Juan Cole: Bigotry toward Muslims and Anti-Arab Racism Grow in US

[Briar]

Bigotry toward Muslims and Anti-Arab Racism Grow in US;
Dubai and the Quran


The constant drumbeat of hatred toward Muslims and Arabs on the American Right, on television and radio and in the press, has gradually had its effect. This according to a Washington Post poll. Even in the year after September 11, a majority of Americans respected Islam and Muslims, but powerful forces in US society are determined to change that, and are gradually succeeding. As they win, Bin Laden also wins, since his whole enterprise was to "sharpen the contradictions" and provoke a clash of civilizations.

Some 25% of Americans now say they personally are prejudiced against Muslims. And 33% think that Islam as a religion helps incite violence against non-Muslims, up from 14% after September 11. The Bush administration policy is to continually insinuate that the Muslim world is the new Soviet Union and full of sinister forces that require the US to go to war against them. But at the same time, America has warm relations with Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Senegal, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, etc., etc. When Saudi Arabia's then crown prince (now king) Abdullah came to the US, Bush brought him to the Crawford ranch, held hands with him and kissed him on each cheek.

This two-faced policy and self-contradictory rhetoric has contributed to growing hatred and bigotry toward Muslims in the US, which is no less worrisome than the hatred Jews faced in Europe in the 1920s. It is dangerous because of what it can become.

...http://www.juancole.com/

[Captain Hilts]

1. Well, blowing up the WTC and London subway weren't a good P.R. move

I have several friends who are Muslims who hate the image radical muslims have projected.

[Emendator]

25. We must judge individuals

by their own personal merits. But that doesn't mean we must respect any particular belief system, sych as Islam, which is barbaric.

[squarepants]

2. i hate to say it, but..

seems to me, the people who are going to be prejudiced against a whole race of people because of a few, already had problems to begin with. As far as the beginning of the article about the "american right", well, those people tend to "smear" anyone and everybody that isn't just like them. Sad.

[leftyladyfrommo]

3. I'm Going to Get Flamed but I disagree

Seeing day after day of photos of people rioting and screaming "death to Americans" is going to have an effect on how people think. Even if it is on a subconscious level. Bombings and beheadings and burned bodies hanging from bridges only make it worse.

I know a lot of this can be laid directly on this adm. But we are hated across much of the world. It is not safe anymore for Americans to travel in many places. And it is because of the feelings of thousands and thousands of Islamists across the globe. This is not the result of just a few radicals. We are hated by millions.

This will get worse - not better. And we will become more and more isolated and unable to travel freely.

[Terran1212]

26. If they understand that this doesn't have to do with Islam

But areas troubled with war, poverty, instability, etc.

[still_one]

4. Dubai HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH RACISM

if anyone thinks the royal family of dubai has the same life styles as the Muslims and Arabs they CONTROL, I have some swamp land in Arizonia to sell you

Our ports should be managed and run by AMERICANS. This deal is to enrich bush and company, and sell our country down the tubes

[Taxloss]

5. But they've been owned and managed by Brits for years.

With nary a whisper of complaint.

(PS we own Burger King as well)

[Captain Hilts]

6. Brits aren't 'foreigners'. They're the Beatles, Python, Liz, etc. nt

[Taxloss]

7. ... And a persistent domestic terrorism problem. n/t

[WinkyDink]

8. The Brits have been a terrorism problem?

Here? As in, the U.S. of A.? Aka, "America"?

I'd better stop watching TV. I miss a lot.

[Taxloss]

9. Northern Ireland is part of Britain.

And the bombers on 7/7 and 21/7 were all native Brits.

[Chico Man]

10. Most of our grocery stores are foreign run as well..

Ahold (Netherlands) owns Stop and Shop
Sainsbury (UK) owns Shaws
Delhaize Group (Belgium) owns Hannaford

The list goes on and on..

[still_one]

12. grocery stores are a little different than ports don't you think?

[Chico Man]

16. Food supply?

Just goes to show how little we actually still own.

[still_one]

18. actually the grocery stores are not the problem

it is the food we import, that is where the vulnerability is.

In California every year Gilroy has a garlic festival. Most of that garlic is now being grown in China.

[still_one]

11. it doesn't matter, there should be NO foreign ownership of our ports

what we didn't know in the past, does NOT negate the present

Read the history of the Boxer rebellion, how China was selling their country to foreign concerns. That is the same thing that we are doing

[Taxloss]

13. What about foreign ownership of planes that are allowed into US airspace?

Or foreign ownership of freight carriers and logistics firms?

[still_one]

14. I am talking about 21 ports of entry into this country

It is amazing how the subject keeps getting changed, but this is BAD for America, and for Americans

Two of the hijackers of 9/11 were from the UAE, their banks were used to fund money to support the groups that did 9/11 to us

It does NOT take rocket science to see the obvious

I have no doubt that this deal will go through, the carllye and bush family will be enriched, and our country will continue to be sold down the river

[Taxloss]

15. The 9/11 hijackers flew on American-owned planes through

American-owned airports.

[still_one]

17. that is an entirely different point

the administration was warned about 9/11 for 9 months when they took office, and didn't take any security measures. In addition, an argument could be made that the administration allowed 9/11 to occur so they could have the power they have today

This port deal is an insider deal to enrich the bush clan and its friends at the expense of our security

the ports are already vulnerable, and we want a country who has sympathized with radical fundamentalists to manage it?

Incidently, the royal family of dubai are the ones who will be enriched by this, NOT the people in that region.

[Taxloss]

19. So is this about security or corruption? n/t

[still_one]

20. both

I hear and understand your arguments, but for me the ports should have NEVER been under foreign management

I am NOT a fan NAFTA, and am for fair trade, NOT free trade. When bill clinton and associates negotiated those deals, that was the beginning of the end for America

There is no way we can EVER compete with China or India due to population differences, and disparity between standards of living

[T_i_B]

22. hahahaha

It is funny how little you hear about the rest of the P&O carve-up out side of the ports from DUer's isn't it? Probably because the people ranting about DP World know nothing whatsoever about how the shipping industry actually works and they don't know anything whatsoever about the rest of what's being sold off from P&O.

Oh, and then there's the fact that not all of P&O is being sold to Arabs.

[rodeodance]

21. msnbc was saying today that people are going against Islam in general.

[DrGonzoLives]

23. RACISM RACISM RACISM

RACISM RACISM RACISM RACISM RACISM RACISM RACISM RACISM RACISM

Gets old after a while, doesn't it?

[classysassy]

24. Racism

if its old and useless,get rid of it.