GRRRRRR....................
It's no good, I tried to shut my gaping hole about this, but I just can't!
A recent debate has taken place on a well known blog about Muslims vs America.......
I've got to say, I was completely shocked at the level of hostility and supicion directed towards ALL Muslims....not just terrorists or fanatics.
It struck me that many of the people commenting are equally fanatical and their rantings sent a shiver down my spine!
This sort of thinking can only lead to more death and destruction.....
My mother grew up in Germany during WWII and many of the comments reminded me of the stories she has told me about the fascist propoganda of the time. In particular, the way that public hatred towards Jews was engineered amidst an atmosphere of suspicion and lies.
Ring any bells Fox News!
Surely most people in the USA can't really believe this bullshit!
What scared me more then anything, was that these fascist views appeared to be mouthed by articulate, intelligent people. Their generalisations about Muslims and their faith were obnoxious and upsetting.
Using this sort of logic, we can all be stereotyped into religious, racial or regional groups.
So English people live in constant fog, Irish are stupid and Italians are cowards etc..........well you've heard them all before............Fuck off you dipshits!
It's bollocks beyond belief!
I'm not an expert, just an ordinary bloke.......but reading stuff like this makes me despair about the future of humanity.
My sincerest hope is that it was humour in the worst possible taste, rather than a vicious attack.
I'd also like to add that, all the Muslims I've ever met, have been gracious, generous and courteous, with family values that would shame most of us.
So any Americans out there, please tell me that this isn't mainstream thinking in the USA................so I can put my umbrella in the stand, hang up my bowler and spend a quiet evening drinking tea and smoking my pipe.
A recent debate has taken place on a well known blog about Muslims vs America.......
I've got to say, I was completely shocked at the level of hostility and supicion directed towards ALL Muslims....not just terrorists or fanatics.
It struck me that many of the people commenting are equally fanatical and their rantings sent a shiver down my spine!
This sort of thinking can only lead to more death and destruction.....
My mother grew up in Germany during WWII and many of the comments reminded me of the stories she has told me about the fascist propoganda of the time. In particular, the way that public hatred towards Jews was engineered amidst an atmosphere of suspicion and lies.
Ring any bells Fox News!
Surely most people in the USA can't really believe this bullshit!
What scared me more then anything, was that these fascist views appeared to be mouthed by articulate, intelligent people. Their generalisations about Muslims and their faith were obnoxious and upsetting.
Using this sort of logic, we can all be stereotyped into religious, racial or regional groups.
So English people live in constant fog, Irish are stupid and Italians are cowards etc..........well you've heard them all before............Fuck off you dipshits!
It's bollocks beyond belief!
I'm not an expert, just an ordinary bloke.......but reading stuff like this makes me despair about the future of humanity.
My sincerest hope is that it was humour in the worst possible taste, rather than a vicious attack.
I'd also like to add that, all the Muslims I've ever met, have been gracious, generous and courteous, with family values that would shame most of us.
So any Americans out there, please tell me that this isn't mainstream thinking in the USA................so I can put my umbrella in the stand, hang up my bowler and spend a quiet evening drinking tea and smoking my pipe.
18 comments:
I'm American & don't think that way. Christians seem to be the ones that have the biggest problem with Muslims, I think. It's that whole religious thing.
Personally, I don't know any Muslims, but that's just geographics. There just isn't any muslim people around here. I consider my self a humanist & try to follow those values & one of those values is to treat all people with compassion & humanity.
There is alot of Anti-Muslim propaganda & most of it is propegated by the church.
I can't say how most americans feel about it, I don't know. But I don't hear it.
But it's often the intelligent people isn't it Confucious & not just religion.
Still, I am Malaysian. I can say that my county is one of the most democratic and friendliest Muslim countries in the world. Our passports are welcome anywhere at all. I'm so lucky I have had a chance to taste both sides of the coin and judge for myself.
And I'm so totally with >t (above) about the hostile attitude of many Christians. I find born-again Christians to be the worst of the lot. Even Mother Goose rhymes are judged to be 'hellish'.
My comment for the first line was not accurately phrased.
It should have read 'supposedly intelligent...'
And I must add again that with reference to the born-again Christians, i speak from a past personal experience & hindsight & not from assumption or bland thinking. (Just to make that sentence clearer though this subject hinges on a wider general picture & I understand that.)
I am a Muslim, and reading what you wrote Big C, just makes you bigger in my mind. I found a blog once via Books Inq where Islam was being dissed really badly. I responded, cogently, respectfully, but my comment was never posted. Somehow people are determined to believe what they are most comfortable with. How much more beautiful a world would we not have if people learnt to follow their path and leave the judging to God. Recognise the humanity that is common to all of us regardless of persuation. The piece of the devine that resides within each of us regardless of the external trappings. People that spout poisonous dogma as best ignored :-) Thanks for speaking out my friend.
I know the post you refer to and it scared me too. It's given me much to think about - it's very sad that people who I assumed were intelligent and enlightened can post such drivel.
I thought it was tongue-in-cheek at first but when you read the comments it does make you worry about the future of humanity.
(why is it so difficult to post a comment on Blogger)
What you said needed saying, Confucious. I agree totally with you. Thanks - I feel much better for reading your post.
Read the same post, Confucious, and needful to say, I quite agree with you. Actually, I commented immediately (some days ago) to that effect, but either it's still being moderated or the author is too much of a coward to come out and defend such an indefensible--insane--position. 'Twas ever thus.
It wouldn't be so bad if we here in the States had not just been stripped of rights that have been held by free men since the Magna Carta, namely Habeas Corpus, and the right to confront one's accusers directly. We are now, subject to the discretion of the puerile comestain George W Bush, subject to arrest and imprisonment without recourse to legal representation or even a look at the evidence against us, if any. If there is outrage at the present state of comity between east and west, it should be directed, it seems to me, against Mr Shrub et al, rather than Islamic peoples, who are overwhelmingly thoroughly decent, moral, peaceful folk.
Some advice to the blogger in question:
1. see the movie "Jesus Camp"
2. Read Shirer on the Third Reich
3. If you must play with your shotgun, you'll find, if you put the barrels under your chin, you can reach the triggers with your big toe. Feel free.
Having read your blog l>t, I never thought you would agree with those insane ravings. I am hopeful that people such as yourself are in the majority "across the pond"
Thank you Susan, I knew I could count on your vote on this....
Beautifully put Saleeha....and don't mention it........
There are some strange people in the world skint....and I have no idea.........
Thanks El Duce your pundyness...glad to be of help on this occasion.......
I agree with your entire comment jta.....particularly like the shotgun idea - do you think G.W. has one?..........
No, probably not but I know at least two people who would buy him one for Christmas!
Confuscious, I'm an American and don't feel that way about Muslims. Islam is a beautiful religion and it pisses me off to no end when I hear people bad-mouth it or something or someone they haven't fully researched.
I live in the deep south (which was scary in and of itself loooong before Sept. 11) surrounded, nay buried up to my neck in right-wing Christian fundamentalist thinkers. And neo-conservative political thinkers. And rednecks who are still fighting for the South to secede.
After the terrorist attacks,people here got extremely scared. it didn't help that, unfortunately, we already had a government in place that was only too willing to use the fear of its citizens to its full advantage so it could further its own agenda.
To be absolutely honest, Confuscious, I think a majority of Americans do operate on inaccurate information about Muslims and their misconceptions are completely based on fear when it comes to terrorists. If it makes the Muslims of the world feel better, we're also currently struggling with this same issue on illegal Mexican immigrants.
I don't think people who say some of these horrendous things are necessarily bad people at heart; they're like caged animals and so they're acting out of fear. America is an extremely, extremely dysfunctional culture right now.
At the Neuremburg Trials some guy made a speech about what happened with Nazis and it was basically along the lines of: if a government ever wants to convince an entire country to participate in violence and hatred, all you have to do is tell them they're under attack, and if they don't go along with what the government says they lack patriotism and are helping the attackers destroy their country.
Here in America we've been fed that rhetoric practically 24/7 by our own government.
Re: far-right Christians. I've yet to meet one who shouldn't be in deep, intensive therapy and/or on serious medication. Whenever I'm speaking with someone and I find out they're evangelical/fundamentalist Christian, I exit the conversation. Muslim extremists don't have a corner market on terrorism...they're just getting more world-wide media attention right now because they're strapping bombs to themselves in crowded public places. Believe me, I've encountered some "Christians" who advocate doing the same thing at abortion clinics.
*sigh* Our lovely planet Earth. Thank goodness for nature trails and rainbows and children's laughter and cute kitty cats. I honestly don't know what I'd do, some days, without those. :)
(PS--sorry for the book. This was a topic close to my heart)
Oh, ha! Yes. Of course I didn't read all the way to the bottom of your entry. Hermann Goering said what I badly paraphrased. I'm sitting here giggling myself silly because I quoted a quote that you quoted. Without knowing that you already knew about the quote I thought you should know about. Stuff like that makes me laugh and laugh.
But I'm okay with that! Because I'm American. And 98% of Americans suffer from ADD and the inability to see beyond our own needs. :)
HA!
Oh Confy! Thank you dear friend!
When I read the post and comments you're talking about I was reeling. It's hard to describe how shocked and depressed I felt ... It wouldn't leave my mind but I didn't know how to respond (and as you know I have been a bit busy ...)
Thanks also to the Americans who have commented here (and there) to provide some balance. We don't want to go down the road of assuming ALL Americans think that way ...
Fundamentalism is the problem - in whatever shape it comes ... Yet many of the people espousing those repugnant views would not consider themselves to be fundamentalists, but just think they're being logical and reasonable ...
I still find it all terribly upsetting but hang on to the knowledge that there are people like all those who have appeared here who will fight tooth and nail against ignorance.
As always Confucious, you are talking sense.
Personally, I see people as people, not labels. People's religion, sexuality, and colour make do difference to me. I take people as I find them. If I don't like what I find I walk away.
I think a lot of propogana is spread by the big men (who cause all the trouble) and through the media they manipulate the common people (or try to).
It is true that religon can cause problems. Ironic! Is it not the common ground of all religions that people try to live a good life?
In Ireland, for example, protestants and catholics have this whole feaud thing going on. Both factors would be counted as being Christians, yet where is the turning of the other cheek? Where is 'Thou shalt not kill?'
Amy - thanks for popping by and leaving a good comment
Well and Debi and Steve
In fact, glad you all popped in with words of reason.........
That should have been well said Debi and Steve!
Yeah! - well spoken out, CT. Fear of the unknown driven by ignorance and a narrow world view is what will leave humans gasping and heaving in their own stupidity yet.
And then everyone wonders why the Draconians manage to get such an easy claw hold. They say, "look at these beings, fighting amongst themselves, what an easy take for us."
Wake up Planet Earth!
Care for a cuppa tea from my bowler hat?
Of course we all think this way. In fact, I feel personally threatened by your obvious disapproval. If I had a button I could press that would kill you and your family immediately, I would polish the button with all-American Tutle Car Wax(tm), hook it up to my Rayovac(tm) battery and sit on it with my fat American ass(tm)
Post a Comment