America's Islamophobia problem

[Phx_Dem]

In a 2006 interview, Glenn Beck, the host of a CNN talk show, looked Muslim congressman Keith Ellison straight in the eye and said: "Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies." You have to wonder where Beck got the license to humiliate someone that way because he was connected with Islam.

Islamophobia is pervasive in public forums in the United States. Provocative commentary Web sites, culture-clash literature, biased reporting on the Middle East, end-of-time theological fiction, insensitive cartoons, terror-oriented video games and Christian Zionist sermons, all of the above and more, make many Arab- and Muslim-Americans - especially immigrants - feel alien, if not alienated.

Beck's obsession with Islam reflects a trend. The US media persist in reporting on the growing numbers of American and European Muslims. These reports have unjustifiably raised public fears of the anticipated return of terrorism. Post-9/11 scare-mongers proclaim that America's borders are "open and unprotected." Agitated American communicators warn citizens to watch out for Muslim- and Arab-Americans who may be linked covertly to "terror cells" that have penetrated their homeland. An irrational fear of Muslims affects the way they are portrayed and perceived. A negative overload of information about Islam seems to overwhelm and confuse Americans. The compulsion to stereotype, to dissect, to classify, and to caricature Muslims is strong and growing.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=5&article_id=95775

[Alameda]

1. I'm amazed nobody has commented thus far.

This is a BIG problem, a very big one. It seems most are quite oblivious to it.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

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[uppityperson]

3. Kick because it seems like a good idea. Been reading over in gd

and argh. Fine, I don't know that much about Islam, have only visited a few mosques, know only a few practicing Muslims personally, but good grief. Islamophobia is running rampant even here.