how should americans deal with the emerging anti-islam movement on the right?

[miscsoc]

practically.

the european left have yet to respond coherently and convincingly, the paranoid anti-muslim frame of reference is dominant in the popular psyche. the comparison w/ early 20th c. anti semitism is entirely apt, and frightening.

Like, broad strategy. This stuff looks like it's going to grow, become a major theme in right wing politics. What is the strategy for dealing with it?

[Chulanowa]

1. "On the right?"

Sorry, it's not something that's exclusive to them. been reading DU recently? Do you think Switzerland going apoplectic over the terrible threat of a minaret is the sole doing of their right? Is France passing laws telling Muslim women (but not non-Muslim women!) that they can't wear cloth over their hair the sole doing of Sarkozy and his buddies?

No. It's an epidemic problem, not an isolated one.

[miscsoc]

2. It's a bit heavier on the right

And yeah the Swiss and French situations do have a lot to do with right wing politics - not exclusively, but to a large extent

[Chulanowa]

3. Depends on how you look at things

The left in Europe isn't saying a peep. That's pretty much the same as voicing support for the bigots, in this regard. here in the US, it's not heavier. It's just that they get more media coverage.

[Karenina]

4. I am NOT looking forward to this.

Li'l Gerd will be there on 9/11 with Newt, Bolton und not-so-bright. You know Gerd, the one who was at one time not permitted in GB due to his vitriolic, toxic nonsense. Once HE injects his particularly noxious poison into the American media bloodstream, I fear for all... Maybe he'll bring the ex-Muslim "Islam Sucks" woman with him. She's camera-friendly.

[pampango]

5. The younger a person is the more likely they are to support gay marriage and be comfortable

with a diverse society (Muslims, immigrants, mixed-race relationships/marriages, multiracial schools and work places).

Doesn't mean that all younger people feel this way or that all older folks feel the opposite way, but polls bear it out. I think the left just needs to keep up our support for diversity in society across the board. Time is on our side. Society is becoming more diverse and the younger generations are more tolerant of it than the older (richer, whiter, more powerful) generation is.

We won't "win" anytime soon. The right is not going away. The more we keep the right publicly espousing their "us vs them", fear-based, divide-and-conquer tactics (all they really have is an assortment of wedge issues - Islamophobia, homophobia, xenophobia, racism, etc. - that they use to attempt to hang on to their power and profits) the more the younger generation sees through them.

The right is not going to stop "fanning the flames". Wedge issues are all that they have. We need to use the fact that is all they have to our advantage in the long run. Consistently promote tolerance and equity and let the other sides oppose that and "shoot themselves in the foot".

[Tesha]

6. The logical conundrum, of course, is that it's not clear one should support...

...in the name of "diversity" a group many of
whose members stand four-square absolutely
opposing the support of *ANY* diversity.*

Tesha


* Do I really need a disclaimer that says "...not
all Muslims, of course, but many Muslims and
many of the most-vocal Muslims..."

[miscsoc]

8. I don't have any particular sympathy for Islam

I oppose anti-Muslim bigotry (vs reasoned criticism) in the name not of diversity but of fair play and basic decency.

[CBR]

7. I think we might need to focus on the left first.

At least clear our side before worrying about the other.

[miscsoc]

9. can't we do both at the same time?