Collegiate Times

It has long been my belief that the majority of Muslims in the world fundamentally disagree with both the moral pronouncements and the tactis employed by terrorists who claim to represent their religion. "Islamofacism Awareness Week" is nothing more, it seems, than an attempt to highlight the fact that there ARE individuals who employ wholly immoral and despicable tactics, who claim also to be speaking for the entire Muslim population. It's not so much a concern about racism (indeed, it cannot be, since Muslims are not a 'race' in and of themselves) as it is a concern about overlooking the evil that does in fact exist. Such an event as Islamofacist Awareness Week can be used as an opporunity for Muslims who fundamentally disagree with the most visiblly despotic members of their faith to voice their disapproval, in harmony with the thousands of voices who also disapprove of the declarations of such madmen. To address another important point, I would contend that your analogy of Muslims to Jews during the Holocaust is at best tenuous and at worst insulting to the Jewish population. Racism is certainly neither a noble nor an ethical thing, but you have to keep in mind that the Holocaust was a system of institutionalized brutal racism. What is advocated by Islamofacism Awareness Week is not intolerance towards Muslims, but rather, intolerance towards those who would pervert that religion. Even if it were a means of preaching intolerance, IFAW posesses neither the common public following nor the institutionalized power that the orchestrators of the Holocaust had to be able to be carried out on such a scale. Try to keep things in perspective here: 6 million Jews and 6 million others murdered, versus some Muslims being called nasty names. I'm not saying that the latter is ethically RIGHT, but I think it requires a bit more than simple 'racism' to merit comparison to the Holocaust.

Let's think about Niemoeller's example for a second. He was arguing that people need to speak up when wrongs are committed on others, yes? I think one of sources of frustration in the West, manifested in events such as Islamofascism Awareness Week (which I had never heard of until I read your letter), is the perception that the mainstream Muslim population does not speak up enough when radicals commit atrocities in the name of Islam. Niemoeller was a Protestant who kept silent when fellow Protestants attacked other groups, just as many Muslims remain silent when fellow Muslims attack Christians and Jews (not to mention Sunni attacking Shi'a and vice versa). A Danish newspaper publishes cartoons insulting the Prophet and Muslims riot so violently that people die. The reaction on the Arab street to 9/11? Celebration. I was in Riyadh on that day. The fact is that those who carry out these despicable acts are monsters who have hijacked a religion and represent an impossibly small number of people relative to the estimated 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide. Unfortunately, unless the silent majority makes more noise, these radicals will continue to color non-Muslims’ perception of Islam.

I hadn't heard of Islamofascism Awareness Week, either: but I'm pretty damn aware of Islamofascism already... turns out there's stories about Islamic fascists blowing up civilians pretty much every night on TV. Tell ya what: as soon as I hear the tv-hungry muslim leaders in this country decrying the terrorism that their brothers espouse, I'll be with you.

If Horowitz's argument held water he wouldn't be so afraid to debate this guy... www.yousefmunayyer.blogspot.com

Equating Muslims in America today to blacks in the '60s, in South Africa in the '80s, or Jews in Germany in the '40s is ludicrous, if not downright insulting. I defy you to point out one case of a non-Muslim American killing a Muslim in America because of their religion. Can't find one? Then please stop equating yourself to the plight of those who have suffered far worse than an occasional uncomfortable glance.

There are plenty of examples of the United States government going after peaceful Muslim organizations and individuals and deeming them "terrorist". There is also the fact that we live in a world where the United States government has killed over 800,000 Muslims, and caused 2 million to become refugees in a country called Iraq. Whether they're being killed overseas or here is irrelevant, the fact is that the Muslim is the new scapegoat to justify fascism in the U.S., same as the Jews were held as a scapegoat in Nazi Germany. http://www.democracynow.org/print.pl?sid=07/10/24/1528208 http://www.democracynow.org/print.pl?sid=07/10/24/1528217

John, your first article is about a Muslim charity. The US government targets only those charities that it believes play an active role in terrorist activities in a good-faith effort to protect Americans. It is a fact that a number of "Muslim charities" are in reality fronts for fund raising efforts for terrorist organizations. Second, the US government has NOT killed over 800,000 Iraqis, depite what Tim Robbins tells you. The VAST majority of Iraqis who have been killed met their demise at the hands of fellow Muslim Iraqis. Saddam Hussein killed far more Muslims than the United States has, and let's not forget that the US got involved in the Balkins to prevent a campaign of genocide against Muslims that Europe could not be bothered to stop. We also sent troops to Somalia on a humanitarian mission to feed starving Muslims. Comparing the treatment of Muslims in America - where, by the way, they are assimilated far better than in, say, that progressive Utopia, Europe - is astonishing. The National Socialist government's policy was the systematic extermination of an entire race of people. Unless the contemporary American press is hiding something out of love for George W. Bush, I don't believe this is the case in the US. Do we have room for improvement? Of course. Are some Muslims unfairly targeted for abuse? Obviously. But taking into account the 10 million Muslims in the US I would say the incidence of such activity is pretty small. Not right, but not an epidemic on the scale of Nazi Germany's treatment of the Jews. Using the word fascism to describe the state of affairs in the US does a gross injustice to those who have actually suffered under it.

The Charity targeted had no connection to "terrorism" whatsoever. It was the largest and most important case this Presidential administration has taken on, and the administration failed because the administration had "no evidence". That is political, and intentional, and it is an example of government harassment. Had the government been successful, it would of created even more political prisoners in this country. http://www.law.harvard.edu/students/orgs/blj/vol18/soffiyah.pdf http://www.prisonactivist.org/pps+pows/pplist-alpha.shtml Secondly, the US supported Saddam during his worst years, and has a long legacy of colonialism and war (both covert and overt) throughout the Middle East. We must stop our government now before we can speak out about terrorists in other countries. Especially after we have killed over 800,000 innocent Muslims in Iraq (not counting the Muslims we killed through the embargo on Iraq or through or support of Saddam) according to the best statistical and scientific methods we have available.

"Tell ya what: as soon as I hear the tv-hungry muslim leaders in this country decrying the terrorism that their brothers espouse, I'll be with you." The problem is violence, carbombs, deaths make a more newsworthy item than a major campaign initiated by Muslim groups called, "Not in our name." (which got scant coverage by mainstream media). Another glaring example was again recently all sects of Islam wrote a peace letter to Christain leaders of the world...only to be igorned by major American news corporations and websites. Guess boring letters of peace aren't interesting, violent, or sensationalist enough as truck bombings, war, politics, Anna Nicole, or national protests.

The case failed not because there was no evidence - had there been none then a grand jury would not have issued an indictment. Obviously an indictment does not equal guilt - ask the Duke lacrosse players - but being acquitted and being innocent are not the same thing, either - unless, of course, you actually believe OJ didn't do it. You can say 800,000 all you want but it doesn't make it true. According to Iraq Body Count, the upper number of Iraqis killed from ALL causes of violence since the 2003 invasion is 82,542. This is still 82,542 too many but is far cry from the number cited. War is bad enough without exaggeration. As for the Iraqis who died during the sanctions imposed after the Gulf War, it was Saddam who killed them. The United Nations (remember them - the fine folks who so many idealistic people believe are the answer to all of the world's ills?) imposed the sanctions after Saddam signed a cease-fire agreement. All Saddam had to do was to abide by the terms to which he had agreed and the sanctions would have been lifted. He never did. Worse, during the sanctions regime Iraq exported rice, baby milk and other materials and sold medicines provided by international relief agencies for profit. Saddam built 48 palaces after the Gulf War, which is understandable considering that no self-respecting dictator could possibly have mad due with the mere 30 he had before it. Forbes magazine estimated Saddam's wealth at over $7 billion, which would have bought a lot of baby formula. Refresh my memory - which were /are our colonies? Nazim, I never feel more ashamed about being an American than when I read things like what you wrote. There are a lot of ignorant folks out there and I'm sorry you experienced these things first-hand. I agree that there is a perception that bad news sells better then good. I don't know that that is true, though, if television ratings and newspaper circulation are any indication. Rahmat Allah alayk.

Well said, Chip. Nazim, I'm going to have to contend here that the most vocal and prominent Muslim organization in America is CAIR, which though not a terrorist organization in itself, consistently fails to denounce acts of terrorist organizations which operate under the guise of Muslim Holy Orders. The point here is not that CAIR is invalid, or anti-American, or terrorist, or anything of the like - indeed, they are an interest group and their primary responsibility is representing the interests of their 'constituency.' That having been said, their stunning silence in the time just after terrorist attacks (globally and domestically) is certainly indicative, it seems, of the contempt they have for American society. While I don't doubt that actual bigotry does, sadly, exist (and you have highlighted several cases in support of this), I would also contend that America in general does not practice institutionalized bigotry and that the incidents you offer are more indicative of the isolated ignorance of some of the American populace. I am well aware that there are many Islamic organizations which repeatedly and vehemently denounce terrorists, and especially those who practice terrorism in the name of Islam, but unfortunately those organizations are drowned out by the more vocal national organizations such as CAIR. Generally speaking, I believe that I and many others are of the opinion that Islam is inherently as peaceful and respectful as Catholocism, Protestantism, and most other world religions. That having been said, the Muslims who get all the press, unfortunately, are the ones who use despicable tactics and who claim, effectively, that they will not rest until the world falls under a single Muslim Caliphate. I think it unwise, however, to assert that a concept such as "Islamofacism Awareness Week" is inherently a form of bigotry; Islamofacism does, in fact, exist, and is an important concept to understand in the context of the global society. The event doesn't assert that all Muslims are facist, nor does it assert that all Muslims are terrorists. It simply recognizes a political problem which is consistently gaining more traction in less developed regions of the world.

If one empathizes with the Jews in Nazi Germany, think how much of a difference could have played out if their story were told widely with pictures here in the States. Horowitz has repeatedly made clear he has no beef with Muslims per se, but rather those who operate as Islamofascists. E.g., view the video narrated by Muslim Nonie Darwish, The Violent Oppression of Women in Islam, which was posted then pulled from YouTube. You can see the video at: http://tinyurl.com/yr8j3f

Nazim, I apologize for not doing my homework before posting. From web.amnesty.org: A few victims have died as a result of alleged hate crimes sparked by the 11 September attacks. An Egyptian-born shopkeeper, a Christian, was shot dead in Los Angeles. A Sikh petrol station owner was shot and killed in Arizona. A Pakistani man was killed in Dallas. A Yemeni-American was shot dead in Detroit. Other victims have sustained horrific injuries. A 20-year-old student, for example, was stabbed three times in Boston by assailants yelling anti-Arab abuse. A Sudanese refugee reportedly survived an attempted stabbing in an Atlanta street when another refugee came to his aid. I also agree the mainstream media likes to ignore any news of Muslims speaking out against terrorism. Perhaps some pressure needs to be applied to them to start reporting the news instead of chasing profits. Sadly, there's little chance of that. Having said that, and despite the tragic incidents cited above, I still contend that the plight of Muslims in America is a far cry from that of the Jews or blacks of history.

The argument of Horowitz +is+ racist. During the 6th year anniversary of September 11th, the David Horowitz "Freedom Foundation" had an event in Washington D.C., which argued that Christianity is the religion of peace, and that Islam was the religion of hate. The only reason Mike, Jack, and Kyle side with Horowitz is their failure to see past their white privilege.

Ah, I see, white privlage is blinding my ability to see right and wrong. This discussion isn't about Horowitz' stance on the issues (even though it may seem that way since it was his idea to create the event in the first place). The purpose of the event, as I see it, is to call to mind the evil that has been done in the name of Islam that has tarnished that religion's reputation. Maybe Horowitz wants to lead his own terror attacks into some of the Muslim Caliphates in the Middle East - maybe not. I don't know, and I don't really care; what he does with his time is his business until he actually injures someone in the process. Islamofacism Awareness Week isn't about a promotion of hatred, contempt, or anything else of that nature. Not, at least, anymore so than "Coming Out Week," or "Black History Month," or anything else that aims to promote more knowledge and awareness.

"IslamoFacism Awareness Week" is done by the "David Horowitz Freedom Center". It is exactly about the politics of Horowitz. For everything someone practicing Islam has done to tarnish the religion, we can name a thousand more Christians who have done something God Awful, but we never claim that it tarnished the religion of Christianity. George W. Bush claiming to attack Iraq because God told him so... The Unabomber...Members of the KKK...None of these white, Christian religious fanatics are ever used to judge their religion, but we commonly judge Islam by bin Laden. That is called racism Kyle. Too bad you can't see that...

Two crucial points here. First, Islam is neither a race nor ethnicity, so from a technical standpoint bigotry against Muslims is not racism (it is still, however, bigotry). Secondly, I don't claim that Christians (and most other religions too) have not committed incidences of similar atrocities, perhaps even in the name of their religion. You point to the KKK as an example of this - a valid one - and I would point you to the fact that the KKK is no longer a powerful organization because the public became aware of how evil these men were. I don't really judge Islam by bin Laden - but I do judge ISLAMOFACISM by bin Laden. The two are separate and distinct religious identities, despite their having common elements. Most (in fact, all) Muslims I have met have been about as peaceful, patriotic, friendly, and otherwise congenial as anyone else I've ever met. I harbor no disdain for Islam as a whole. On the other hand, I do harbor great disdain for people who advocate, for instance, destroying Israel specifically because of its Jewish population, flying planes into civilian buildings, recruiting young teenagers to strap bombs to themselves to make a political point, etc. For many, Islam is the religion of peace. Generally speaking, I agree with that and there are many, many examples to support that. But it would be foolish indeed to pretend that people who indicate that they would do us harm in the name of Allah 'don't count' as Muslims, and their brand of Islam is particularly dangerous to the world.

When you say "we commonly judge Islam by bin Laden" you don't speak for me. It is true that people use what Jesus taught to explain Christianity but talk about what fanatical Muslims DO to explain Islam. This is unfortunate and presents Islam in an unfair and inaccurate light. Throughout the centuries Christianity has been used to justify all sorts of horrors. I have no use for anyone who uses any religion to justify any sort of hatred, bigotry or violence. From a public relations / perception perspective it is unfortunate that it is the violent minority who gets the press. This is Islam's albatross at the moment. Few use Christianity or Judaism or Buddhism or any other religion at this moment in time to to justify terror so vocally. I have never seen, for example, footage of a suicide bomber yelling, "Jesus loves you" or "Shalom" or "Bomb belts for Buddha" as he pushed the plunger. To many in the West, however, "Allahu akbar" has become synonymous with Islamic terrorism, which is perhaps the greatest insult these jackasses could have given their own religion.

All I can gather from this is that you do not know what the week long event is really about. It isn't about Muslims or your faith; it is about a group of terrorists who use your faith as an excuse for what they do. It started long before 2003 or the 1990's. Here is a German news report on the Grand Mufti and his role in the extermination of the Jews: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d51poygEXYU&eurl=http://hotair.com/archives/2007/09/18/video-the-grand-mufti-the-nazis-and-modern-islamism/ It is this extreme view that is prevalent with the Jihadists of today and this is all that this event was about. It is the link between the two that coined the term Islamofascism.

Here is the correct URL from youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d51poygEXYU