ft hood incident predictably inspires islamophobia w/racist overtones
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat/493148/horror_at_fort_hood_inspires_horribly_predictable_islamophobia
Fox News host Shepard Smith asked Senator Hutchison on air: "The name (of Maj. Hasan) tells us a lot, does it not, senator?"
Hutchinson's response? "It does. It does, Shepard."
Horseshit it does. That'd be like me saying the name Smith tells us that all Smiths are WASP bigots.
Further, "The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, issued a statement that read: "We condemn this cowardly attack in the strongest terms possible and ask that the perpetrators be punished to the full extent of the law. No religious or political ideology could ever justify or excuse such wanton and indiscriminate violence. The attack was particularly heinous in that it targeted the all-volunteer army that protects our nation. American Muslims stand with our fellow citizens in offering both prayers for the victims and sincere condolences to the families of those killed or injured."
Salam Al-Marayati, executive director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, declared that, "Our entire organization extends its heartfelt condolences to the families of those killed as well as to those wounded and their loved ones. We stand in solidarity with law enforcement and the US military to maintain the safety and security of all Americans."
The very fact that Muslim organizations must rush to distance themselves from this incident, or they would be predictably excoriated for not speaking out, indicates the racist slant many media commentators take when a POC commits an act of violence as opposed to a white person. I don't remember a bunch of large Christian organizations being pressured to denounce Timothy McVeigh's actions. Similarly, Barack Obama had to distance himself from Rev. Wright, (*and* deny that he was a "stealth Muslim") whereas I don't recall too many white politicians being pressured to denounce Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell for all the nutty and hateful things they've said.
Fox News host Shepard Smith asked Senator Hutchison on air: "The name (of Maj. Hasan) tells us a lot, does it not, senator?"
Hutchinson's response? "It does. It does, Shepard."
Horseshit it does. That'd be like me saying the name Smith tells us that all Smiths are WASP bigots.
Further, "The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group, issued a statement that read: "We condemn this cowardly attack in the strongest terms possible and ask that the perpetrators be punished to the full extent of the law. No religious or political ideology could ever justify or excuse such wanton and indiscriminate violence. The attack was particularly heinous in that it targeted the all-volunteer army that protects our nation. American Muslims stand with our fellow citizens in offering both prayers for the victims and sincere condolences to the families of those killed or injured."
Salam Al-Marayati, executive director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, declared that, "Our entire organization extends its heartfelt condolences to the families of those killed as well as to those wounded and their loved ones. We stand in solidarity with law enforcement and the US military to maintain the safety and security of all Americans."
The very fact that Muslim organizations must rush to distance themselves from this incident, or they would be predictably excoriated for not speaking out, indicates the racist slant many media commentators take when a POC commits an act of violence as opposed to a white person. I don't remember a bunch of large Christian organizations being pressured to denounce Timothy McVeigh's actions. Similarly, Barack Obama had to distance himself from Rev. Wright, (*and* deny that he was a "stealth Muslim") whereas I don't recall too many white politicians being pressured to denounce Pat Robertson or Jerry Falwell for all the nutty and hateful things they've said.