It's time for us to admit it. Americans...at least a lot of us, simply don't like Muslims very much. A lot has been made of the recent CNN survey about that proposed mosque at the 9/11site. Politicians, particularly those on the right, have jumped all over the 68 per cent negative response when respondents were asked whether they favored or opposed constructing that particular Islamic Center. But a new one gives the more complete picture.
Time Magazine's brand new poll gets to much more relevant fundamental issue when it shows that a full 43 per cent disapproval of Islam...not the proposed New York mosque but the religion itself.
The demagogues know that full well. But they've gotten a free pass. They've been allowed to tiptoe around our ugly true feelings and declare they are for religious diversity and all that good stuff, just against the mosque on that particular site..."sacred ground" that it is.
That is a subterfuge and they know it. Saddest of all, they've been able to terrify some candidates who are otherwise more measured but are are now showing just how craven someone can get when he's running running for his political life, say in Nevada.
By the way, the Time Magazine poll does not reflect a spike resulting from the current controversy. Gallup last January got an identical result: 43 percent acknowledged "a little prejudice" against Muslims.
Those are the ones who OPENLY admitted their feelings. Surveys like this are incomplete because so many prefer to camouflage their true feelings, out of embarrassment or a lack of self-awareness. Even so 31 per cent acknowledged their view of Islam in its entirety was "not favorable at all"
Back in 2006, still another poll listed 38 per cent saying they would never vote for a Muslim president. We've all seen the fruits of that one, with many of President Obama's opponents getting good traction with their claim he's really a Muslim by birth and upbringing. And a new Pew poll shows that one in five believes that, thanks to incessant continuous use of the "Big Lie" tactic by the blogger blatherers, toxic talk radio hosts, Fox fantasy peddlers and so many others on the
wrong-headed Right. on talk Radio and Fox.
Whatever their scruples, or lack thereof, it is an ACCUSATION, a pejorative perceived as one...so much so, that Mr. Obama's supporters have used up a lot of energy trying to deny it.
At the very least, most Americans don't really comprehend very much about the religion, even though the best guess is that slightly under 3 million live in the United States. And when we don't understand something, e become all-too-receptive to those exploiters who will demonize it.
Even some Ed Gillespie and Grover Norquist, as hard nosed partisans as you'll find are quoted as worrying their fellow Republicans might be overplaying their hands. They may be correct, but perhaps not, if political advantage is the name of the game. Tragically, it probably is.
As for the contention that the resistance is not based on aversion to Islam but on the "insult" claimed by the likes of Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin over building at that particular site, that ignores similar uproars at locations around the country? It seems that each time a new proposal is discussed the locals get a bad case of the "NIMBY"s as IN "NOT IN MY BACK YARD".
And back to the New York site, President Obama's comments that showed sympathy to the idea drew such condemnation mainly from his adversaries that he furious back pedaled less than a day later. This is a man who has been trying very hard to repair relations between this nation and Muslim countries.
He probably needs to begin here. Until then, his words in that world will be regarded as ludicrous by those who see he West as enemy territory, populated small-minded religious bigots.
It's just what the fundamentalist crazies need to justify their violent extremism. We need to do better and open our hearts.. And not just for tactical reasons and foreign policy, but because it's right.
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We are doing just fine, thanks.
Islam needs to do a lot better.
They're different...isn't that enough?
Not only do they not believe in Christ, they have their own earthly prophet.
On top of that, they oppose Israel, while also not on the Christ boosters, plays a biblical part in the execution of our right to go to heaven...
Couple that with the fact they have "our" oil under their sand and don't cotton to our brand of economic/religious/social colonialism...what else would we be persuaded to do?
So first we break up the area 100 years ago...creating countries we hope are too small for the Ataturk to turn against us...
Then we train 'em to fight our other enemies...
And finally act surprised when they turn on us...
As most people, I am appalled by the incredible violence...9/11 and many more acts.
But...good luck to the folks that think we will be able to subjugate 1.25B people with their own idea of paradise.
Gosh, if all else fails, we could try to understand. Nah. It's too easy to hate 'em.
Obama--- are you still the "CHANGE" president?
Demand to end using in modern times the following examples of Islamic commands
Obama---- Don’t be a one sided Islam ambassador
1:Qur'an (8:12) – "I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them"
2:Qur'an (9:14) – "Fight them, Allah will punish them by your hands and bring them to disgrace..."
3:Qur'an (9:123) – "O you who believe! fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and let them find in you hardness."
Some Muslims teach and implement the fight all commands
Many Muslims are silent and don’t demand to change this type of commands
-- MUSLIMS DON’T DEMONSTARTE AGAINST THOSE PARCTICING THOSE COMMANDS
It signals that they are quite supporters
The world religions and cultures adopted in modern times the right of all to free believe and equality of all cultures
--- Obama – request the Muslims to join the modern free equality of all religions and cultures
1. Blaspehmers should be stoned by all (Leviticus 24:16)
2. "Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death." (Exodus 21:15,17)
3. Thieves should be sold into slavery (Exodus 22:1-3)
4. Infidels should be stoned ((Deuteronomy 17:2-5)
Again, this was not to disrespect anyone but to highlight that if you want to tarnish Islam because of your selective cut-and-paste verse picking and your own self-declared interpretations, likewise, one could tarnish Judaism and Christianity in exactly the same way.
But the truth is that these 'controversial' commands have their own contexts/legal rulings/conditions for application etc. and each religion has its legal professionals who clarify what they stand for. Why is Mr local Tom trying to do the work of a religious jurist? What does it matter what you think those verses mean? It's about what it means to those who practice that faith! Which is why 1.6 billion Muslims have not been killing their next door neighbours, and why billions of Christians have not been stoning their colleagues at work!
See http://www.loonwatch.com/2010/05/sarah-palin-supports-stoning-and-slavery/
If American willingly chooses to push itself into a friction of this kind, then there are dark days to come indeed, and it will all be of our own doing...