What Muslims in the U.S. face post Boston

[cali]

this is a tiny snippet from a long, insightful interview with t David Schanzer, Director of the Triangle Center of Terrorism and Homeland Security at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy.

<snip>

If the past is an indication, what effect will this dramatic, highly publicized case have on popular sentiment towards Muslims in the U.S.?

I wish it were otherwise, but this high profile case is likely to exacerbate many of the difficulties that Muslim Americans have faced since 9/11. Muslims face challenges from a variety of sources: official discrimination by government agencies, violent hate crimes against persons and property, blatantly prejudicial legislative efforts targeted at Muslim religious practices and subtle societal discrimination that impacts employment, housing, and other attributes of life in American.

The worst of the phenomenon faced by Muslims, however, is the extraordinarily well-financed and pervasive network of anti-Islamic haters who have poisoned the dialogue about Muslims and Islam in America. This movement has enabled what ought to be fringe views held by the intolerant and bigoted few to infect the mainstream, including some elements that hold power within our political system. Muslims and those who support their rightful place as part of the American tapestry will need to redouble our efforts in light of the Boston attacks.

<snip>

The entire interview is well worth the read:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/13/130420-homegrown-terrorism-tsarnaev-brothers-boston-marathon-bombings-islam-radicalism/

[virgogal]

1. I ignore all things Duke related ever since the rape accusation fiasco and

the 88 signers of the ad assumed guilt and racism.

[cali]

2. and you're assuming that everyone associated with Duke is guilty of that?

Okey dokey.

[firenewt]

3. Easier that way?

[WinkyDink]

4. Post-Boston, post-WTC, post-Munich, post-Lod, post-Rome, post-Ma'alot, post-Entebbe,.....

Last edited Sun Apr 21, 2013, 06:32 AM - Edit history (1)

Cry me a river.

[HipChick]

5. Blacks have faced this for many years..

However, since Muslim is not a race..

How exactly would you discrimination against a Muslim - By name? by skin color?

Is America always finding some one new to hate?

[cali]

6. How exactly would you discriminate against a Muslim?

Target Mosques

Target women wearing hijabs (like the young doc in Malden)

Target men wearing clothing associated with Islam

there are lots of ways.

And xenophobia always finds new victims

[pinboy3niner]

7. Muslim women have been and continue to be discriminated against because of their dress

Others who have faced discrimination should support them without reserve.

[Quantess]

9. Meanwhile, muslim males usually look western enough to escape notice.

It's so unfair.

[pinboy3niner]

10. Are you sure about that?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=2726616

[Quantess]

11. I wasn't talking about skin color, of course.

How about the Tsarnaev brothers? Did you look at them and see muslims the same way you would instantlly recognize a muslim woman wearing a headscarf? Look at any of those brothers photos. The cultural pressure for muslim males to dress a certain way is just not there, not the same way women are. Not even close.

[pinboy3niner]

12. That's the point I was making in #7

I think we're in agreement here.

[Quantess]

13. Oh.

Alright, then.

[SoCalDem]

8. "Muslims" distinguish themselves from others by the clothing/customs/religious observances

When previous immigrants arrived here , many had their names "anglicized" for them, and often they chose to blend in.

The ones whose skin tones were obviously "different" from the "norm", have always had a problem blending in since they cannot hide/change their obviously "different" looks.

Language can be overcome with a little time, and people can moderate their religious observances, or stay within norms for a "segregated community" of their own choice.

Irish, Scandinavians, Germans and other Northern Europeans have always had it easier when it came to blending in, but once immigrants started coming from the Slavic/Mediterranean countries, it was no picnic for them. Germans were in a peculiar spot during WWII.. I suspect a lot of Schmidt's became Smiths.

Once we step outside the "traditional" when religion is considered, it gets very ugly. We say we welcome all, but we (as a society) do not.

If you come here and practice obviously different customs, you will be considered an outsider, even of you have a US passport. It may not be nice...or fair...but it is the way it is in many places here.

[HipChick]

14. 'Ding! Ding! We had a winner..."you will be considered an outsider"

Despite all the feel good liberalism - that is the truth..