I dont think there’s any way you can argue that there’s not a heightened anti-muslim sentiment in this country in the wake of the manufactured controversy over the so-called 911 mosque. Since the big protest in New York last week, I know of at least two violent attacks. First, there was the stabbing of New York cab driver Ahmed Sharif, by 21 year old film student Michael Enright (pictured right). Enright, as you’ve probably heard by now, asked Sharif if he was Muslim before the attack. Sharif responded that he was, at which point Enright began stabbing him in his throat. Then, yesterday, construction equipment was set ablaze at the site of an Islamic Center being built in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Following is more from CBS News:
…Special Agent Andy Anderson of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives told CBS News that the fire destroyed one piece of construction equipment and damaged three others. Gas was poured over the equipment to start the fire, Anderson said….
“We unfortunately did not experience hostilities for the 30 years we’ve been here and have only seen the hostility since approval of the site plan for the new center,” said Sbenaty.
Opponents of a new Islamic center say they believe the mosque will be more than a place of prayer; they are afraid the 15-acre site that was once farmland will be turned into a terrorist training ground for Muslim militants bent on overthrowing the U.S. government.
“They are not a religion. They are a political, militaristic group,” Bob Shelton, a 76-year-old retiree who lives in the area, told The Associated Press.
Shelton was among several hundred demonstrators who recently wore “Vote for Jesus” T-shirts and carried signs that said “No Sharia law for USA!,” referring to the Islamic code of law…
“No mosque in Murfreesboro. I don’t want it. I don’t want them here,” Evy Summers said to WTVF. “Go start their own country overseas somewhere. This is a Christian country. It was based on Christianity.”
Leaving aside for the moment the fact that this country was very deliberately not “based on Christianity,” I find it more than just a little disconcerting that these things are happening on top of one another now, after a long and heated summer of irresponsible fear-mongering on the part a growing minority on the right. Among those fanning the flames of xenophobia was none other than Tennessee’s Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, not far from Murfreesboro. Here’s a clip from Think Progress:
…On July 14, Tennessee’s Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey (R), who is a Tea Party-backed candidate for governor, spoke about the planned Islamic Center to a group of Republicans. He said he opposed the project because it might bring “Sharia Law” into the state and wondered whether Islam might be some sort of cult…
For what it’s worth, for them to force Sharia law on the people of Murfreesboro, I think they probably need to exceed the 1:200 mosque-to-church ratio they presently enjoy.
If Murfreesboro sounds familiar, it might be because the Daily Show just visited there a few days ago, to find out why people were opposed to this particular Islamic center. (Weren’t we told that the only reason the mosque in NYC was being objected to was because of its proximity to ground zero?) If you haven’t seen the episode, you can check it out here… I particularly liked the woman who stated very matter-of-factly that Muslims presently operate 35 terrorist training camps within the boundaries of the United States. (She’d read it on the internet.)
So, we’ll have to wait and see what happens. My guess, though, is that the burning of equipment in Murfreesboro won’t be identified as an act of terrorism by U.S. officials, although it was clearly done with the intention of terrorizing these men and woman… White people, it would seem, are incapable of such things.
I should add that I know very little about the Muslim community of Murfeesboro. I don’t know how radical they are, if at all. As I haven’t heard of women being stoned to death for adultery in Tennessee, though, my guess is that they’re decent hard-working people who obey our laws, and, as such, should have the same freedom that the rest of us enjoy. There’s one thing that I’m absolutely certain of, though — the non-Muslim men and women of Tennessee who were interviewed by the Daily Show and other media outlets are an embarrassment to our country and a testament to the fact that our schools are failing. This, my friends, is what happens when you systematically dismantle the public school system, destroy the middle class, demonize the educated and spread fear among the people.
One last thing… The people of FOX News and the men behind the Tea Partyfication of American politics will, if things continue as they are, soon have blood on their hands. I would encourage them to give this fact serious thought. I imagine there’s some part of them that knows that a line has been crossed, and my hope is that they listen to that part before they do irreparable harm to this democracy for which so many good men and women have given their lives.
35 Comments
The people who burned the construction site are true patriots. True American heroes.
Why the fuck do I live in this country?
This is a great post, Mark.
If it were the other way around, and a Muslim man had stabbed a white cab driver in the neck after asking if he were Christian, or if Muslims had set fires at the construction site of a church, you can bet that there would be 24/7 coverage on Fox News.
Not true Mark,
This country was indeed very deliberately based on Christianity. Not only did the Declaration of Independence acknowledge God, but also reiterated that individual rights come from God, and our Constitution was instituted to protect our God-given rights. The majority of the signers of the Constitution were Christians and 11 of the 13 original colonies recognized specific Christian denominations as state endorsed religions. The constitutions of all 50 states acknowledge God.
Patrick Henry boldly declared: ” It cannot be emphasized too strongly that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity and freedom of worship here.”
Likewise, the Constitution of the United States was drafted so as to be in accordance with the Scriptures, to be the legal foundation of a republican form of government based on that model which God had ordained for the children of Israel. Thomas Jefferson even suggested that the national seal be a portrayal of “the children of Israel in the wilderness, led by a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.”
“No mosque in Murfreesboro. I don’t want it. I don’t want them here,” Sam-I-Am said to WTVF.
He went on to say…
I do not like them kneeling down
I do not like them when they’re brown
I do not like them when when they pray
I do not like them when they’re gay
I do not want them here or there
I do not want them anywhere
My hat is off to you, Sir Dragon. Well played.
As for this mosque attack, I think it clearly illustrates that the events in Manhattan had nothing to do with “sensitivity” as the protesters claimed, and everything to do with racism. It wasn’t that the complex was upsetting to the families of the 9/11 victims, as it was to be located a few blocks from ground zero. It was that Muslims were building a mosque. What happened in Murfreesboro was inevitable.
Religious freedom only applies to bigots.
I thought we covered this in grade school.
Thomas Jefferson:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Separation_of_church_and_state_in_the_United_States
I should have known giving man “free will” was a mistake.
As I have said before – Christianity is a cult. It just happens to be a well funded, well organized cult with nutjob followers like EOS. To all fundamentalists: you have been drinking too much kool-aid.
I hath spoken….
deism dude, deism
Tim,
The quote of Jefferson you posted is not a part of any government documentation. It is a paragraph taken out of context from a personal letter from Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Church. It was one of several letters Jefferson wrote to reassure that church that while the federal government could not interfere with the free practice of religion, there were no restrictions that could be placed on religion to prevent them from interfering or influencing their government. How else could the last sentence of your excerpt be interpreted? I like how Jefferson, an elected official of the Federal governmen,t ended this letter:
I reciprocate your kind prayers for the protection & blessing of the common father and creator of man, and tender you for yourselves & your religious association, assurances of my high respect & esteem.
And what government document did your Patrick Henry quote come from, EOS?
Great Onion headline.
“Man Already Knows Everything He Needs To Know About Muslims”
More:
http://www.theonion.com/articles/man-already-knows-everything-he-needs-to-know-abou,17990/
Good point Tim. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution both support my argument and stand independent of Patrick Henry’s great quote.
People are being terrorized and marginalized due to their choice of religious practices. Regardless of any archaic arguments over constitutional law, treating people in such a manner is simply wrong. Just fucking wrong.
I see your claims about the USA being a Christian nation and raise the bet with a few links and quotes.
http://www.zenhell.com/GetEnlightened/FoundingFathers/
http://freethought.mbdojo.com/foundingfathers.html
http://www.nobeliefs.com/Tripoli.htm
http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2008/08/02/founding-fathers-atheists-freethinkers/
I really enjoy it when people interpret, reinterpret the meaning of the words of a bunch of centuries dead white men to fit their particular twisted world view.
…and as EOS and I both know, any reference to “God” is a reference to the Christian God only. When you say God in other languages you are not talking about the real God. Until Muslims learn to use the English word for God we can’t trust ’em.
It is extremely telling that Eos has not condemned the actions in mufreesboro, but rather gone out on a tangent of state sanctioned Christian superiority.
But it’s their fault. They provoke us with their existence.
Sorry Peter, thought it was self-evident. Murder and arson are wrong. I hereby condemn them under any circumstance. I think Mosques should be allowed to be built anywhere they want them . I don’t have a problem with a mosque at ground zero or Murfreesboro.
Then I am mistaken. My apologies.
Those terrorists sure do a lot of training. They seem to be training constantly and have training camps everywhere. You know, you can overtrain. Terrorist training is like Gold’s Gym for these guys. I think they might just be training to impress each other, but don’t actually intend to do anything.
…I mean damn, how much training do you need to shoot up a cafateria.
I’ll bet there is a lot of gay sex going on at these training camps.
EOS: do you not have a sanctimonious reply to those quotes which which make your so piddly by comparison…? What of that Heathen “Robert” that implies there are other gods than than Me – the Christian GOD….
How darest thou not defend Me….
Zenhell is a cool name for a website.
Does anyone else think the guy at the top of the post looks like a young Mark Maynard?
And since Robert brought it up, I think most fundamentalist nut cases who blow stuff up are closeted gay men. You cannot tell me that Mohamed Atta wasn’t. I won’t believe you. And I know that if he lived in a culture that didn’t stone men to death for sucking cock that a lot of people would still be alive today.
Violence is the externalization of internal conflict. It is in the best interest of all that those who want to suck cock not only be allowed to, but that they be encouraged and even praised for doing it. BJs save lives.
Say no to suicide bombing.
Say yes to same-sex blowing.
I agree – homosexual behavior has been observed in just about all of my divine creatures. Humans are the only species of animal that make some prohibition against homosexuality. Once again humans have written their own rules in direct opposition to nature – and look what it leads to; hatred (self and others) and violence.
EOS: would you like to suck my holy sceptre?
Form the Center for American Progress:
More:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g5uMD_g6Rij3AU0eZRK2bhi6Z7zwD9HU32RG0
I hope that every American, regardless of where he lives, will stop and examine his conscience about this and other related incidents. This Nation was founded by men of many nations and backgrounds. It was founded on the principle that all men are created equal, and that the rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened. All of us ought to have the right to be treated as he would wish to be treated, as one would wish his children to be treated, but this is not the case.
I know those opposing the NY Community Center continue to say that that the majority supports them, but as history has taught us the majority is not always right. Would women or non-whites have the vote if we listen to the majority of the day, would the non-whites have equal rights (and equal access to churches, housing, restaurants, hotels, retail stores, schools, colleges and yes water fountains) if we listen to the majority of the day? We all know the answer, a resounding, NO!
Today we are committed to a worldwide struggle to promote and protect the rights of all who wish to be free. In a time of domestic crisis men of good will and generosity should be able to unite regardless of party or politics and do what is right, not what is just popular with the majority. Some men comprehend discrimination by never have experiencing it in their lives, but the majority will only understand after it happens to them.
Robert, are you trying to say that the people who work out at Gold’s Gym don’t use those big, burly muscles for other stuff like lifting heavy corn bales on the farm in Oklahoma and grapelling and fighting vicious tigers to save little babies and for fending off would-be suitors from their potential mates and clotheslining and arm-barring and deflecting foreign objects in the trunks of their villainous rivals and flying like a crazed, rabid, flaming, homosexual water buffalo from the top rope onto their opponent on the mat in the squared circle?
Is that what you are trying to say? Because I don’t believe it for one minute.
I wasn’t going to comment on anything tonight, but I just read these comments by a Tea Party leader, joking about the murder of gays, and I couldn’t help myself. I had to share them.
http://www.amplifyyourvoice.org/u/AFY_EmilyB/2010/9/4/Tea-Party-president-jokes-about-murdering-GLBTQ-people
Fuck you there are two TILIBAN TRIANING CAMPS IN TENNESSEE THAT ARE GOING TO FUCKING GET IT! !!!!!!!!”””
This is the worst article on the Tennessee Mollusk Attack that I have ever seen.