more of that?

Here you are, 60 years after the fact, judging the consequences of war, a war in which a lot of American mother's son were killed. And every mother of a soldier stayed at home waiting for that telegram.

You had better believe that any little action that could increase the chance of her beloved boy returning home would be done and she'd be behind it 100%

Who knew which of the resident Japanese wouldn't pass information or coordinate a population attack? It's real easy for you, in hindsight, to know there were no attacks on this country, but the people then certainly didn't know.

Your ignorance of threat conditions in the past makes you incompetent to hold an opinion of another probable threat today.

182 posted on 12/03/2006 4:03:14 PM PST by William Terrell (Individuals can exist without government but government can't exist without individuals.)
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To: NRA2BFree

"You forgot this: < / sarcasm > LOL"

Didn't think that'd be necessary, given the conclusion of my statement. ;)


183 posted on 12/03/2006 4:08:14 PM PST by EnochPowellWasRight
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To: CitizenUSA

"We, a nation of 300 million people, are not going to wipe out 1 billion Muslims."

I would hope that's not necessary. In the end, we no more have to kill every Muslim than we had to kill every Nazi party member or follower of the cult of the emperor in Japan to destroy those respective ideologies. Many Muslims don't even know what their book says. Some, when they find out, convert to Christianity.

"Do you think that would actually help win the war? No, it wouldn't."

Of course you wouldn't think that. It's not NICE. Of course, no one ever won a war being NICE in the history of mankind.

"It would drive the vast majority of the 1 billion Muslims into our enemy's camp."

They're just as much in the "enemy's camp" as the German civilians were.

"As long as they aren't doing something criminal, they have the same rights as any other American."

Kerry, again.


184 posted on 12/03/2006 4:11:55 PM PST by EnochPowellWasRight
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To: William Terrell
You don't think that interring Japanese saved a lot of Japanese lives? It did. The anger of Americans after the bombing of Pearl was unthinking, and understandable. A number of Japanese never made it to the camps. Would you have seen more of that?

For starters, let's accurately use the language. Japanese weren't interred, they were deported. Americans of Japanese descent were interred. It stings a helluva lot worse when you drop the facade that we interred foreigners (we did not) and state unequivocally that we locked up American citizens for being born of the wrong ethnicity.

Here you are, 60 years after the fact, judging the consequences of war, a war in which a lot of American mother's son were killed. And every mother of a soldier stayed at home waiting for that telegram.

Your point is? Or rather what does this have to do with suspending the constitutional rights of Americans for having the wrong skin tone? For the record, my father, now departed was off fighting that war. It was he, a decorated veteran and purple heart recipient on Omaha who first taught me that what did to Americans of Japanese descent was criminal. So don't hide behind the flag, it won't wash with me, I know better.

Your ignorance of threat conditions in the past makes you incompetent to hold an opinion of another probable threat today.

Oh please, your rubbish only sounds competent to you because you simply don't know any better. Genuinely moral ideas are just beyond your ability to grasp so they only seem incompetent to you.

185 posted on 12/03/2006 4:12:22 PM PST by Melas (Offending stupid people since 1963)
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To: Jo Nuvark
"How 'bout Buchannon? (half serious)"

He's right on this civilizational war, but he thinks we've already lost it. He's depressing.
186 posted on 12/03/2006 4:13:31 PM PST by EnochPowellWasRight
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To: Melas
"You made your position clear in the above, and I don't find you to be particularly useful, so further dialogue would be pointless."

Good. You surrender. How nice. Now, if you would only learn something from the rest of us here... the Constitution isn't a suicide pact.
187 posted on 12/03/2006 4:15:13 PM PST by EnochPowellWasRight
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To: Melas
"Japanese weren't interred,"

No, they weren't killed and buried. They were INTERNED. When you accuse others of inaccurately using the language and then do this..... LOL The same kind of "internment" faced by Allied personnel caught in neutral countries....

"that we locked up American citizens for being born of the wrong ethnicity."

We "locked up" (actually, transported from sensitive areas) first generation foreign born Japanese AND Germans and Italians (something you keep forgetting). Their 2nd generation went with them. Quite a few PATRIOTIC Japanese Nisei understood this and why it had to happen.

"It was he, a decorated veteran and purple heart recipient on Omaha who first taught me that what did to Americans of Japanese descent was criminal. "

My grandfather served in the Pacific Theater. He had a different perspective. You know, you're pretty sanctimonious about a subject you know little about. I'd suggest a little bit of research. Start with MAGIC (classified at the time and not something your father would have been aware of then). I would bet you'd prefer to parrot MSM assumptions instead.
188 posted on 12/03/2006 4:21:28 PM PST by EnochPowellWasRight
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To: Melas
For starters, let's accurately use the language. Japanese weren't interred, they were deported. Americans of Japanese descent were interred.

Quibble. To Americans a Japanese was a Japanese, and they were killing their sons. You're 60 years from the event.

Your point is?

There were women who breathed a sigh of relief when Japanese were interred. You could have polled the women who has sons in the Pacific theater and I doubt you would have collected more than a dozen who were against the interment.

Don't blame it on your father. The American President had war powers, and they were used. You had better believe that he would have been skinned alive, along with the Japanese individual that was left rooming the country.

Your father was in the vast minority. It was decades after the war that liberal groups started this bleeding heart whining about the interment of Japanese peoples. It didn't start sooner because Americans still remembered the commonsense of the act, like the bilge about dropping a nuke on Japan.

It's awful handy to be safe to criticize six decades ofter the event, yes?

189 posted on 12/03/2006 4:30:46 PM PST by William Terrell (Individuals can exist without government but government can't exist without individuals.)
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To: NormsRevenge

I'm all for sharia islamic gov't, only if it is contained in NYC, LA & SF. (Sorry, sarcism only) Might add Boston to the list, and throw in Austin, since I live in Texas. That would at least eliminate the females from voting.


190 posted on 12/03/2006 4:31:16 PM PST by Alissa
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To: EnochPowellWasRight
Good. You surrender. How nice. Now, if you would only learn something from the rest of us here... the Constitution isn't a suicide pact.

Lol, surrender? Hardly. I'll continue on voting my conscience at the polls and supporting those ideas which seem anethma to you with my monetary contributions. So, no pal, there is no surrender. I am however ceasing to toss peals before swine in this discussion.

191 posted on 12/03/2006 4:32:43 PM PST by Melas (Offending stupid people since 1963)
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To: Melas
"I'll continue on voting my conscience at the polls and supporting those ideas which seem anethma to you with my monetary contributions. "

I guess I can see a lot of election days where you pull the "D" lever....

"So, no pal, there is no surrender. I am however ceasing to toss peals before swine in this discussion."

You're on the wrong side of history, Melas.
192 posted on 12/03/2006 4:38:51 PM PST by EnochPowellWasRight
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To: Blackirish

Re your taxicab drivers -- you must work in DC. Taking a cab to/from Dulles Airport is such a joy (sarcasm) -- you can feel the hatred. If their dirty looks could kill, most of their customers would be dead.


193 posted on 12/03/2006 4:44:00 PM PST by EverOnward
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To: CitizenUSA
"There are plenty of peaceful Muslims. Would you round them up simply for their religion? I admit some of them are doing very evil things, but does that justify treating all Muslims like criminals?"

Post No. 47 answers your question very well.

194 posted on 12/03/2006 4:47:16 PM PST by EverOnward
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To: GSlob
"the word Islam triggers negative connotations such as "war," "hatred" and "terrorist."

Gee and they haven't done a helluva lot to correct that impression have they?

195 posted on 12/03/2006 4:56:50 PM PST by dvan
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To: NormsRevenge

Muslims have a lot to offer to the United States and the improvement of our country."

And the definition of "improvement" is ??????


196 posted on 12/03/2006 5:01:30 PM PST by Joan Kerrey
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To: Joan Kerrey

...is their absence.


197 posted on 12/03/2006 5:41:46 PM PST by GSlob
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To: AmericanArchConservative; CitizenUSA; F15Eagle; Salem; Fred Nerks; ariamne; jan in Colorado; ...
A.A.C. I understand your sentiments completely. I'll present something in a moment I hope you'll give your consideration in reaching a conclusive decision regarding the root of the problems we, in all Western Civilization, have with Islam today. Before embarking down that path, I most often find myself in opposition to what you term "SlimeStreamMedia", President Bush and quite nearly all our political leaders, renown authors like Robert Spencer and Victor Davis Hanson addressing the threats posed by Islam, and Karen Armstrong, she being adamant supporter and apologist of Islam. To me, all these figures stop short of holding Islam responsible to varying degrees.

Now the item I wanted to share with you is from one of these people, Robert Spencer. I believe it should be heard by as many as possible to understand why this confrontation with Islam is occurring at this point in history. If you follow this link, http://multimedia.heritage.org/content/wm/Allison-111406.wvx you will have an opportunity to view a presentation Mr. Spencer made before The Heritage Foundation about his book "The Truth of Muhammad". At 51 minutes into his presentation, and during a question and answer period, he brings attention to something we all suspect exists, but lack specific knowledge. This specific segment last just under 4 minutes.

Essentially he details agreements Western nations entered into with Arab oil producing states in response to the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo. To assure the steady flow, these nations agreed to accept a steady flow of Muslim immigrants from Islamic states with a promise not to try to assimilate them into western culture. In short, by way of our leadership we have agreed to paying for Arab oil supplies with our hard cash and Muslim immigration within our nations.

If the opportunity exists, please watch the full presentation. It is excellent, although I still hold hope Robert Spencer will soon stop making exceptions for Islam, he comes as close to my own perspective that I've heard expressed by one of his stature.
198 posted on 12/03/2006 5:55:20 PM PST by backtothestreets (Invite Jesus to pray with you.)
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To: backtothestreets
What a coincidence. I fell over that program on cable this afternoon. Watched about ten minutes but being pretty familiar with the content, I went to doing other things.

Nonetheless, it is another example of media resources being produced out there that are starting to encroach on the hegemony of the MSM and the America hating Left's territory.

Which is good news.  !

199 posted on 12/03/2006 6:08:09 PM PST by Salem (FREE REPUBLIC - Fighting to win within the Arena of the War of Ideas! So get in the fight!)
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To: sonic109
Klien dosen't know it but he the would be the first one they would kill .

Klein is a jerk. He is still fighting the Nazis and now he is alienating his audience.

200 posted on 12/03/2006 6:16:23 PM PST by ladyjane
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