Proud of America's Muslim acceptance (Interesting POV on "the backlash")

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | August 26, 2010 | BETSY HART www.betsysblog.com

[Chi-townChief]

FROM THE HART | But where is Islam outrage about Sept. 11?

"Is America Islamophobic?" The question, sparked by the controversy over the response to the proposed mosque and community center near Ground Zero in New York, screamed from the recent Time magazine. The "answer," according to the team of authors, is a resounding yes.

Consider this headline from the Associated Press, after the murders at Fort Hood committed by a Muslim man late last year: "Another Attack Leaves US Muslims Fearing Backlash."

That was the conclusion jumped to by one of the same news organizations that routinely tells us not to jump to any conclusions linking crimes committed by Muslims to Islam. Only, once again the predicted "backlash" didn't materialize. Of course it didn't.

That's the United States I know, and that's the real story I want my kids to know. That in the wake of murder of just under 3,000 Americans done in the name of Islam, and subsequent murders (Fort Hood) and attempted murders (Times Square), America has demonstrated extraordinary restraint and true tolerance toward Muslims.

FBI statistics for 2008, the most recent year for which they are available, show that of the 1,606 reported hate crime offenses motivated by religious bias, 65.7 percent were actually anti-Jewish, 8.4 percent anti-Christian, and 7.7 percent anti-Islamic. Any such crime, which includes a wide range of violations but are often related to property or intimidation, are deplorable. But, the scarcity is what is stunning.

The efforts by our national leaders to consistently defend Islam as a "religion of peace" and visit mosques (President Bush), celebrate Ramadan (President Obama), refuse to allow any racial profiling even at airports (every Homeland Security Secretary), and more, is breathtaking.

Some outright hateful comments by a few commentators and everyday bloggers? Sure. But amazing -- again -- is that such things are routinely condemned in the national conversation.

Where is the Muslim outrage over Sept. 11 and the subsequent terrorist attacks around the world done in the name of Islam? While there have been instances of such condemnation by Muslim leaders, they are too few, and often too nuanced.

If Muslim leaders were to condemn far more forcefully, regularly, publicly, and directly terrorism done in the name of Islam, if they were to openly celebrate the unique and extraordinary restraint of Americans toward Muslims in spite of such terror here, they'd probably be welcome to put a mosque even near Ground Zero.

That's just America. And it's one that all of us, from my children, to the vast majority of law-abiding American Muslims who want the terror to stop as much as anyone, to the authors of Time magazine, can and should be proud of.

Follow Betsy on Twitter at betsyhartspeaks.

[Vaduz]

Never trust a muslim.

[WOSG]

The Liberal MSM are patriot-phobes.

They have a fear, hate and loathing of red-state patriotic Americans.

[Dick Bachert]

Political Correctness:

”A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical liberal minority, and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.”

By spreading this definition around, perhaps we can employ one of the more effective methods of deflating and defeating the fools who practice and promote it: RIDICULE.

Unless stopped – and soon – PC will DESTROY Western Civilization -- if it hasn’t already.

PASS IT ON!!

THEN PASS THE KOOL AID!!

[Berlin_Freeper]

I am fearing backlash from Muslims for opposing their Ground Zero Victory Mosque.

[Republic of Texas]

We Americans are the best friends you could ever have, slow to anger, but once angered, the worst enemy you will ever face.

[Redleg Duke]

The MSM and the rest of the Libs, along with the Muslim fanatics, are really frustrated...”What the hell is it going to take to generate a backlash?”

[knarf]

An excellent commentary.

Personally I want every mosque shut down, evacuated (I'm humane) and razed.

I want every Muslim deported, lock, stock, barrel, kids and dog.

They must undergo severe scrutiny including, "Why do you want to be where you despise our culture?"

Remounce Islam, get saved and attend a fundamental Baptist church.

That is really, really how I feel.

[PLOM...NOT!]

Sadly..that same thing could be asked of liberals.

[redpoll]

I agree in this regard: the Constitution isn’t a suicide pact. There is nothing in the Constitution which allows those with different political and ideological beliefs to openly declare that they want the destruction of our government, culture, and personal beliefs.

When my grandparents moved here from Russia, the Czech Republic, and Hungary (known as the Austro-Hungarian Empire back in the day), they came in the knowledge that they were becoming part of a Constitutional republic based on rule of law with a limited federal government.

If someone wants to move to this country with the goal of overthrowing the current state of affairs... isn’t that called war? Once a person starts exhorting fellow believers to accept sharia law, kill the Jews, and establish the caliphate, they’ve declared war, and we are within our rights to defend ourselves. Your suggestions about how to deal with it are far more humane than the response would be in an Islamic country for anyone suggesting revolutionary change in culture, religion, and state.

My fear is that when we finally wake up, we’ll be forced to deal with the problem in the same way that the Spanish had to deal with Moors. How many centuries of civil conflict did that take before those people were free to express their own beliefs and culture?

[IrishCatholic]

“I want every Muslim deported, lock, stock, barrel, kids and dog”

Dogs are unclean to Muslims.

Reason #1 to not trust the cult.

[RightWingConspirator]

Actually, very few Muslims will have dogs because Islam considers dogs, like pigs, to be unclean. I almost went ballistic one day a couple of years ago when a raghead woman and her two brats were walking down the sidewalk in front of my stepdaughter’s house as we were getting out of our car with our two dachshunds. One of the brats walked over to one of my dogs and tried to kick him. I yelled at the brat and his mother hustled him away with my curses following them down the street.

[correctthought]

Actually the Lame Streamer's white washing of any Muslim wrong doing is one of the causes of any perceived backlash. Americans and anybody actually, resent being lied and condescended to. For example:

Flight 911 monument in the shape of a red crescent.... just a coincidence and not significant.

Islam is a religion of peace..... blanket statement that ignores an important militant minority willing to slaughter the innocent.

If we don't build a Ground Zero mosque, then we don't have religious freedom in this country; ((yeah sure thing bloomy))

Why there is absolutely no chance the ground zero mosque is a victory monument.

Hmmm failed car bombing attempt in Times Square... must be anyone other than a islamic militant.

.... On and on... by not having an honest and objective discussion about these issues, people will know they are lied too and more importantly may see more conspiracy than there is. Far from helping honest Americans whether Muslim or not, this sort of sugar coating or blatant lying harms the very people it tries to supposedly helps.

Further, it is an insult to the American people as it presumes we are just a bunch of bigoted morons. People really resent being condescended too and that's another problem with these media dimwits.

Sorry for the long post, usually I try to keep things light and irreverent. ((maybe irrelevant??))

Obamunism is a lie.