David Sirota: The ’80s Origins of Today’s Anti-Muslim Bigotry

[marmar]

from truthdig:




The ’80s Origins of Today’s Anti-Muslim Bigotry

Posted on Mar 10, 2011
By David Sirota


The least intriguing aspect of Republican Rep. Peter King’s congressional hearing this week on terrorism and the “radicalization in the American Muslim community” is the spectacle’s obvious hypocrisy. King was himself a cheerleader of a terrorist group (the Irish Republican Army), and his hearings ignore new government statistics showing that since 9/11, right-wing and white supremacist terrorist plots have outnumbered those of Muslims. Indeed, as the law enforcement data prove, if “radicalization” is a concern, it is at least as much of a problem in the ultraconservative community as it is in the American Muslim community.

King has defended his hearing’s narrow focus by saying that “there are a small percentage who have allied themselves with al-Qaida” and that “the leaders of that community do not face up to that reality not willing to speak out and condemn this type of radicalization.” In the wake of Joseph Stack’s kamikaze attack on the IRS, Scott Roeder’s killing of abortion provider George Tiller, and Byron Williams’ Glenn-Beck-inspired terrorist plot (among other atrocities), King should be saying exactly the same thing about his fellow conservatives—but he’s not.

As I said, this hypocrisy isn’t interesting because it’s so utterly undeniable. However, what is interesting—and profoundly telling—is King’s explanation for his behavior. He says simply that “it makes no sense to talk about other types of extremism.”

The remark, of course, typifies a broader sentiment in America and raises the most important “why” question: Why do so many like King see extremist acts by non-Muslims as mere isolated incidents that “make no sense to talk about,” yet see extremist acts by Muslims as a systemic problem worthy of military invasions and now congressional witch hunts? .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_80s_origins_of_todays_anti-muslim_bigotry_20110310/

[Solly Mack]

1. K&R

[JackintheGreen]

2. I think he over-simplified

He tries to place the blame for anti-Muslim sentiment on a series of media portrayals from the 80s without making any effort to examine the sources of those portrayals. "The Libyans!" didn't just appear in Back to the Future. Anti-Muslim anxiety as it began to appear in pop culture in the 80s is rooted more in the Iranian hostage crisis and the bombing in Beirut than it is in some unanchored marginalization of the "Muslim other." The political actions of the several reinforced long-held Western ideas about Islam as strange, tribal, barbaric, inscrutable. But while the US demonized Iran and Libya and the PLO is secretly (and not so secretly) abetted the Taliban and Saddam Hussein. As many commenters at the OP already have suggested, it is a lot more nuances than Sirota wants it to be.

[glinda]

3. Instilling fear and pro-evangelical/christian is why they are attacking.

[yurbud]

4. when Muslim leaders do speak out against terrorism, Fox News doesn't carry it

nor the mainstream media--it doesn't fit the storyline.