Islamophobia: the new antisemitism

[Blue_Tires]

The New York Times is reporting that a pastor in my hometown of Gainesville, Florida is planning to "commemorate" 11 September 2001 by publicly burning the Qur'an. The photograph that accompanies the story showed the pastor, Terry Jones, standing in a field of grass behind signs that read "Islam is of the devil."

The tall pines of my childhood tower behind him and I was shocked to see those two images together. From my apartment in Tel Aviv, I searched the edges of the photo for something else familiar, something that would soothe me.

Where is my hometown? I thought. This is not the Gainesville I grew up in.

Gainesville is quintessential America. It's swimming pools and popsicles. It's kids scooting about on bikes on lazy summer days. It's Norman Rockwell America.

It's also Tom Petty's hometown, the place that gave rise to his famous song "American Girl". If I've had a bit too much to drink and I sing along, I find a southern accent I never knew I had. And if a Jewish girl can discover a southern accent for herself in Gainesville, anyone can find a home there. Right?

Then I remember.

When I was a child, some of my evangelical Christian classmates urged me to convert. Because I was Jewish and didn't accept Jesus Christ as my personal lord and saviour, they told me, I was going to hell.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/aug/26/islam-religion

[RandomThoughts]

1. I don't agree with that either.

That is a form of coersion.

I think of it this way.

If that was the case, for me, then obviously it would be important to fight the things that would do or say that, by being the best I can in my heart.

Shrug, obviously some 'thing' that would say a person is going to hell, would not have my support, I think God saves people from hell, and taught how that is done.

I won't be going to hell, or if I did, :shrug: why would it matter?


Would there be beer? :)


Nor would it bother me, and I will get compensated with much pay and good times, so know those delusions, like hell are just ways to mess with people.


If something were to send me to everlasting hell, that would only prove that thing unjust and not worthy of my thoughts or devotion. So I would simply remove that false thing.

I believe God saves people from hell.


I once said I would rather be in hell then worship something that only wanted to be worshiped, and even explained hell as the current worldly situation I am currently in. However that does not say where I will or should be, just an order of choice of how to think.

And I stand by that comment. Note that it says simply that something deserving worship would not do for worship, but for better thoughts.

So my movement over time has been pretty good

Realizing there is injustice in the world and going against that

Then

Not being willing nor giving respect to something that is prideful and only wants worship.

Then

A step up to a craptastic living situation, that really sucks.

So I am on my way up out of a bad place.

Working on Beer and financing now :)

Yeeeee Haaaawwwww!!!!!

Or Yippi Kiy Ayyyyy.

Die Harder.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXIcaOzFVeQ

[HillbillyBob]

2. Considering how these krestians act...hell will be full of them

Besides if they are going to Heaven(if there is such a place) I sure do not want to go there. I have done my best to avoid them.

[Behind the Aegis]

3. Not even.

[Ozymanithrax]

4. No, the old Antisemitism isn't dead...

Those Christians that believed Jews were going to hell still think so. They support Israel because they believe that all Jews should go back there so God can torture them to death, except for about 140000 Jewish male virgins who will convert and fight the Devil at Armageddon.

[amandabeech]

8. Those same "Christians" think that the Catholics and many moderate

and liberal Protestants will join Jews in hell, along with Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, followers of the Great Spirit--well, maybe you get the picture.

Really, it's not specific to Jews.

They think that anyone who doesn't agree with them 100% will burn for eternity.

[bluestateguy]

5. Islamophobia is trendy and acceptable within the bounds of today's discourse, unfortunately

It is treated as "just another point of view", upon which reasonable people can disagree.

Anti-Semitism and anti-black attitudes were once treated that way too.

[Douglas Carpenter]

6. EXACTLY!! that is the difference in today's American popular culture, political discourse and media

even at times in "liberal circles".

[Violet_Crumble]

10. I agree. It's the open acceptance of Islamophobia in the US that makes the difference...

So much of what I read and see coming from the US when it comes to Muslims is reminiscent of the ugliness aimed at Jews in 1930's Germany. When people are accused of being Muslim, and it's used as a derogatory term, when Muslims are attacked for being Muslim, when hatred is turned on mosques, there's some major league ugly happening. All it would take for it to move in an even more ugly direction would be for a US govt to have the same mindset as those who rant and rave about Muslims...

[yurbud]

7. I thought it would die out when Obama became president (just because of his name not because he's

Muslim), sort of the way pollock jokes died when John Paul II became pope.

[bemildred]

9. Preaching hate seems to be the religion du jour.

:puke: