Islamophobia surge in the US: A Muslim is the boogeiman

[General Duke]

Ground Zero mosque plans 'fuelling anti-Muslim protests across US

 

Religious leaders warn of Islamophobia surge with hate speech and opposition to new Islamic centres across America

 

 

The battle over plans to build a mosque near the site of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York is fuelling a surge in anti-Muslim protests across the US, including opposition to new Islamic centres from California to Georgia.

 

Religious leaders and civil rights activists warn that a tide of Islamophobia that has swept the country since the destruction of the twin towers is being heightened by political exploitation of the New York dispute before nationwide elections and is increasingly bound up with hostility to immigrants and other forms of racism.

 

They say the outpouring of condemnation at the "outrage" of a mosque close to the "hallowed ground" of the World Trade Centre site also goes hand in hand with the increasing acceptability of what they describe as hate speech.

 

A Florida church, Dove World Outreach Centre, is planning a "burn the Qur'an" day on September 11 and has already outraged Muslims by planting a sign on its front lawn that reads: Islam is the Devil.

 

The church's senior pastor, Terry Jones, has said he is "exposing Islam for what it is".

 

"It is a violent and oppressive religion that is trying to masquerade itself as a religion of peace, seeking to deceive our society," the church said. "Islam is a lie based upon lies and deceptions and fear. In Muslim countries, if you preach the gospel or convert to Christianity – you will be killed. That is the type of religion it is."

 

A leading Muslim educational institution, al-Azhar's Supreme Council in Egypt, has accused the Florida church of "stirring up hate and discrimination" and called on other American churches to condemn it.

 

Many religious leaders have spoken out against Muslim-bashing, including rabbis in New York who have defended the plans for the mosque two blocks from the site of the 9/11 attacks, which would not be visible from Ground Zero.

 

But John Esposito, director of the Centre for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University, said many Americans shared Jones's views. He said the dispute over the proposed mosque had given cover for more open hostility unleashed after the 9/11 attacks that was evident during the last presidential election when some of Barack Obama's opponents attempted to portray him as a Muslim.

 

"The World Trade Centre thing has shown that what has been up to now seen as a local issue has gone global and provided an umbrella so that suddenly people feel freer to go public with their objections to Muslims," he said.

 

"Historically we've had problems in Mississippi or Georgia or New York or wherever when someone wants to establish a mosque.

 

"The cover for opposition used to be that people will say: we're not really prejudiced but it'll affect the traffic in the area, not facing the fact that it is very common if you have a significant number of Jews or Protestants or Catholics to expect that they're going to want to have a synagogue or a church and chances are the town's going to go along with it."

 

But today, Americans increasingly no longer shy away from saying they oppose mosques on the grounds that Muslims are a threat or different.

 

In New York, a group called the American Freedom Defence Initiative is placing adverts on New York buses showing a plane flying into one of the World Trade Centre towers and what it calls a "Mega Mosque" and asking "Why There?".

 

Azeem Khan, of the Islamic Circle of North America, said the bus adverts promoted fear and hatred. "People want Islam and Muslims to be the boogieman right now," he said.

 

The issue is increasingly being exploited by politicians in the run-up to November's mid-term elections. Opposition to a mosque in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, intensified after Republican candidates for Congress and state governor made opposition part of their campaigns.

 

Sarah Palin, the former vice presidential candidate, has been a vocal opponent of the controversial New York mosque.

 

Other prominent politicians have cast the net wider. Newt Gingrich, the Republican former speaker of the House of Representatives, who is thought likely to make a run for president, has warned that Muslims are attempting to impose sharia law in the US and that it poses a "mortal threat to freedom" in America.

 

Gingrich said that he would push for legislation to prevent states from adopting sharia law even though none are proposing it and there is no likely prospect of it happening.

 

Esposito said politicians' fearmongering over Muslims was similar to exploitation of fears that the country was being swamped by a tide of illegal immigrants.

 

"Islamophobia is not just about religion. It's about people who are of colour and a whole set of presuppositions about these people," he said.

 

"You can see it not only with Muslims but with Mexicans, people who look Hispanic. Now we have hard data from Gallup and Pew that demonstrate in America how integrated the vast majority of Muslims are – economically, politically and religiously. And yet a significant number of Americans can be appealed to in what is nothing less than hate speech, the same hate speech directed against immigrants."

[Khayr]

what is the point of having a masjid at that site? It is foolishness and it fuels hatred towards muslims.

[FatB]

It is a good idea, but badly handdled. it apears that the organisers only hadnt fully realised the magniture of the bad press they were gona get. there was no media stratagy

[General Duke]

Nothing wrong with having a Masjid at that site, but nothing special about it either, They should have weighed the pro's and cons, you know there will be heat everywhere specially with the right wing media and their racist, xenophobic outburst.

It was the blacks before, now you have people of different color, who worship differently with exotic names like Hussain. Easy target for the every angry American natives.

[Cawaale]

Why Ground Zero? obviously it triggers the memory and the hatred of the locals.

 

Hadda tan haddii lagu guuleesto, dhib aya aka dhalanaayo, hadii lagu guul dareystana, still masjid walba oo la damco in la dhiso campaign iyio mudaaharaad iyo dhul qaali ah aa ku daba taagnanaayo.

[General Duke]

^^^Yeah its a no win situation. But I dont belive they should back down.

[Cawaale]

I think its too late for that.

[N.O.R.F]

The mosque has been there for a while in the current building. Nothing new there. Where people are confused is concerning the proposed new building which would mean the current one being demolished and a new state of the art building being erected.

 

Stop being apologists and embrace what you're entitled to (the building of a mosque).

[General Duke]

^^Who is being an apologist?

Also if the Mosque is there, why the need for a new one with a swimming pool, gym and sauna?

[Miriam1]

^ The entire building is not a Mosque. Its a cultural centre meant to serve the larger community. Hence, the pool etc etc.

 

They have the right to do this and thier intentions are positive.

[General Duke]

^^^Indeed, they should build what ever they want, and this is no more than a zoning issue, but the media is manufacturing fake outrage which will no doubt have dire consequences.

[Libaax-Sankataabte]

That is a Sufis mosque which is probably why it was approved.

[N.O.R.F]

^really?

[Miriam1]

^ approval from ? ... new york state?

(to Libax)

[Libaax-Sankataabte]

Norf, Rauf, is a long time prayer leader of the Sufi Masid-al-Farah which is another mosque around the area.

 

Men and women worship together at Masjid Farah, a mosque on West Broadway that is about 12 blocks from ground zero. Sheikha Fariha started the zikr, the Sufi ritual of chanting and prayer, inviting the congregants to still their minds and drop “into the vastness of the heart that has no boundaries.”

 

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/14/nyregion/14mosque.html?src=mv

 

Hayam, Manhattan City Council, if I am not mistaken.