Those who hate Islam, Please Stand up!

[sonz]

by Mohamed Elmasry

"Islam-haters routinely use smear tactics and label their critics as leftists, radicals, fundamentalists, extremists, anti-Semites, etc."


I am one of those who strongly believe that world conflicts today, or any other day for that matter, are inherently political and have nothing to do with religion -- any religion. Those conflicts mistakenly attributed to religion are caused by the struggle for power and wealth.


Nevertheless, there are too many politicians who find it convenient to exploit and abuse religion as part of their agenda to dominate a political conflict; it becomes an easy tool to gain mass public support, to dehumanize the "enemy" and, more importantly, to ultimately avoid resolving the conflict at all.


Take Islam, for example. Muslims today are victimized everywhere, because the rich and powerful in the West want to control one of the world’s most important natural resources - oil. It just so happens that predominantly Muslim states are sitting on most of it. Those same Muslim states also occupy strategically vital geopolitical locations, as most the world’s commercial air and sea channels pass through or over them. Additionally, with a collective population of some 1.5 billion, the Muslim world also represents a huge market - both actual and potential -- for Western goods.


It’s no wonder that Islam is hated by the rich and powerful in the West who do not have control over the vast natural and commercial resources that belong to Muslim countries. That hatred - fuelled by greed - becomes the principal motivation for sustaining the current political propaganda war.
Those who hate Islam and Muslims thus link every political conflict to Islam. This, they believe, will advance their political agenda and block any rational analysis that might otherwise lead to conflict resolution. Therefore, if a conflict is related to Islam, then what’s the use of trying to discuss it? If Islam is the root cause of that conflict, then the victimization of Muslims, all Muslims, can be easily justified.


In their zeal to smear a major world religion that embraces 1.5 billion adherents, these haters of Islam in Canada also display other troubling characteristics. Here is the top ten:


1. They are anti-immigrant:

Because most Muslim countries are still developing, both politically and technologically, and because the standard of living has increased in countries like China and India - once a major source of Western immigration -- Muslim countries are now the main origin of immigrants to countries like Canada. Those who hate Islam advocate that Canada does not need more immigrants.


2. They are anti-native/aboriginal:

Because Muslims in many parts of the world struggle for self-determination, the anti-Islam crowd is also against giving indigenous Canadian First Nations people their rights.


3. They are anti-multiculturalism:

Because multiculturalism promotes increased tolerance and understanding, which would benefit Canadian Muslims, they are eager to eliminate any government policies supportive of multiculturalism, the sooner the better.


4. They are anti-civil liberties:

They are regressive when it comes to civil liberties and work hard to curtail the extension of, and awareness of, freedom of speech and freedom of conscience to the "Other" elements (i.e. visible and other minorities) in our society.


5. They are anti-democracy:

At the national level, they promote an extreme right wing agenda which is geared to dismissing social justice values; at the international level, they bash the UN and its reform efforts to make it a more democratic international organization.


6. They support American exploitation of Latin America:

They believe that the U.S. has the right to dominate the world and to use any means to that end -- blackmailing, intimidation, exploitation, and military might.


7. They are pro-Israel, regardless of the cost:

Some Palestinians are Christians and all are opposed to the Israeli occupation. Some use armed resistance to end the occupation. But most of the hatred expressed by pro-Israel groups in the West is reserved for Islam. They are against the democratically elected governments in Palestine and Lebanon. They support Israeli aggression and the daily killing of Palestinian civilians. They never criticize Israel, but seem to act wholly on feelings of collective Western guilt over the historical mistreatment of European Jews; therefore they feel Israel "can do no wrong."


8. They are pro-war:

Islam-haters are also hawks, believing that war is the best option - anywhere, anytime -- especially when it comes to invading countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, and Lebanon. They support George W. Bush’s lies about the American war on Iraq. They believe military might alone can solve the world’s problems.


9. They call every self-hating Muslim "moderate":

The amount of printer’s ink and broadcast air time used to promote self-hating Western Muslims is staggering. Their superficial and trivializing views are given overwhelming prominence in the Western media.


10. They try hard to silence their critics:

Islam-haters routinely use smear tactics and label their critics as leftists, radicals, fundamentalists, extremists, anti-Semites, etc.

[Muezzin]

Heh, it's hip to diss Islam, didn't you know? We're the new Red Scare. How I look forward to the revamped McCarthy Era that is surely just around the corner.

[IbnAbdulHakim]

Heh, it's hip to diss Islam, didn't you know?

if u think bout it no-one really disses islam apart from the government/those in power/ and a few other retards :-\

[Keltoi]

This article was fairly laughable in some sections. "Anti-immigrant"?...lol. Yeah, that is why we in the West allow so many to immigrate here, because we are so anti-immigrant. Nice logic. There are two sides to every issue raised in this "article", as there usually are in matter as complicated as Western/Muslim relations. I would be interested in what "rights" the native peoples of Canada aren't being given however. I'm also rather perplexed by this demonization of the phrase "moderate Muslim". What is it that a Muslim should be doing to reach this label of "unmoderate" Muslims?

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[therebbe]

1. They are anti-immigrant:

Canada, and the Western countries that so called "hate Islam" are the countries which allow the most immigration today.

2. They are anti-native/aboriginal:

Please cite some examples.

3. They are anti-multiculturalism:

What? They are anti-social or educational theory that encourages interest in many cultures within a society rather than in only a mainstream culture? How is this when the west, especially America is probably the most multi-cultural place? Are you trying to use logic that points to people who disagree with immigration, hate Islam? Do you expect anyone to take that logic seriously?

4. They are anti-civil liberties:

I love this argument. We should create a list comparing the rights and civili liberties of countries in the Arab world, and countries in the West. Immigrants from Arab countries who enter the United States have more civil liberties than they ever would in there old countries. Not only this, but the same group that you tend to label as the conservative right wing are the founders of America, which created the laws that protect Muslims in the west. Laws that many non-Muslims, in Muslim countries may not have the luxury of having.

5. They are anti-democracy:

Anti-Democracy!?!? How many Arab countries are true democracys today? Let me ask you this, all of the opinions of people who are "right wing" are put into action by the goverment because they are democratically elected. You see, I do not think you understand the concept of Democracy. If 51% of the USA wants President Bush, he is the one who becomes powerfull, because he was democratically elected. Now, just because this does not suit Islam or your point of view is irrelevant. If we were all forced to take your view, it would not be very Democratic.

They support American exploitation of Latin America:

America like any country is out for there well being and interests in the region. Name me one country that is not out for there interest. Power politics is just as common in the Arab world as it is in America.

7. They are pro-Israel, regardless of the cost:

Right. Your saying people who support Israel, a nation that was created Democratically, hate Islam... So, you I guess are opposed to Democracy, since Israel was voted by a majority by the UN. I guess you are more for conquering, which was how Islam became in control of the Holy land for a long time, do you agree with this? I do not hate Islam. I actually have a A LOT of respect for your religion, and the similar beliefs and troubles you have in western society. So your illogical comparison and mentality that the Arab world can do no wrong, and Israel can do no good is not very valid.

8. They are pro-war:

That is a pretty odd statement since in the Arab world, there are many "hawks" and people who settle always on war. There might actually be more "hawks" in the Arab world then in the West without the amount of Liberalism in the west compared to the Arab world which is much more conservative.

9. They call every self-hating Muslim "moderate":

Right. So a Muslim who does not believe exactly what your beliefs are is "self hating". Wow...

10. They try hard to silence their critics:

America allows freedom of speech, and people who critisize the Goverment can protest any time peacefuly against the goverment. Now let us compare this to the Arab world. Tell this to student activist Akbar Mohammadi, 38, is the second inmate to die in the notorious Evin prison in the past three years. In June 2003, Zahra Kazemi, a Canadian-Iranian photojournalist, died while in custody there. Iranian authorities arrested her as she was photographing Evin prison. A few days later, Kazemi fell into a coma and died. According to lawyers for Kazemi's family, her body showed signs of torture. The Iranian authorities have not charged anyone in connection with her death. Does this sound like silencing to you?

[Curaezipirid]

The "moderate" Muslims moderately moderate

[therebbe]

The "moderate" Muslims moderately moderate

Can you clarify, if your trying to make a point?

[Fishman]

This article was fairly laughable in some sections. "Anti-immigrant"?...lol. Yeah, that is why we in the West allow so many to immigrate here, because we are so anti-immigrant. Nice logic. There are two sides to every issue raised in this "article", as there usually are in matter as complicated as Western/Muslim relations. I would be interested in what "rights" the native peoples of Canada aren't being given however. I'm also rather perplexed by this demonization of the phrase "moderate Muslim". What is it that a Muslim should be doing to reach this label of "unmoderate" Muslims?

:sl:
The writer was referring to the BNP and a number of European governments as Islam-hating, not the 'West' in general. All the things he listed are characteristics of the BNP, with the exception of anti-nativism. The Western countries do victimise Muslims, but not because they hate Islam.
:w:

[ManchesterFolk]

The writer was referring to the BNP and a number of European governments as Islam-hating, not the 'West' in general. All the things he listed are characteristics of the BNP, with the exception of anti-nativism. The Western countries do victimise Muslims, but not because they hate Islam.

Many of the examples are with Canada... Is Canada in Europe?:rollseyes

[Fishman]

Many of the examples are with Canada... Is Canada in Europe?:rollseyes

:sl:
There are Nazis in Canada too, they live everywhere.
:w:

[arabiyyah]

:sl:
There are Nazis in Canada too, they live everywhere.
:w:

I don't think we can bring Nazi's into it, since one of the traits the write describes is support for Israel, a trait no Nazi would ever hold because of their hate for all Jews, and their wish to eradicate them.

[Fishman]

I don't think we can bring Nazi's into it, since one of the traits the write describes is support for Israel, a trait no Nazi would ever hold because of their hate for all Jews, and their wish to eradicate them.

:sl:
The BNP pretend to support Israel. Until they have got into power they will never stop going on about how those crazy terrorismist Mooselemics hate the Jews and want to kill them all.
:w:

[arabiyyah]

:sl:
The BNP pretend to support Israel. Until they have got into power they will never stop going on about how those crazy terrorismist Mooselemics hate the Jews and want to kill them all.
:w:

Do you think the BMP are Nazis?

And by the way, there are a small yet vocal group who do go on TV and preach to kill Jews, and I am always disgusted when I see them do this. I'm a realists when I admit that there are psyco's who preach in the name of Allah, just like there are psyco's in the west who preach hatred in the name of Christianity and Crusade.

[Fishman]

Do you think the BNP are Nazis?

:sl:
Simple answer: yes.
:w: