What is it with the right in America and their attempt to demonise a whole religion?

[TheBigotBasher]

Did they not learn anything from 1930s Europe (or nothing good anyway)?

I am becoming increasingly disgusted with what are now acceptable racists. As long as they are Muslim, they appear to be fair game. It really does terrify me.

What is worse, I KNOW that these people fully understand what they are doing.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

1. Muslim is not a Race

That makes them bigots perhaps, not racists.

Don't swallow CAIR's crap.

[TheBigotBasher]

2. Racists AND bigots.

The whole machination of racism very much applies to people who are Muslim and the racist bigotry certainly does.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. Seeing that there are muslims of all races, the racist claim is false

and using it weakens whatever message you bring. Your call...

[TheBigotBasher]

5. Racists are individuals.

Racism is an institutional construct, a whole system to keep people down. Those with Islamic sounding surnames will face racism.

Judaism is not a race. The Nazi attack on Judaism is certainly not reduced by a technical argument over whether that was racism. My point is directly related to that. What the far right are trying to do will exactly to a repeat of the 1930s. What is worse, they know that. That is my point.

[TexasObserver]

16. You're right, of course.

If you said the sun rises in the East, someone would post "no, it doesn't - it rises a few degrees off true East." I wouldn't pay much attention to self appointed experts here. No one else does.

[TheBigotBasher]

4. Religion is not a race.

Accepted. However those practicing bigotry against a specific religion do so for very racist reasons. The fact that they would use the machines of racism and push all the way for political advantage is very worrying.

[H2O Man]

15. True.

One need only read the Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Reports, to find plenty of evidence that many of those who are anti-Islamic are engaged in what are, by definition, violent racist behaviors.

[H2O Man]

14. True.

In fact, there is no such thing as "race," except for the human race. (And, as the Prophet Bob Marley noted, the rat race.) "Race" is an old construct, as meaningless as Donald Rumsfeld's "Old Europe" and "New Europe."

However, the OP raises a valid concern: the demonizing of a group of human beings, who are members of the human race.

[LeftishBrit]

6. This is hardly confined to the 'right in America'

There is a lot of bigotry toward Muslims in Britain and other Europaean countries; see the Daily Mail and Sun for examples!

I would say that in America it is probably more associated with religious bigotry and, in foreign policy, with hawkish imperialism. In Europe, or at least the UK, it is more associated with true racism and hatred of immigrants. Islamophobic Brits are often really immigrant-phobic; they mainly hate Islam just because it's a religion practiced by some non-white immigrants and their descendants. They aren't very keen on non-Muslim immigrants either.

[katkat]

10. not just the right

We see this all Muslims are evil crap here in DU and I see it even among my otherwise sensible friends.

[Behind the Aegis]

12. And it is hardly limted to Muslims, especially in the UK and Europe.

Anti-Semitic ("hating Jews" for those who are confused by the defintion) attitudes are nothing to dismiss. It isn't limited to just the right either, including in places such as this site.

[LeftishBrit]

26. At least in the UK, the biggest bigotry involves immigrants and those seen as foreigners

Antisemitism, Islamophobia and other more specific forms of bigotry are often here the result of a more general xenophobia - though they can of course exist on their own.

In recent polls, only 6% of Brits admitted directly to disliking Jews and 14% to disliking Muslims. These are probably both significant underestimates as it is fortunately not respectable now in many circles to admit to religious or racial bigotry directly. Nevertheless, these contrast with the *50%* who support voluntary repatriation of 'immigrants'.

The tabloids have a very poisonous influence on British attitudes to minorities of all sorts.

It's my impression that specific Islamophobia and antisemitism are both commoner in some other Europaean countries, especially, though not exclusively, those of Eastern Europe.

One form of bigotry which does seem much less common in Europe than America is that against atheists.

[Sherman A1]

7. Simple answer to this issue

It isn't "their" religion so how could it possibly make any difference.

[boppers]

8. They did it to Catholics, Jews, and now Islam.

It's time to call out Abrahamic intolerance.

All of it.

Worshipers of El, Elohim, YHVH, Allah, Jesus, etc. All the same starting points. Same god concept. Violent and brutal.

It's time to look at Christians, Muslims, and Jews, and any people who think that faith is about "my understanding of god means it's OK to kill you", and hold adherents to task for their faith.

For that matter, we should also look at other faiths that condone killing, as well.

[Feron]

9. It's not racist to despise a religion.

I am proudly bigoted against homophobic, racist, and misogynistic belief systems. And Islam in particular is a misogynistic and homophobic belief system.

While I don't think that Muslim people should be singled out for extra screening without cause or discriminated against, I don't want their religion officially catered to or treated specially in any capacity either.

Unfortunately a lot of liberals are hypocrites who rightfully go after the wrongs of Christianity, but then turn around and become apologists for Islam.

[katkat]

11. Islam in particular is a misogynistic and homophobic

Unlike, of course, the Christian religious right or Orthodox Jewery. :sarcasm:

Note how you say Islam vs. Islamic extremists, as though every Muslim were misogynistic and homophobic.

[cali]

13. seems to me the bigotry against Islam in Europe is even worse.

you guys really need to do something about it.

[ima_sinnic]

17. they also demonize atheists, wiccan, paganists, and every "other" belief system

they are petty-minded, insecure a-holes who are threatened by anything beyond their own tiny, unquestioning, safe little world of binary certainties: black and white, good and bad, us and them.

Sikhs, I believe it was, have been murdered in the mistaken belief that they were "Muslims." If it's "foreign" and wears headgear other than a baseball cap, it's "bad."

[DisasterMan827]

18. Utter stupidity, plain and simple.

I wish I could say the right has been like this since 9/11, but unfortunately that's not true. The reason they try to demonize well, just about EVERYTHING, is because the way we did things in 'The Good Ol' Days' are good enough for them. Unfortunately, the way we did things in "the Good Ol' Days" doesn't work very well in the 21st century.

I have some far right relatives (my own father) and a lot of my friends associate themselves with the far right. They hate everything 'different' from what they have come to know (whether it be religion, politics, culture), and change, even if it's for the common good, is downright evil to them.

Like I said, utter stupidity...plain and simple.

and @ the user above me...I myself am an atheist, and the what I put up with from some people is downright disrespectful.

[eShirl]

19. indeed, they learned FAR TOO MUCH from 1930's Europe. n/t

[Jester Messiah]

20. Islam and Christianity are two sides of the same coin.

The funny thing is, the teabaggers and the taleban would probably get along just fine if they were under the same theological roof. Both are prone to violence and ignorance.

[DisasterMan827]

21. Agreed

Irony is so funny, isn't it?

[quaker bill]

22. It is easy, fun, and popular

I am sure it gets great applause at the rallies. Painting things up in black and white is easy for even the slowest candidates among them.

Other issues are complex and might require thought and artful language. These are generally avoided, unless you can manage a simple meme like "death tax", which again requires little thought and combines two things which their base doesn't like in a nifty little catch phrase "death" and "taxes".

[JHB]

23. It's not theirs

Did they not learn anything from 1930s Europe (or nothing good anyway)?

Sure they did. And next time Adolf Hitler mobilizes Germany to take over Europe, they'll stop him, lickedy-split, no wussy "peace in our time" attempts.

Oh, you mean "learn" as in "apply it to other situations"? Not so much.

[PassingFair]

24. We are at war with the Muslins.

Don't you GET IT?


I have actually HEARD someone say this.

[KharmaTrain]

25. "American Exceptionalism"

Since the end of WWII, this country has had one hell of a chip on our shoulder. Our media has bombarded us with the perception that America is the greatest nation and others are either inferior...or outright primitive. All news is framed as "how it affects America" with little regard to culture or history. Those who look or speak "funny" are also inferior as are those who are of a non-christian religion or an atheist.

To perpetuate this "exceptionalism" have been boogiemen. For many years it was the evil Russian or sinister Chinese. After the Cold War ended, we needed another boogie man and Ivan was replaced with Abdul...the crazy A-rab. We have those who specialize in broadbrushing a billion people as some kind of terrorist organization (Islamofacist) while the fundies cry that they're being discriminated against. Go figger...

[Raineyb]

27. I've never seen any evidence that their zeal to blame brown people for whatever

has been tempered by having learned anything.

:shrug:

[Motown_Johnny]

28. They want to demonise ALL religions that are not their own., They are just taking

advantage of the low hanging fruit right now.