The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age

    Muslims Are Americans, Too

    By My Fellow American on Thu, 08/18/2011 - 2:00pm |

    My Fellow American is an online film and social media project that calls upon concerned Americans to pledge and spread a message that Muslims are our fellow Americans. It asks people of other backgrounds to pledge, and share a real life story about a Muslim friend, neighbor, or colleague that they admire. Using the power of social media, My Fellow American seeks to change the narrative – from Muslims as the other, to Muslims as our fellow Americans.

    Most Americans have never met an American Muslim. Many only know Muslims through the way they are portrayed in the media. American Muslims are so often vilified as “the other” that it is possible not to recognize that most were born in the U.S. Or that those who immigrated here came seeking the same freedoms and opportunities that have always attracted people to America.

    Muslims are our fellow Americans, who today face threats to their civil rights and even their personal safety because of the fearful and often hateful rhetoric that would not be tolerated were it uttered about any other minority group.

    To learn more: http://myfellowamerican.us/

    Comments

    Basic human rights is a cornerstone of what it is to be an American.

    Look at Britian's muslim communities. A foreshadowing of things to come for us? Hard to imagine.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/8686504/Sharia-a-la...

     


    by Me (not verified) on Thu, 08/18/2011 - 8:38pm

    I just wish to chime in on something.

    When I was a kid I had no idea what a Muslim was!

    Christianity was silly; because I would promise god not to polish my junk and all of that stuff.

    Then--remember I was quite naive in my white suburban environment--I heard about the Black Muslim movement and such.

    Then there was Malcolm X and then there was a break by Malcolm X and then, as far as I am concerned the current head of the American Muslim movement had him killed.

    My proof? the same standard of proof that conspiracists use to prove that we never landed on the Moon and that w. bush was responsible for 9/11.

    So by 2002 I saw the problem.

    Although African-Americans who resided in this country; some of whom hated this country so emphatically; said in one voice:

    Fuck America, fuck Christianity!

    Well I recalled that voice from the 60's and 70's when I was in college.

    And I immediately thought, after certain 'facts' appeared on my tv screen during the months following 9/11:

    Black Muslims are not going to be the most esteemed group of folks in this country!

    Again. I am an atheist. That means I am A-theist.

    Religion has done far more damage than good. That is my belief.

    But over the decades, I look back and without the Black Christian movement led by folks like MLK; nothing would have been revealed!

    But I knew that following our invasion of Iraq, which had nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks; that the Black Muslims would not be perceived as anything but enemies of the republic.

    Of course I am still with Maher and Hitchens; religion causes more problems than it solves. But people are people and they will continue to worship and the Perry's and the Bachmann's will continually make money and receive votes based upon that demographic fact! ha

    I would advise any youth in this country to stay the hell away from Mohammedism.

    It's stupid in the current environment.

    But I would also advise any youth to stay the hell away from Evangelical (or Fundementalist or...whatever) Christianity. Bachmann and Perry sound like aliens from another planet to me anyway.

    Sure, there are good Christians and good Jews and good Muslims and good Hindus and good Bhuddists and....

    Who cares?

    Screw em all!

     


    by Richard Day on Fri, 08/19/2011 - 4:41am

    I'm no expert, but my impression is that Black Muslims (i.e., that faith founded by Elijah Mohammed) are to Muslims as Mormons are to Christians. After Malcolm X went to Mecca to understand Islam, he came back as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. This also led to his leaving the Black Muslim movement. (By contrast, presumably when you refer to Black Christians, you're not referring to a particular denomination, but simply to Christians who are black.)


    by Verified Atheist on Fri, 08/19/2011 - 6:25am

    Well there is an entire history relating to Black Christians. I mean the South separated their churches sometime around 1820. Earlier on the African American slaves would be welcomed in White churches. At least according to a few tomes I have read on the subject.

    MLK and a host of other leaders in the Civil Rights movement were duly ordained ministers in Black Christian Churches.

    So the subjugated developed their own 'twist' on the Message from Jesus and this developed into Gospel singing which developed into an entire Black music genre.

    I mean just ask Aretha:

     


    by Richard Day on Fri, 08/19/2011 - 2:56pm