The Islamophobia myth

NY Post ^ | August 26, 2010 | Jonah Goldberg

[Scanian]

Michael Enright, a 21-year-old film student, drunkenly entered a cab Tuesday night. He asked the driver if he was Muslim, and when the answer came back in the affirmative, Enright attacked the driver with a knife. He's being charged with attempted murder and hate crimes.

It's unavoidable that many will cite this as proof of the national wave of "Islamophobia," touted by Time magazine and other media outlets. We'll have to wait for the facts, but even if the allegations prove true, one assault doesn't a national trend make.

Indeed, it would be outrageous for the same people who reflexively insist that confirmed and coordinated Islamic terrorist attacks are "isolated incidents" that don't reflect on Muslims generally to suddenly insist that this one lone, despicable act somehow reflects the views and attitudes of, say, the 70 percent of Americans who oppose the Ground Zero mosque.

Consider the data.

According to the FBI, hate crimes against Muslims increased by a staggering 1,600 percent in 2001. That sounds serious! But wait, the rise is a math mirage. There were 28 anti-Islamic incidents in 2000. That number climbed to 481 the year a bunch of Muslim terrorists murdered 3,000 Americans in the name of Islam on 9/11.

Regardless, 2001 was the zenith or, looked at through the prism of our national shame, the nadir of the much-discussed anti-Muslim backlash in the United States -- and civil libertarians and Muslim activists insisted it was 1930s Germany all over again. The following year, the number of anti-Muslim hate-crime incidents (overwhelmingly, nonviolent vandalism and nasty words) dropped to 155. In 2003, there were 149 such incidents. The number has hovered around the mid-100s or lower ever since.

[ilovesarah2012]

Perhaps stories like this will discourage them from coming here.

[Pecos]

I wonder how many of the “hate crime” incidents were garden variety crimes, that is, the victim was only incidentally Moslem. I can prove anything you want to prove if I get to use statistics.

[Diogenesis]

“The alleged assailant, Michael Enright, is — according to his Facebook profile and the
website of the left-leaning media organization Intersections International — a student at
the School of Visual Arts and a volunteer for Intersections, which recently produced a
statement of support for the Park51 project, and is funded by the mainstream, liberal
Collegiate Church of New York.”

[maddog55]

Islamophobia is just another example of the left trying to make up words to cover a cause..

I have no fear or Islam, it’s just an insane religion based on some dick named Muhammed the pedophile prophet. Ranks right up there with Scientology !

[IamConservative]

I can prove anything you want to prove if I get to use statistics.

What was the Twain quote? Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics I think.

I like your line; much more affirmative. I also agree with your thought that the muslim factor was incidental in many cases. Thieves and violent offenders aren't known to be picky.

[CynicalBear]

Problem with that whole cenario is that the perp was a lefti who was for the Mosque and drunk and the cab driver said he was AGAINST the Mosque.

[Leftism is Mentally Deranged]

Right after 9/11, the government’s only concern was to protect the jihadis from the “wrath” of the citizens. Amazingly, the normal people did not attack individual jihadis or burn down jihadi indoctrination centers. Because of that the government went on to monitor normal citizens more closely for their jihadiphobia, and started counting shouts of “towelhead” as “hate crimes.”
As thanks, the jihadis stepped up their attacks on normal people, while the government claimed that the attacks had no connection to terrorism.

[DNME]

As long as we’re being phobic here ...

If a young Muslim man can be convinced to blow himself up for the cause, couldn’t he also be convinced to give up his freedom (but not his life) for the same cause?

In other words, could a young Muslim zealot be convinced to do something awful — a la Michael Enright — purely to enflame Muslim opinion? Something heinous and egregiously evil for the sole purpose of making Muslims look oppressed by Christians and others? Say ... attack a mosque with a sword while screaming “JESUS SAVES” or “ISRAEL FOREVER” or something along those lines.

The worst that would happen is he gets locked up in prison for the rest of his life, where he can dedicate himself to converting other criminals to the Muslim faith.

[Pecos]

Yes, Twain.

My understanding from listening to professionals is that most street crimes tend to be the product of a bad guy that waits for the fish to swim into the trap. Think ambush zone.