Understanding Why Islamophobia is on the Rise

[Tom Joad]

http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?list=type&type=199
By Phyllis Bennis, Institute for Policy Studies

Right-wing and neo-conservative political forces are calling for campus mobilizations 22 – 26 October 2007 for “Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week” events. They deliberately use the provocative term "Islamo-Fascism," linking Islam (and blurring the religion, the countries where it is a majority, and its adherents) with the most despised political movement in history -- fascism. They do so despite the disdain with which the most violent and extremist versions of political Islamism holds both the nation-state and corporations, both of which fascism holds sacred. Their call predicts “the biggest conservative campus protest ever” and identifies their goal as “to confront the two Big Lies of the political left: that George Bush created the war on terror and that Global Warming is a greater danger to Americans than the terrorist threat.”

The very language of their goals makes clear that this is not solely a racist assault on Muslims, Arabs, Arab-Americans, South Asians and anyone viewed as sympathetic towards those communities. Certainly this Islamophobic crusade, led by the neo-conservative David Horowitz FreedomCenter, does reflect a deeply rooted racist demonization of those targeted communities.But it reflects dangers even beyond the threat it poses to those communities and to the social fabric of this country from the consolidation of racist demagoguery as a “legitimate” part of public discourse. <1>

There is an understandable instinct to roll one’s eyes at these risible assertions, and to dismiss the grandiose mobilization claims as just one more fringe right-wing nut job, but such a response would be a serious mistake.Not because the “claims” are anything other than preposterous, but rather because there is far too much public belief in these preposterous assertions for anyone concerned with public education and mobilization to blithely write them off.And with the clear links between Islamophobia and support for war, the stakes are simply too high to ignore.

CLAIMING OTHER PEOPLE’S OIL, TARGETING ISLAM

It is clearly no coincidence that the areas that are the ultimate targets of the so-called “war on terror,” countries where Islam is preeminent as majority populations and often the basis for governance, are the same countries and regions where strategic resources – most notably oil and natural gas – are concentrated.It is also no coincidence that both the 2002 and 2006 versions of the Pentagon’s “Quadriennial Review” demonized Muslims, Islamic countries and Islam, in various guises, as grave threats to U.S. security.

http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?list=type&type=199

Much more at the link, including an action plan to fight the anti-Muslim fanaticism of Horowitz and Pipes et.al.

_______________________________________________

When the Nazis arrested the Communists,
I said nothing; after all, I was not a Communist.
When they locked up the Social Democrats,
I said nothing; after all, I was not a Social Democrat.
When they arrested the trade unionists,
I said nothing; after all, I was not a trade unionist.
When they arrested me, there was no longer anyone who could protest.
--- Martin Niemoller

[ProgressiveMuslim]

1. I read that this is receiving blessedly little support from

any universities..

[babylonsister]

2. Rec'd! The fanaticism should not be acceptable. nt

[Marrah_G]

3. I have to add something

Radical Muslims calling for the implementation of Sharia law in places like Europe don't help things much. The MSM covering these asshats do not help much. The end result is the illusion of silence covering most of the world's moderate Muslims. If the MSM would stop paying attention to the radicals and started paying attention to the mainsteam then perhaps people would not get so damn panicky.

In most of the US we know most Christians aren't Radical because they are our relatives, friends and neighbors. Most of America's exposure to Muslims is via the media and they get a warped perspective. Also, seeing the way women are treated in the more Theological Muslim countries also gives a very bad impression to most Westerners. Frankly, I would rather be dead then live under any of those regimes.

[baldguy]

4. Because there's a dedicated multi-billion dollar propaganda campaign to create fear of Muslims?

Just guessing.

[Douglas Carpenter]

5. kicked and RECOMMEN DED!!

[malaise]

6. K & R for the truth n/t

[cali]

7. If only obstructionists to peace

like those who took down the OneVoice project that seeks to bring together Israelis and Palestinians, would get the fuck out of the way, and stop trying to perpetuate endless war, under the guise of wanting justice.