Why Is It Wrong to Be Muslim?

[Bonn1997]

I ask this question because I wish Democrats would ask it (AFTER unequivocally denying the allegation) every time someone accused Obama of being Muslim. Or a more powerful statement might be, "I know you right-wingers indiscriminately fear and hate all Muslims, but Senator Obama is unequivocally Christian and not Muslim." I think when people freak out over these accusations their implicitly agreeing or at least not challenging the view that there's something awful about being Muslim.

[skooooo]

1. Because it's futile...

....to try to lead someone down the path of reason when they don't want to move from their ignorance.

[rocktivity]

2. For the same reason why it became "wrong" for Kerry to have three purple hearts.

Political expedience.

:headbang:
rocknation

[thoughtcrime1984]

3. There is nothing wrong with being Muslim

However, Obama is not and did not grow up as a Muslim. Good luck trying to get idiot Republicans and noodle-brained Indies to understand that.

[AlCzervik]

4. because Tellurian needs another reason to hate Obama. Oh and ibtl on my own post.

[Lerkfish]

5. there is nothing at all wrong with being muslim

[Cleita]

6. It's the bigoted right wingers whom the Republican Party are trying

to bait by appealing to their stupid fears.

[Kutjara]

7. Because "Muslim" is the new "Communist."

It's a catchall term that can be loaded with every negative connotation imaginable, so that people who have no clue what it really means just know it's "bad."

[BklynChick]

8. Of course there's nothing wrong with it, and he always mentions Muslim as one of the religions

(unlike many politicians) but he is NOT Muslim, and it's wrong and sinister of them to accuse him of being Muslim because the right wing has negative and terrorist associations with the word. Apparently they don't know any of the many Muslims here and around the globe. I do wish one of the Democrats would take it on, but the problem is that most Americans will just hear the soundbite and draw their own conclusions.

[Bonn1997]

14. Merely denying the accusation is WEAK

Make a powerful statement about those in the farthest of the right end who are showing their hatred (and use that word!) for anyone who is different from them, be it on the basis of religion, skin color, sexual orientation, hair color, or anything else they can think of. Such blatant, explicit hatred will turn off swing voters. Demand that Senator McCain denounce those who express this hatred. (Time to turn the issue back on him.) Just saying, "No, actually I'm not Muslim" isn't working, and in fact, this is a good time to take ADVANTAGE of the fact that the far right is displaying their hatred for anyone different from them by exposing the hatred.

[Bonn1997]

20. Also, this is a moral values issue and should be phrased as such

This is about tolerance (and actually acceptance and appreciation of) all individuals and can be easily tied to the theme of equality and justice for all. It's time for Democrats to run on, not away from, acceptance, justice, and moral values more broadly.

[Vattel]

40. well-said n/t

[insanity]

9. People are dumb

And don't understand religion... even their own one that preaches tolerance.

[OneAmerica]

10. In America, we have a stigma about Muslims do to the 9/11 attacks

And its more socially acceptable to outright attack people on the basis of religion as opposed to the tippy-toeing RWers have to do to indirectly attack Obama on the basis of race.

[Duer 157099]

11. I agree, and feel the same as when one is "accused" of being atheist

drives me crazy because all it does is validate the bigotry

[tekisui]

12. It is just an attempt to scare with a label.

Obama is, depending on who is trying to scare you, a Muslim, a Radical Christian, a Black Supremest, a Socialist, a Marxist, or the Anti-Christ.

Be afraid is what is boils down to. Fear the unknown.

Why aren't we asking if McCain is a terrorist Muslimm in hiding? He is the one who wants to enrage another Muslim nation with threats of war. He is the one who would exacerbate terrorist ideology and help advance their agenda.

[rebel with a cause]

26. mccain is the Manchurian Candidate

Trained all those years ago by the Viet Cong, he has been waiting until he could get control of the country. bush is part of the plan and he has set it up to where the following president will have more power than any other has had before. If elected president, mccain will take that power and with opertives in place he will push the button that will send missles to hit different parts of the world. With half the world destroyed, he will take control of the rest of it, and those that were really behind his training(the corporations and such), will step in and take control. We will live in a corporate world where we will all be slaves to our corporat masters. :sarcasm:

In case anyone thinks I am serious, I'm not. This is a mere joke of what could be used against them the way they use things against us. Based on only a few facts, he was in a Viet Cong prison camp and bush has given the WH resident more power, that it only makes any slight sense(if any).

[HereSince1628]

13. Because it is UnXristian. Remember the Crusades? The Fundies do.

Armageddon, they can run but they can't hide. Dead or Alive. The rapture happened in 2001. This has been 7 years of the world controlled by the anti-Xrist.

[ck4829]

15. The funny thing is that a lot of Muslims voted Republican in 2000

They gave up a voting bloc because many Muslims here in the US had socially conservative stances. Except now, the Muslims I know personally are moderate to even supportive of gay rights, want to see something done to take care of the environment, and support universal health care.

Of course, that's the Republican Party for you.

[rurallib]

16. So then is John McCain really a Muslim? I have heard rumors.

something to do with when he was a POW.

[AlCzervik]

17. My nieces have a father who is iranian and a muslim so all the bad parents that spread

the smears about muslims really hurt everybody, so to those of you that talk shit and demonize muslims in your home in front of your children that absorb it and then go to school and make my 10 year old niece cry and try and humiliate my 14 year old niece all i can say is shame on you.

[wvbygod]

22. What kind of "smears about muslims" are you refering to?

Curious as to what type and subject you might be speaking of here.

[AlCzervik]

23. here as in here or here as in real life?

let's see, real life, 14 year old is in history class, subject is middle east, then it jumps over to Iran when one kid said "Well we should just bomb them-----so sorry Ariana" and then went on to talk about how evil muslims are and how they should all just be boimbed.

[rebel with a cause]

31. Your family is not alone in this kind of thing

My then husband was Dominican and when my daughter was in school she had a teacher tell the class that DR was inhabited at one time by Caribe Indians and they were cannibals. The kids didn't just look at her, they moved away from her. I went to the school and "educated" the teacher that the island of Hispaniola (on which theDominican Republic is located) had been inhabited by the Taino Indians and had never been inhabited by the Caribe. The children continued to treat my daughter differently. Four years later my son had this same teacher, she taught the same exact lesson and the children reacted the same way. There were other negative things said in the classroom about Dominicans and other Latinos and their countries. Prejudice is out there and when it is taught in school rooms it is definately instutional racism.

[Peacetrain]

18. Because he is a Christian.. just as it would be a huge insult

to continually label a Muslim a Christian after he/she lets you know their religious preference.. It is telling a person who has made a faith decision that they are a liar.. hugely insulting to that person.. and totally disrespectful of that faith community..

[Bonn1997]

19. I agree and...

believe it is time for Democrats to turn the issue to their ADVANTAGE by calling out this prejudice. (See reply #14.)

[wvbygod]

21. Many people are fearful of the actions performed in the name of Islam

Things like stoning women to death if they step out of line and killing people because they
are gay. I'd have to say that most people who consider being Muslim as "wrong" are basing
their thoughts about it on fear.

[cliffordu]

24. Americans need someone to hate.

Because what is referred to as "political correctness" prohibits the most egregious sins against minorities and women anymore, (I know, I know...) "the arabs" and 'the muslims' are the scapegoats.

I prefer to blame old white men and boomers for our troubles.

I'm a white male, 56 years old.

[rebel with a cause]

33. You are a boomer and

a white male, although I would not call you old. :rofl:

Put a rich in who you blame, and then (if you are not rich) you will not be stepping on your own toes quite as much. :D

[cliffordu]

36. I'm rich on the inside...lol

I'm all about 'we have met the enemy and he is us' sorta deal...

We had such potential.....and this is what we've created.

[rebel with a cause]

37. sad but true.

Some of ours did good in the 'old days' but then these bush and cheney types came out and have blown it for all of us.

[provis99]

25. personally, I'd feel insulted if someone labelled me a Christian

what with the whole history of Christian butchery, destruction, witch-burning, colonialism, cultishness, and genocide.

[LBJDemocrat]

27. THANK YOU!

I made a similar post about Obama. I offered this link: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080317/klein

Obama should denounce this hateful mentality perpetuated by the right-wing.

[blondeatlast]

30. Why should Obama denounce it if it's a RW tactic?

I love pretzels, but that one gave me a real headache, could you explain that in detail for the blonde? :shrug:

[Bonn1997]

38. because it represents an OPPORTUNITY

to express the values of equality, justice, and fairness for all that we Democrats endorse and share with the majority of Americans. We Democrats need to stop viewing Republican smears as unfair and then stop crying. We need to start viewing smears as opportunities to express the core values we share with most Americans. There is no such thing as an unfair criticism--there are only criticisms that one is not creative enough to use to one's OWN advantage.

[Zenmaster]

28. Because many Americans Believe...

...that part of the Muslim religion is to destroy America.

In fairness, many Americans are very uneducated.

[TTUBatfan2008]

29. Other than my own Christian beliefs...

the only thing wrong with being a Muslim, in this country, is bigotry. They have a right to practice their religion just as much as Christians or any other religion. This country is more bigoted towards Muslims and Hispanics right now than any other group of people. It's all paranoia. And with Barack's candidacy, we are seeing that whites are still paranoid about black people.

[treestar]

32. To the choir they are preaching to, it means "enemy"

the same way "communist" did.

[OmahaBlueDog]

34. "Because all Muslims hate freedom - and hate America"

"Because all Muslims are terrorists"

"Because Muslims planned 9-11"

"Ask an Israili what they think of the Muslims"

"Because they hate Jesus"

"Because they charge too much at the corner quick mart"

I'm sure someone will tell me which ones I've missed (and I really shouldn't have to say this, but these represent views I've heard expressed -- NOT my views)

[rebel with a cause]

35. My reply to people that say Obama is a Muslim is this.

First of all, he is not a Muslim. Second of all, what if he is? What is wrong with that?

When they start giving me their reasons of why it is wrong, I either tell them they are wrong about Muslims or if the reasons are too crazy, I discount them and smurk at the person giving them. I am not going to waste my time talking reason to an idiot. Sorry, I may be patient sometimes but sometimes I am not.

[Tim4319]

39. Republicans hate all muslims except Saudis!

[Blondiegrrl]

41. I struggle against this prejudice every single day in West Virginia.

I've lost track of how many times I've heard someone say they'll never vote for a Muslim. I tell them (to no avail) that Obama is not a Muslim, but then ask what exactly is so wrong with being one. The answers range from "ZOMG! TERRORIST!!!!9/11!!!!!" to "Christianity is the one!!!! true!!!!! religion!!!"