Read Disclaimer Clause at the Bottom First and Last
Southern Poverty Law Center has collected data on domestic terrorism and found that two-third of the violence conducted within the United States from 1980 up until 2010, that killed, injured and frighened innocent American citizens and residents, have been by non-Muslim groups. So, why is Representative Pete King of New York targeting Muslims, immigrants and citizens, most of whom are well adjusted well-acculturated people, who do not even have a traffic violation - let alone association with terrorist groups?
And how is this helping fight real national security threats - inside and outside the United States?
The recent Washington committee hearings, to analyze and address Muslim-American domestic terrorism, appears short-sighted and judgmental. Is this Islamaphobia at the highest level? And where is it coming from?
Islam has been tainted in the United States both by the Nation of Islam's association with some extremist African-American groups - that struggled against institutionalized racism, bigotry and prejudice, and Sept 11 - that stereotyped all Muslims as fundamentalists and terrorists.
Even the Sikh community, belonging to a religion very different from Islam, has been a target of hate-violence with several recent murders only because many of its men wear turbans - though the turbans are different than what is ordinarily worn by Muslim men.
When so much cultural ignorance and bigotry exists, even in some large diverse cities of America, one can only imagine the kind of stereotypes, slander and sick judgments that abound in many communities - particularly about Islam as well as other minority religions and spiritual traditions!
The United States in stead of moving forward, in its understanding and inclusion of ethnic, cultural and religious diversity, as some may worry is moving backward. The answer is not to merely point to communities and countries around the world where diversity is limited or absent, and one State religion dominates and directs the affairs of the people. If Al Qaeda and its philosophy becomes the "ultimate comparison" of what America should be, should not be, must try follow or avoid...then when is America going to be a true independent nation that is a beacon of light for all immigrants, citizens and people of diversity?
When will there be real inclusion, integration and intelligent economic and political mobility for all Americans and residents? Will we ever move beyond the narrowest and lowest of denominators in our social and cultural analysis, evaluation and programs?
As Wisconsinites struggle for basic rights to collective bargaining ; as the Japanese struggle to recover from one of the worst earthquakes in global history ; as food prices shoot up globally, plunging millions of families into acute poverty...America's political focus seems to be on segregating and discriminating an entire community of Muslims and Muslim-Americans, while also debating possible military strikes against Libya - an Arab Muslim country! This is disturbing even for people concerned with real terrorism and violent Jihadism.
Many moderate, secular and patriotic Muslims who have spoken and taken action against extremist and anti-American elements within their communities now feel, no matter how much they give and how many confrontation they take on within their own groups, it will never be enough, and they will never be trusted. These hearings (there are more to come), headed by Representative Peter King, have already created an unbridgeable ever-increasing wedge between Muslims and Christians - Muslim and non-Muslim Americans - in many communities across the United States.
Disenfranchised young minority men, like in many poor communities throughout our history and across the globe, are going to become more isolated, angry and distrustful due to these hearings - becoming easy targets of extremist religious or political propaganda that will exploit their confusion and legitimate anger.
There are already too many young men: Black, Brown or White, Muslim or non-Muslim, poor or rich, who are feeling lost and conflicted in a world that is changing rapidly - economically, socially and politically. Added to this internal conflict and confusion is the change in status of women that is intimidating traditional and patriarchal men - many of whom find going into the kitchen and cooking a big challenge to their status quo and their familiar comfort zone.
On top of this rapid social-gender change is the globalization of capital, without labor rights, that is thrusting many poor and/or minority men and their families into poverty.
Nobody has yet publicly provided the data on Muslim American men drop-out-rate from schools and colleges, their unemployment and underemployment, and their economic struggles in the United States. But there is a lot of publicity on possible introduction of the Sharia law in the United States, one Muslim psychiatrist who went berserk and shot his colleagues, and one Muslim-American doctor who beheaded his wife. Imagine the bias and bigotry this kind of focus stirs up!
Many minority and poor men, and some women, both in the US and beyond find themselves outside their political system...that appears to not listen to them, include them and help protect or promote their interests.
Some Muslim women admit that they are treated better, trusted more and included often in the larger American social and cultural environment than their Muslim brothers, fathers or sons. Hence Muslim men feel their isolation, marginalization and vilification not only grew in the US after Sept 11, 2001...but has gotten worse.
There is not only an unfair sweeping judgment of Islam and Muslims - irrespective of where in the world they come from, what social position they occupy, what qualifications they hold and how much they give to the US military and pentagon -as fundamentally anti-democratic, but there is a growing feeling in the United States that most Muslims are anti-American.
Some would call this Hobbes' choice, which is no choice at all - damned if you do and damned if you don't. Many moderate Muslims who found themselves siding with Conservatives during the Iraq invasion and occupation are now wondering whether they were conned, deceived and merely used by the system that was intrinsically anti-Islamic.
If conspiracy theories began to fly around after the Iraq invasion they are beginning to fly again with these hearings. And the lack of organized effort to balance these hearings with appropriate focus on protecting minority rights without neglecting legitimate concerns over national security, even by the Democrats and Independents, have led to feelings of further marginalization among many Muslim Americans.
And for many Muslims, who come from communities and countries where there is limited religious diversity and little political democracy, America, once a beacon of light and hope, must now appear dim or dark.
Such hearings are already pushing many of our youth, Muslim or not, into political extremism, cultural myopia and/or religious fundamentalism - turning many minorities and immigrants, including non-Muslims, into victims of ethnocentricism and xenophobia.
I am glad there are counter voices of objection, protest and refusal to participate in these hearings...which is not a witch-hunt as much as a head-hunt - where real people of violence are ignored while innocent people are vilified.
Southern Poverty Law Center has collected data on domestic terrorism and found that two-third of the violence conducted within the United States from 1980 up until 2010, that killed, injured and frighened innocent American citizens and residents, have been by non-Muslim groups. So, why is Representative Pete King of New York targeting Muslims, immigrants and citizens, most of whom are well adjusted well-acculturated people, who do not even have a traffic violation - let alone association with terrorist groups?
And how is this helping fight real national security threats - inside and outside the United States?
The recent Washington committee hearings, to analyze and address Muslim-American domestic terrorism, appears short-sighted and judgmental. Is this Islamaphobia at the highest level? And where is it coming from?
Islam has been tainted in the United States both by the Nation of Islam's association with some extremist African-American groups - that struggled against institutionalized racism, bigotry and prejudice, and Sept 11 - that stereotyped all Muslims as fundamentalists and terrorists.
Even the Sikh community, belonging to a religion very different from Islam, has been a target of hate-violence with several recent murders only because many of its men wear turbans - though the turbans are different than what is ordinarily worn by Muslim men.
When so much cultural ignorance and bigotry exists, even in some large diverse cities of America, one can only imagine the kind of stereotypes, slander and sick judgments that abound in many communities - particularly about Islam as well as other minority religions and spiritual traditions!
The United States in stead of moving forward, in its understanding and inclusion of ethnic, cultural and religious diversity, as some may worry is moving backward. The answer is not to merely point to communities and countries around the world where diversity is limited or absent, and one State religion dominates and directs the affairs of the people. If Al Qaeda and its philosophy becomes the "ultimate comparison" of what America should be, should not be, must try follow or avoid...then when is America going to be a true independent nation that is a beacon of light for all immigrants, citizens and people of diversity?
When will there be real inclusion, integration and intelligent economic and political mobility for all Americans and residents? Will we ever move beyond the narrowest and lowest of denominators in our social and cultural analysis, evaluation and programs?
As Wisconsinites struggle for basic rights to collective bargaining ; as the Japanese struggle to recover from one of the worst earthquakes in global history ; as food prices shoot up globally, plunging millions of families into acute poverty...America's political focus seems to be on segregating and discriminating an entire community of Muslims and Muslim-Americans, while also debating possible military strikes against Libya - an Arab Muslim country! This is disturbing even for people concerned with real terrorism and violent Jihadism.
Many moderate, secular and patriotic Muslims who have spoken and taken action against extremist and anti-American elements within their communities now feel, no matter how much they give and how many confrontation they take on within their own groups, it will never be enough, and they will never be trusted. These hearings (there are more to come), headed by Representative Peter King, have already created an unbridgeable ever-increasing wedge between Muslims and Christians - Muslim and non-Muslim Americans - in many communities across the United States.
Disenfranchised young minority men, like in many poor communities throughout our history and across the globe, are going to become more isolated, angry and distrustful due to these hearings - becoming easy targets of extremist religious or political propaganda that will exploit their confusion and legitimate anger.
There are already too many young men: Black, Brown or White, Muslim or non-Muslim, poor or rich, who are feeling lost and conflicted in a world that is changing rapidly - economically, socially and politically. Added to this internal conflict and confusion is the change in status of women that is intimidating traditional and patriarchal men - many of whom find going into the kitchen and cooking a big challenge to their status quo and their familiar comfort zone.
On top of this rapid social-gender change is the globalization of capital, without labor rights, that is thrusting many poor and/or minority men and their families into poverty.
Nobody has yet publicly provided the data on Muslim American men drop-out-rate from schools and colleges, their unemployment and underemployment, and their economic struggles in the United States. But there is a lot of publicity on possible introduction of the Sharia law in the United States, one Muslim psychiatrist who went berserk and shot his colleagues, and one Muslim-American doctor who beheaded his wife. Imagine the bias and bigotry this kind of focus stirs up!
Many minority and poor men, and some women, both in the US and beyond find themselves outside their political system...that appears to not listen to them, include them and help protect or promote their interests.
Some Muslim women admit that they are treated better, trusted more and included often in the larger American social and cultural environment than their Muslim brothers, fathers or sons. Hence Muslim men feel their isolation, marginalization and vilification not only grew in the US after Sept 11, 2001...but has gotten worse.
There is not only an unfair sweeping judgment of Islam and Muslims - irrespective of where in the world they come from, what social position they occupy, what qualifications they hold and how much they give to the US military and pentagon -as fundamentally anti-democratic, but there is a growing feeling in the United States that most Muslims are anti-American.
Some would call this Hobbes' choice, which is no choice at all - damned if you do and damned if you don't. Many moderate Muslims who found themselves siding with Conservatives during the Iraq invasion and occupation are now wondering whether they were conned, deceived and merely used by the system that was intrinsically anti-Islamic.
If conspiracy theories began to fly around after the Iraq invasion they are beginning to fly again with these hearings. And the lack of organized effort to balance these hearings with appropriate focus on protecting minority rights without neglecting legitimate concerns over national security, even by the Democrats and Independents, have led to feelings of further marginalization among many Muslim Americans.
And for many Muslims, who come from communities and countries where there is limited religious diversity and little political democracy, America, once a beacon of light and hope, must now appear dim or dark.
Such hearings are already pushing many of our youth, Muslim or not, into political extremism, cultural myopia and/or religious fundamentalism - turning many minorities and immigrants, including non-Muslims, into victims of ethnocentricism and xenophobia.
I am glad there are counter voices of objection, protest and refusal to participate in these hearings...which is not a witch-hunt as much as a head-hunt - where real people of violence are ignored while innocent people are vilified.
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