It is so sad and frustrating to see hateful racism & bigotry spewing from my co-workers who come across as such down-to-earth, caring people when they aren't talking about anything political. These are white people I'm talking about (I'm white as well), and they call themselves Christians.
They got on the subject of the Muslim community center being built in NY. This was the first conversation I'd heard about the subject. I was immediately upset by the racism inherent in their argument that "it should not be built because it is offensive to put it that close to ground zero." I asked if she would object to a Christian church being built next to some other site where it just so happens that a Christian fanatic committed a terrorist act? She didn't answer, and soon her and another guy were getting angry and disgusted that I didn't agree with them. I said that white Christians have no more right to this country than anyone else, and she said "Oh yes we do, our founding fathers were Christian", to which I brought up the Native Americans, to which she had no answer.
Her & the other guy were saying things like "there's gonna be trouble if they build that there", and giving nonsensical, hateful Us against Them arguments. Unfortunately, I get too emotional to debate well, and I said angrily & sarcastically, "Hey, I have an idea -- why don't we just drop a bomb on everyone that isn't white and Christian!" But instead of them realizing how absurd & hateful they were being, they both laughed & said "That works for me!".
Sadly, the views of my co-workers is far too common around here. There are a LOT of racist white 'Christians' -- this is scary and depressing!
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Islam is a religion, not a race, so your friends aren't really racists. If you want to see racists, just watch the new Black Panthers with a bullhorn in the streets claiming "I hate white People" and telling Blacks they need to kill white babies.The Ground Zero Mosque isn't a matter of Freedom of Religioneither. Just because you have a right to do something, doesn't make it right to do. The US is probably the most tolerant country in the world...we don't need a lesson on tolerance. If they really wanted to build bridges between the western world and Muslims, they would understand this is a case of bad judgement and build the mosque elsewhere.
"If they really wanted to build bridges between the western world and Muslims, they would understand this is a case of bad judgement and build the mosque elsewhere"
There is no "they", no us and them. At least not in this country, according to the constitution. It is only "us."
The root of the conflict is the brutal treatment of Muslim Palestinians over many decades by the Judeo-Christian combo of Israel and it's financier and arms supplier, the good ol USA. It is also the illegal settlements since 1967 on the West Bank by Israelis, and the continued blockade of the Gaza Strip. Brutal, despicable policies for many decades. Who wouldn't be pissed off?
And I would beg to differ that the USA is probably the most tolerant country in the world. It does, however, have the highest incarceration rate in the world.
Islam is a religion, not a race, so your friends aren't really racists.
You're right, that's my own southern ignorance coming out -- but these co-workers share that ignorance with me, and when they say Muslim they mean Muslims with dark skin. They are racist -- if all Muslims had white skin, they probably wouldn't even have thought to blame all of Islam for 9-11. They hate "Those People" more for their dark skin than for their non-Christian religion.
they would understand this is a case of bad judgement and build the mosque elsewhere.
I just can't grasp how someone can even think anything is wrong or offensive about a mosque being built there unless they are making their argument from a racist, xenophobic, or anti-Islam mindset. Why should the mosque not be built there? Tell me any reason that is not just racist, xenophobic, or anti-Islam.
The US is probably the most tolerant country in the world...we don't need a lesson on tolerance.
Wow, you must live in a better part of the country than I do.
Why is killing 3,000 innocent people because they're Americans not considered racism, but oppossing the religion for which the attackers killed in the name of, from building a place of worship nearby, is considered racism?
ok...We don't want us to build a mosque near ground zero because we don't like the fact that 3,000 of us were killed there. Also, please don't try and argue that Palestine and the rest of the arab world is more oppressed than Israel and the Jews. They've been under attack since the beginning of time. Does the highest incarceration rate show that we're tolerant or not? I suppose we could just kill all the bad people...excuse me, kill all of us that are bad.
"Also, please don't try and argue that Palestine and the rest of the arab world is more oppressed than Israel and the Jews."
Since when have "Israel and the Jews" been oppressed? By whom?
Why is killing 3,000 innocent people because they're Americans not considered racism, but oppossing the religion for which the attackers killed in the name of, from building a place of worship nearby, is considered racism?
I'm not seeing your connection between the people responsible for those deaths and the mosque being built. Would you see any connection if it was instead white Christian fanatics that had been responsible, and if now a (non-fanatical) Christian church was being built near the location of the tragedy? I don't think you would...I think people would be horrified at the actions of the guilty Christian fanatics, but it wouldn't even occur to them to then ban Christian churches (or actually Community Centers!) from being built near the site.
Why should the mosque not be built there? Tell me any reason that is not just racist, xenophobic, or anti-Islam.
Americans assume all Muslims are brown-skinned They aren't.
Albania is a white Muslim nation. The genocide in former Yugoslavia was white Christians killing white Muslims.
Many of the 6 million U.S. Muslims are U.S. converts....converting to Islam because of the hypocracy of Christians.
The destruction of the Trade Center was in direct violation of the precepts of the Quoran...just as the Christian killing of Muslims in former Yugoslavia was in direct violation of the precepts of Christianity.
If your Christian bretheren really believe all of Christian Scripture...they should also realize that just their thoughts on the matter condemn them to the Christian hell. if they don't seek to overcome them. The religious term is repent.
"He who dwells in love dwells in God, and God dwells in him." Where hatred is....God isn't.
Retired Monk - "Ideology is a disease".
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