The Good News About American Islamophobia

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

The Good News About American Islamophobia

Nancy Fuchs Kreimer

Director of the Department of Multifaith Studies and Initiatives, Reconstructionist Rabbinical College

While meeting to prepare my taxes, my accountant asked me, "What's new and good in your line of work?" She knows that I am a long time interfaith educator and that in the last few years I have been working in coalitions with members of other faith communities to combat religious prejudice against Muslims in this country.

Despite much to deplore and enormous challenges ahead, I could answer that there is some good news about Islamophobia. Obviously, the good news needs to be heard in the context of the bad news, bad both for Muslims and for the rest of us who care about America. Recent reports by the Pew Research Center (August), the Center for American Progress (August) and the Brookings Institution and the Public Religion Research institute (September) all document the bad news. More than half of all Muslims under the age of 30 report being the victims of religious intolerance in the last year (Pew). In the last decade, seven foundations have poured more than $40 million into efforts to drum up fear of Muslims in America (CAP). Forty-seven percent of Americans believe Islam is incompatible with American values (Brookings). Clearly, religious prejudice against Muslims continues to be a concern -- a serious concern. At the same time, each report also includes the seeds of some good news.

First, the Brookings study, "What It Means to be an American: Attitudes in an Increasingly Diverse America Ten Years after 9/11," reveals that most Americans have very little direct experience of Muslims. The majority have no opportunity to speak to a Muslim, even occasionally. What's good about that? In fact, it helps explain findings such as the Gallup Poll that placed Muslims as the most disliked religious group in America. We tend to dislike what we do not know. Robert Putnam describes the opposite situation as the "Aunt Susan effect." In his book "American Grace," Putnam observes how positive feelings develop as people get to know the "other" as friends and eventually family members.

With the exception of African American Muslims, Muslims are part of a recent immigrant community. The Pew study, "Muslim Americans: No Sign of Growth in Alienation or Extremism," reports that 63 percent of Muslim Americans are first-generation immigrants to the U.S., with 45 percent having arrived since 1990. (Strikingly, 81 percent of Muslim Americans are citizens of the U.S., including 70 percent of those born outside the U.S., a higher percentage than most other immigrant groups.) Muslims simply have not had the time to integrate into American society, but there is evidence, also in that study, that the process is well under way.

The Brookings report broke down responses by age of the informants. Americans ages 18-29 were twice as likely as those ages 65 and older to know Muslims personally. In each category, the young are moving in the direction Robert Putnam would predict will lead to better news. The future looks more promising than the past.

Second, most Americans do not know much about Islam. Once again, this can be the good news. In the Brookings study, people were asked how much they believe they know about Islam. Fourteen percent said they know a lot about the religious beliefs and practices of Muslims, 57 percent said they know a little, and 29 percent said they know nothing at all. The group that was most likely to say they know a lot about Muslims was, interestingly, Americans who identify with the Tea Party movement (21 percent).

What they know, unfortunately, was provided by a small cadre of well funded scholars, bloggers and media personalities, in particular, those on Fox News. The Center for American Progress recently documented the effort to shape the perception of Americans about Islam through an "echo chamber" of recycled information and misinformation. "Fear, Inc.: The Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America," shows how movements like the one to ban so-called "Sharia law" are created. A "solution in search of a problem," state legislation proposing to keep Islamic law from superseding American law did not emerge out of spontaneous grassroots concern. In fact, according to a recent article in the New York Times, one of the chief authors of this legislation confessed that "if this law passed in every state it would not have served its purpose." The purpose is to stir up suspicion and controversy, not to actually pass legislation that the author himself knows is unconstitutional as well as unnecessary.

As people learn more about the work of this small group and their funders, we will be in a better position to offer a counter narrative. The good news lies in the more than 80 percent of Americans who know little or nothing about Islam and know that they know little or nothing about it. Americans are evenly divided over the question of whether Islam and democracy are congenial, but the question is flawed. It presumes a static entity called "Islam." Like other great religious traditions, Islam is evolving and multidimensional. Neither Roman Catholicism nor Judaism were, in essence, "democratic," but American versions of both of those traditions became part of the fabric of American religious life, as will American Islam. Again, this has already begun to happen.

This brings us to the third piece of good news, the outpouring of support for Muslims by their sisters and brothers in other religious communities in America. On Sept. 8, I stood proudly, shoulder-to-shoulder, with representatives of 26 national religious organizations, organized by the Islamic Society of North America. We said we refused to allow our communities to be victims of campaigns of misinformation. We can also use the Internet. Around the country, people commemorated 9/11 with formal programs and through simple acts of friendship.

Could I tell a darker story today? Of course. Should we be complacent? Far from it. The bad news is that there are people waking up early in the morning to take advantage of Americans' ignorance about Islam and to fill the void with fear. The good news is that others are determined to wake up earlier still and help Americans live the best of our country's values.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nancy-fuchs-kreimer/islamophobia-in-america_b_960140.html

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

Good read WOM, all we can hope for is people attempt to learn the right way about Isalm.

[Sarah Elle-Même 660]

The group that was most likely to say they know a lot about Muslims was, interestingly, Americans who identify with the Tea Party movement (21 percent).

I gotta say I miss those tea party rallies where my friends and I poked the fat old people on their rascals with sticks. Even at top speed, we easily outran those rascals. Maybe because they were carrying 300lb+ dead weight. Tea Partiers = when already moronic libertarianism gets beaten with an even bigger stupid stick.

As for the article, . My dad was pretty prejudiced against Muslims until he met Adnan. And then they watched an episode of Star Trek together and an unbreakable bond was formed, the bond of commonality. Nerds.

Edited April 12, 2013 by Sarah and Adnan

[ready4ONE 5,400]

Nobody in their right mind should care even a little bit if someone is Muslim, Christian, Jewish, pagan, vegan or anything else.

[zahrasalem 114]

Nobody in their right mind should care even a little bit if someone is Muslim, Christian, Jewish, pagan, vegan or anything else.

I agree! It shouldn't matter (I'm muslim btw).

I find it weird and annoying how many non-muslims spend so much time and are so hell-bent trying to prove to the world how evil and bad Islam is (in their opinion), throwing around a lot of skewed "facts".

If you don't like something, here's an idea : don't bother yourself with it! If you don't like a particular religion, fine. A lot of people don't like your religion either. Don't make it your life's mission to bash it, criticize it or disprove it every chance you get, like on message boards or forums, whatever religion you disagree with so much. Live and let live! It's fine to have an opinion of course, even if it's not founded in truth, but then forget about it already!

Sorry for going on and on, it's so annoying to me...

[OriZ 3,157]

I gotta say I miss those tea party rallies where my friends and I poked the fat old people on their rascals with sticks. Even at top speed, we easily outran those rascals. Maybe because they were carrying 300lb+ dead weight. Tea Partiers = when already moronic libertarianism gets beaten with an even bigger stupid stick.

As for the article, . My dad was pretty prejudiced against Muslims until he met Adnan. And then they watched an episode of Star Trek together and an unbreakable bond was formed, the bond of commonality. Nerds.

typical leftist hypocricy. You disgust me.

[Sarah Elle-Même 660]

typical leftist hypocricy. You disgust me.

What, pray tell, is hypocritical about what I said? Typical of right wingers to not understand the meaning or spelling of HYPOCRISY.

It's okay, I understand how hard words and thoughts can be sometimes. No need to get worked up.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

What, pray tell, is hypocritical about what I said? Typical of right wingers to not understand the meaning or spelling of HYPOCRISY.

It's okay, I understand how hard words and thoughts can be sometimes. No need to get worked up.

Maybe the part in which you stereotype all tea people at a tea party rally and run around committing Assault and then brag about it.

[himher 634]

typical leftist hypocricy. You disgust me.

Disgusting: (adj) Attempting to word sentences that convince people that "defense" is defined as defending the right to arbitrarily take the property of others for one's own use.

[Sarah Elle-Même 660]

Maybe the part in which you stereotype all tea people at a tea party rally and run around committing Assault and then brag about it.

Yes but explain to me how this is HYPOCRITICAL. If anything Tea Partiers are hypocritical because they are always claiming to know facts about things like the president's birth place, taxes, government, laws, freedom, Muslims, etc when time and time again it's proved they know nothing about any of those things. Saying you want the government off your back and your "freedom" protected but oh oh oh wait that doesn't extend to Muslims practicing their religion as allowed by the 1st Amendment. Talk about hypocritical.

And no, not all Tea Partiers are fat, I didn't say that. They are just the easiest marks to make fun of. And standing outside for hours at those rallies was much easier for the fat people who weren't standing at all, but sitting on power chairs. There were also people who brought lawn chairs and barbecues.

The only real assault going on at those gatherings was the B.O. Man, that was rancid.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

Yes but explain to me how this is HYPOCRITICAL. If anything Tea Partiers are hypocritical because they are always claiming to know facts about things like the president's birth place, taxes, government, laws, freedom, Muslims, etc when time and time again it's proved they know nothing about any of those things. Saying you want the government off your back and your "freedom" protected but oh oh oh wait that doesn't extend to Muslims practicing their religion as allowed by the 1st Amendment. Talk about hypocritical.

And no, not all Tea Partiers are fat, I didn't say that. They are just the easiest marks to make fun of. And standing outside for hours at those rallies was much easier for the fat people who weren't standing at all, but sitting on power chairs. There were also people who brought lawn chairs and barbecues.

The only real assault going on at those gatherings was the B.O. Man, that was rancid.

So because you disagree with peoples points of views it's ok to go around hitting them with sticks. It's odd that the very people who are always crying, don't judge us by the actions of a few, just told us all Tea part people are also, Birthers and don't want Muslims practicing their religion etc., which is sooo not true

Yes I would say that sums the very essence of Hypocrite quite nicely. In fact they should put your statement beside it in the dictionary .

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

The good news about America Islamophobia is that we are still the freest country on earth.

We are still a country in which a wide eclectic group of people can live together in relative harmony protected by one of the greatest documents ever written . Although people may harbor fears and prejudices on an individual level at times, our great freedoms are guaranteed . We have separation of church and state, and no form of government is allowed to dictate how and when i practice my religion. That one principal in our constitution may be the most important one ever written, because when religion and government are intertwined the results are usually oppression and intolerance.

One only has to look to some Middle Eastern regimes to see what happens when Politics and Religion become one in the same. Some of these countries have zero tolerance for any religion other than the official state religion, and often times a small groups religious beliefs dictate the law for everyone, as in Saudi.

So the good news is that you live in the freest country on earth in which no part of our Government will force you to adhere to any one religious belief and no law will prevent you from expressing your religious preference.

Celebrate freedom. Isn't it awesome !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

So because you disagree with peoples points of views it's ok to go around hitting them with sticks. It's odd that the very people who are always crying, don't judge us by the actions of a few, just told us all Tea part people are also, Birthers and don't want Muslims practicing their religion etc., which is sooo not true

Yes I would say that sums the very essence of Hypocrite quite nicely. In fact they should put your statement beside it in the dictionary .

But the Tea Party is rather extreme. And no one has yet to answer my question about them, which was where were they when GW spent us into this recession?

[Sarah Elle-Même 660]

So because you disagree with peoples points of views it's ok to go around hitting them with sticks. It's odd that the very people who are always crying, don't judge us by the actions of a few, just told us all Tea part people are also, Birthers and don't want Muslims practicing their religion etc., which is sooo not true

Yes I would say that sums the very essence of Hypocrite quite nicely. In fact they should put your statement beside it in the dictionary .

If you really think I was "hitting" people with sticks then clearly you just read what you want to read. It's so tempting to exaggerate things, isn't it?

The tea party platform in and of itself: http://www.teaparty-platform.com/ reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of economics. But this is not the thread for that conversation. Though you just love derailing threads, don't you? Time and time again they have used their large budgets (funded not by the pockets of grassroots activists, but corporate interests like Koch Industries) to wage battle against immigration reform, social safety net programs, and minority groups. And FYI I was there at those anti-"Ground Zero Mosque" protests and I saw plenty of "Don't Tread on Me" flags and their leader, Pamela Gellar is a tea party household name. Not to mention their politicians are the ones spearheading those ridiculous "anti-sharia law" bills.

And who said I'm one of those "people who are always crying don't judge us by the actions of a few"? Who exactly do you think I am? Have I outed myself as a member of some group or affiliation I'm not aware of? Time to go outside and enjoy the spring weather.

[PalestineMyHeart 1,897]

The good news about America Islamophobia is that we are still the freest country on earth.

We are still a country in which a wide eclectic group of people can live together in relative harmony protected by one of the greatest documents ever written . Although people may harbor fears and prejudices on an individual level at times, our great freedoms are guaranteed . We have separation of church and state, and no form of government is allowed to dictate how and when i practice my religion. That one principal in our constitution may be the most important one ever written, because when religion and government are intertwined the results are usually oppression and intolerance.

One only has to look to some Middle Eastern regimes to see what happens when Politics and Religion become one in the same. Some of these countries have zero tolerance for any religion other than the official state religion, and often times a small groups religious beliefs dictate the law for everyone, as in Saudi.

So the good news is that you live in the freest country on earth in which no part of our Government will force you to adhere to any one religious belief and no law will prevent you from expressing your religious preference.

Celebrate freedom. Isn't it awesome !!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOL.

"We're the best we're the best we're great we do everything right we're Americans yayyyyyy and we tolerate and respect everybody's religion because we have Judeo Christian values yayyyyyy and our values are so diametrically different from the values of Islam boooo just look at Saudi and Afghanistan that proves it booooo oppression and violence boooooo and we never funded any Muslim extremists and we never laid waste to any Muslim countries that never did anything to us yayyyyyy and.... wait, what ? Well don't look here look over there look how bad it is over there look at them look at Saudi look at Afghanistan they're Muslims we're not yayyyyy they follow Sharia boooo we don't yayyyyy now admit we're perfect yayyyyy admit it yayyyy we're superior yayyyyy admit it yayyy we're better than everyone else especially we're better than the Muslims boooo our culture yayyyy don't talk about other countries except Saudi and Afghanistan because that's Islam and they are just following their Quran and it tells them to do all of this stuff boooo and don't talk about secular Muslims or modern Muslims or non-Wahhabi Muslims because who cares about them and what do they know about their religion anyway but we're not prejudiced noooooooo we're not bigoted nooooo we just don't like Muslims and their Muslim ways because look at Saudi and Afghanistan so boooooo them yayyyyyy us"