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Muslim WFU Law Student Writes...

I'm not quite sure why both the extremists and the ignorant Americans can't both be blamed?
 
ConnorEl said:
But why are the readers of the W-SJ the "wrong audience"? Sure, we're not likely to be the terrorists that have caused everyone so much grief. But why not give a listen to a peaceable Muslim's perspective? And try to understand what he's saying about the Muslim experience in the U.S. post-9/11?

Sure, it's not hard to assume you can imagine that experience. But I've not lived it, and appreciate the student sharing his.

As I've indicated earlier, I appreciate why some people are in some ways biased wrt Muslims. Some of that makes some sense to me. But certainly not all of it. And I see no harm at all in listening to the perspective of our Muslim neighbors and students and trying to better appreciate what their lives are like.
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This is a really good post.
 
jhmd2000 said:
You're an idiot. I am pointing out that he needs to address his concerns with the offending party. He claims his religion was hijacked, but he's blaming the passengers. He needs to blame the hijackers. But then again, they're not white judeo christians (or whomever W&B cited), so they're totally immune in your world. His concerns---valid as they may be----need to be addressed to the proper audience.

You accept all claims of victimization at face value, and accuse anyone who dares to voice a critically-reasoned opinion as a bigoted. That's not just lazy, it's stupid and lazy...and for that matter, precisely the stuff sad, unredeemable old vaginas are made of.

Twat on, RJ.
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1. The offending party are terrorist jihadists. Other than having a death wish, what good would it do him to make this same complaint to them? They (extremist-jihadists) don't want Americans to like Muslims, they want Americans to die. "Please stop being terrorists so that Americans will like us again!"

2. He acknowledges that the source of these problems is 9/11 and Osama Bin Laden. He never "blames" the passengers. If you feel blamed, you need to work that out yourself.

3. Muslim Americans are facing undeserved bigotry and hardship here. The writer isn't anymore responsible for the actions of those terrorists than you are. If you think that bigotry and mistreatment is justified because of 9/11, than you are blaming all Muslims for 9/11.
 
jhmd2000 said:
You're an idiot. I am pointing out that he needs to address his concerns with the offending party. He claims his religion was hijacked, but he's blaming the passengers. He needs to blame the hijackers. But then again, they're not white judeo christians (or whomever W&B cited), so they're totally immune in your world. His concerns---valid as they may be----need to be addressed to the proper audience.

You accept all claims of victimization at face value, and accuse anyone who dares to voice a critically-reasoned opinion as a bigoted. That's not just lazy, it's stupid and lazy...and for that matter, precisely the stuff sad, unredeemable old vaginas are made of.

Twat on, RJ.
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Facepalm

did you read the piece? honestly, tell us. if so, go back and read it again. If you still don't get it I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave. :)

But seriously, he is blaming OBL for all of this. Nowhere in the column does he blame you or America for any of the fallout that American Muslims felt after the attack. Nowhere. The man heaps all of the blame for the suffering he has endured on OBL. Period. He's just relating it in a paper. Hell, he doesn't even condemn the actions under which he suffered - he condemns OBL. goddamn man, he seems like your kind of guy....

Why, then, do people like yourself get your backs up when someone says they struggled socially in America? You do the same thing about the poor, the elderly, the downtrodden. Why do you feel the need to defend America in the same way a child defends his parents when another child says something disparaging about them? It's a kneejerk response; Pavlov's dog hearing someone claim they struggled or suffered in America and you unleash all the shit they did wrong or could have done to prevent it when all they are doing is talking about their struggle.
 
myDeaconmyhand said:
1. The offending party are terrorist jihadists. Other than having a death wish, what good would it do him to make this same complaint to them? They (extremist-jihadists) don't want Americans to like Muslims, they want Americans to die. "Please stop being terrorists so that Americans will like us again!"

2. He acknowledges that the source of these problems is 9/11 and Osama Bin Laden. He never "blames" the passengers. If you feel blamed, you need to work that out yourself.

3. Muslim Americans are facing undeserved bigotry and hardship here. The writer isn't anymore responsible for the actions of those terrorists than you are. If you think that bigotry and mistreatment is justified because of 9/11, than you are blaming all Muslims for 9/11.
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I guess I'm running out of ways to say "right message, wrong audience." Nothing about that says I believe any bigotry and mistreatment is justified. Nothing. Why would anyone want that?

However, things need to be put in the proper perspective. I'm going to wager a guess that Todd Beamer's orphaned family could give a darn about this guy's hardships, if five extra minutes of time at the airport could bring Todd back. Seems like a fairly safe cost benefit calc. to me. I don't doubt that he's experienced them (and have said so many times), but when as recently as within the last 48 hours....this happened: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/05/09/BA6P1JDPHP.DTL&tsp=1....I'm not going to fault law enforcement from being vigilant. Who wishes that was necessary, but it's not the FBI's fault, is it? If I'm going to have to decide between this guy getting questioned by the FBI and the chance that it might have saved just one of the 9/11 families from losing their loved ones forever (including, if it makes you feel better, people who don't look like me), then it's not even a question to me. Is it to you? There's nothing hateful or bigoted about that.
 
2&2 Slider To Leyritz said:
I agree with you that the media shapes a lot of it. But I also think that Muslims can use the media to show a more visible peaceful presence if they want to dispel the stereotypes. Seeing a black southern baptist church picnic on a sunday or a youth center during the week is a practical way to break down stereotypes of black violence. Throw some Mosque BBQs (swine-free, of course) and i think it would be a step in the right direction.
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When do you see black church picnics on the news?
 
PhDeac said:
When do you see black church picnics on the news?
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All the time on News 14 Carolina - they are always showing footage of some BBQ to celebrate the 100th anniversary of some church. But I don't mean just on the news as far as the ability to change people's mindsets. Even simply driving by a positive public event helps to create exposure. It is probably just the nature of the particular culture and religion, but I don't really recall ever seeing a Muslim public celebration event in person or on the news, other than those on TV from abroad consisting of burning flags and celebratory machine gun fire similar to a College Park victory party.
 
jhmd2000 said:
I guess I'm running out of ways to say "right message, wrong audience." Nothing about that says I believe any bigotry and mistreatment is justified. Nothing. Why would anyone want that?

However, things need to be put in the proper perspective. I'm going to wager a guess that Todd Beamer's orphaned family could give a darn about this guy's hardships, if five extra minutes of time at the airport could bring Todd back. Seems like a fairly safe cost benefit calc. to me. I don't doubt that he's experienced them (and have said so many times), but when as recently as within the last 48 hours....this happened: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/05/09/BA6P1JDPHP.DTL&tsp=1....I'm not going to fault law enforcement from being vigilant. Who wishes that was necessary, but it's not the FBI's fault, is it? If I'm going to have to decide between this guy getting questioned by the FBI and the chance that it might have saved just one of the 9/11 families from losing their loved ones forever (including, if it makes you feel better, people who don't look like me), then it's not even a question to me. Is it to you? There's nothing hateful or bigoted about that.
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In response to your point, the people who died in the Twin Towers were not the only victims of terrorism,and they are not the only ones who deserve justice. The author never compares his plight with that of 9/11 victims, you are the only one doing that. That article wasn't written to complain about an extra 5 minutes of time at the airport. The point of the article is to show that Muslim Americans are just as happy about the death of Osama bin Laden as everyone else, and give specific reasons why.

None of the hate crimes and employment discrimination that he mentions in the article are preventing terrorism. You are the correct audience.
 
myDeaconmyhand said:
In response to your point, the people who died in the Twin Towers were not the only victims of terrorism,and they are not the only ones who deserve justice. The author never compares his plight with that of 9/11 victims, you are the only one doing that. That article wasn't written to complain about an extra 5 minutes of time at the airport. The point of the article is to show that Muslim Americans are just as happy about the death of Osama bin Laden as everyone else, and give specific reasons why.

None of the hate crimes and employment discrimination that he mentions in the article are preventing terrorism. You are the correct audience.
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He bitched that his community was the most investigated after 9/11.

No shit....
 
jhmd2000 said:
He bitched that his community was the most investigated after 9/11.

No shit....
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IS there a difference between relating one's negative experiences and "bitching"? Are you saying he should've just not written anything at all? That he shouldn't make any attempt at educating people about what life is like for Muslim-Americans?
 
BeachBumDeac said:
IS there a difference between relating one's negative experiences and "bitching"? Are you saying he should've just not written anything at all? That he shouldn't make any attempt at educating people about what life is like for Muslim-Americans?
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If I wanted to say that, I would have. I don't, so I didn't.
 
2&2 Slider To Leyritz said:
All the time on News 14 Carolina - they are always showing footage of some BBQ to celebrate the 100th anniversary of some church. But I don't mean just on the news as far as the ability to change people's mindsets. Even simply driving by a positive public event helps to create exposure. It is probably just the nature of the particular culture and religion, but I don't really recall ever seeing a Muslim public celebration event in person or on the news, other than those on TV from abroad consisting of burning flags and celebratory machine gun fire similar to a College Park victory party.
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And that helps support my point. You're going to get news coverage for events like that from an NC news station doing local Charlotte, but people in other markets probably aren't going to get it. That type of stuff is for black church-going audiences who make up a decent percentage of the local audience. I doubt many networks outside of Dearborn have the motivation to go to the local mosque for stories that their Muslim audience has interest in. The idea that mosques need to have more "BBQs" really misses the business nature of TV news.
 
PhDeac said:
And that helps support my point. You're going to get news coverage for events like that from an NC news station doing local Charlotte, but people in other markets probably aren't going to get it. That type of stuff is for black church-going audiences who make up a decent percentage of the local audience. I doubt many networks outside of Dearborn have the motivation to go to the local mosque for stories that their Muslim audience has interest in. The idea that mosques need to have more "BBQs" really misses the business nature of TV news.
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I wouldn't hold your breathe for your local Imam throwing a pig-picking.
 
WakeandBake said:
oh please, spare me your lecture on the real world, bud. I've been just fine my whole life and I'm confident I will continue to be. I was commenting on the authors intent and you and your frightened ivory tower white-boy friends launched into all the reasons that he should suck it up. Talk about borderline child-like....
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nm
 
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myDeaconmyhand said:
1. The offending party are terrorist jihadists. Other than having a death wish, what good would it do him to make this same complaint to them? They (extremist-jihadists) don't want Americans to like Muslims, they want Americans to die. "Please stop being terrorists so that Americans will like us again!"

2. He acknowledges that the source of these problems is 9/11 and Osama Bin Laden. He never "blames" the passengers. If you feel blamed, you need to work that out yourself.

3. Muslim Americans are facing undeserved bigotry and hardship here. The writer isn't anymore responsible for the actions of those terrorists than you are. If you think that bigotry and mistreatment is justified because of 9/11, than you are blaming all Muslims for 9/11.
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Again, nobody is 'blaming all Muslims"...some of us would simply like to see a pro-active response to the radical wing of Islam which threatens all believers of the faith. Without a vocal and muscular response the jihadist element threatens to commandeer the image of the religion...indeed, they already have.

Spend more time combatting the radical elements and worry less about a few American's knee jerk response to fear in their lives.
 
Related (AP) article in today's paper: Young Muslims hope to be 'cool again'


Subjects in this article express sentiments similar to the article in the op.

Quote:
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Shortly after Osama bin Laden's death was broadcast to the world, Linda Sarsour posted on Twitter, "Osama Bin Laden is dead. Good, now can I get my identity back?...
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I think it's a high hope if anyone really expects sudden and more favorable shifts in existing prejudices, biases, etc. My guess is it will take plenty more work and time to see substantial change. But I can appreciate the wish for such a thing. And the hope that the death of Bin Laden, and the Arab Spring, may be/become significant steps in that direction. We'll see.
 
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