Keep in mind...

It's important to remember that for the millions of American-Muslims, this is their country too just as it is mine and just as it is yours. I am Irish, English, Mexican, Spanish, Guatemalan, Colombian, and Yaki Indian. I come from a diverse background but this is still my home. It matters not your race, ethnicity, or religious beliefs. American-Muslims were impacted by September 11th too. In fact, some died when the Twin Towers fell.

It's time we seek answers for ourselves instead of listening to the claims of others!

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Peter King, a Republican from New York, organized the hearing on the "radicalization" of American Muslims on March 10, 2011. The basis of King's hearing was that American Muslims do not cooperate with law enforcement investigations of violent members of their community. Another premise of the hearings, according to King is that the number of Muslims in America are becoming radicalized at an alarming rate. But as mentioned in an earlier post, the radicalization of Muslims in American is under 2%. Now let's put Senator Kings claims into perspective: 

If there are two million Muslims and of that two million, 2% are becoming radicalized, then less than 4,000 of them are actually radicalized and if there are five million Muslim Americans then 100,000 are becoming radicalized. Those numbers of radicalized Muslims in the U.S. would in fact be lower because the percentage is less than 2%. However, Senator King does not give this information. It's public figures like Senator King that fuel ant-Islamic sentiment.

Another notable anti-Islamic demonstration was the burning of a Qur'an.The 2010 Qur'an burning controversy occurred when the pastor of a small Christian Church in Gainesville, Florida declared he would burn 200 "Korans" (notice his spelling of the word is incorrect) on the anniversary of September 11th. The pastor,Terry Jones, received widespread media attention, resulting in international outrage and pleas from world leaders to cancel the event. In early September 2010, he cancelled the burning and pledged never to burn a Qur'an. However, on March 20, 2011, Terry Jones presided over a mock trial of the "Koran", which was found guilty by a mock jury composed mainly of church members. Then after his mock trial, dozens upon dozens Qur'ans were burned. This story made international news and eventually was reported on a television station in Afghanistan. Riots broke out because of this leaving 21 people dead including 7 U.N. workers. That's not very Christian of you Pastor Jones!


It's time we think critically about what politicians and other figures in leadership positions tell us. We must educate ourselves, find answers and facts. I'm not saying to denounce what your own religious leader tells you or that every religious leader or politician is as disturbed as Pastor Jones. All I am saying is think for yourself! After all, politicians and other public figures most often have an agenda whether it's to get re-elected, gain popularity, or simply spew their own hate-filled beliefs to anyone who will listen.

Hate only leaves room to discriminate

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NutFkykjmbM&feature=related

Fear can lead to anger. And anger can lead to hate. We must educate ourselves so we are not fearful, so we are not hateful.

Islamaphobia in the U.S.

"Islamphobia" isn't anything new. It isn't a recent trend among Americans or Westerners. But, since September 11th and both wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, fear of and dislike of anything having to do with Islam or Muslims is everywhere. We have branded a whole population, a whole religious group, that is in fact bigger in number than Christianity, as terrorists wanting to destroy our American way of life. While I am not Muslim or Arab, I feel it is ignorant to assume all Muslim people hate America and want nothing more than to kill us. The Muslim population worldwide is 1.57 billion! Yet, roughly 20% of them are Arab. With racial profiling sanctioned by the PATRIOT ACT and American's over all fear of another terror attack, not to mention politicians spewing their rhetoric and thoughtless generalizations and speeches, the Muslim population here in the U.S. has encountered extreme hatred, intolerance, and has seen their civil liberties diminished. Unfortunately, it is common to want someone blame. But blaming all Muslims and demonizing them isn't the answer. Defacing mosques, homes of Muslim families, and Muslim owned places of business have been all too common.

Of course I love my country. Do I want to see anymore fellow Americans die because of terror related attacks? No, of course not! But it's about time we stop whispering when we see a Muslim woman in public wearing a burka or a Muslim man on an airplane. It's ignorant and hateful. It was not ordinary or traditional followers of Islam that plotted against America. It was radicalized Muslims, if one can even call them Muslims, who attacked America. The population of radicalized Muslims, those who vehemently despise America and Western culture, those who would give their own life in order to take the life of an American, is small in comparison to the rest of Muslims. A statistic recently released by the Department of Homeland Security detailed that less than 2% of all Muslims in America become radicalized out of a total population of 2-5 million. Our fear of Muslims isn't supported by numbers but, only by false assumptions and ignorance.