dagblog - Comments for "The Future of Islamophobia"

I wouldn't put it quite the

Michael Wolraich — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 11:39:47 +0000

I wouldn't put it quite the same way. Islamophobia is a form of nativism--as European countries often demonstrate--and all forms of nativism are frequently driven by politics. But Islamophobia is a rare form of nativism in the U.S. that was driven into prominence by terrorism, not immigration. I think it's similar in some ways to anti-Japanese bias during WWII. Thus, if the terrorist attacks subside (as they have so far), so will the Islamophobia.

I disagree. Nativism and

Henry — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 20:22:04 +0000

In reply to Interesting take, Genghis.

I disagree. Nativism and Islamophobia are separate phenomena. As Ghengis pointed out, the U.S. has always had xenophobic social movements directed against immigrants, and their strength is directly tied to the general economy. Islamophobia is driven by politics, and is an indirect attack on Barack Obama, in the same way that the 9/11 Truth Movement was an indirect attack on George Bush.

I don't normally suggest that

acanuck — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:04:28 +0000

In reply to Interesting take, Genghis.

I don't normally suggest that anyone (even bad, stupid, ill-educated and ill-intentioned people) should die. I definitely blame the wine.

Ac, I agree with you that the

Michael Wolraich — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 14:22:23 +0000

In reply to Interesting take, Genghis.

Ac, I agree with you that the current tempest of Islamophobia is akin to the other brands of Tea Party xenophobia. And if there were a perceived influx of Muslims into the U.S., you would see a major, long-running trend of anti-Islamic hysteria. The only reason that Islamophobia is less central to American nativism than anti-Mexican sentiment is that we don't have a history of large Muslim immigration. In Europe, it's the reverse.

The primary driver behind American Islamophobia is not immigration but terrorism. If there were continuous acts of terror on American soil by Muslim extremists, Isamophobia would become a really big deal here. But absent new acts of terror (or reminders of old acts of terror), it fades.

Interesting take, Genghis.

acanuck — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 03:42:54 +0000

In reply to The Future of Islamophobia

Interesting take, Genghis. But I think you're parsing things a bit too finely in treating hatred of Muslims and hatred of immigrants as separate things, one of which trumps the other in importance. It's all of a piece, as evidenced by the terror-anchor-baby insanity that you yourself cite.

Remember back to the election and nomination campaigns of 2008? Ancient history, it seems now. A kinder, gentler time when it was tacitly agreed that overt racism was a no-no. (The Obama campaign fiercely punished even the most accidental violations.) Instead, we got a surrogate: birtherism, which combined both anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim elements under the veneer of a constitutional issue. Orly-Taitz-style birtherism has run its course, but left its slimy residue: one-quarter to one-fifth of Americans now believe their president is a secret Muslim.

More important, for the discussion we're having here, by focusing on Obama all those haters learned how much they had in common; they've come to share a vocabulary and -- in the tea party -- a crude organization. There are tensions within the movement, of course. Some stress one priority over another. But these people have a goal: They are working toward a Grand Unified Theory of Otherness.

Along with illegal foreigners and unbelievers, there are gays and lesbians. Scientists (not the creationist kind -- the global-warming bunch). Liberal bloggers. Net neutralists. People who vacation on Martha's Vineyard. People who post on dagblog. All of them enemies. All un-American. All conspiring to drive change, when everyone was so content with the way things were. And, of course -- as always -- there are the blacks, still griping about the way they were treated for a couple of hundred years.

I almost sympathize. No, not really. Like Nietzsche said, the best thing some people can do is to know when to die. (Apologies to any right-wing crackerheads I've offended. Wine talking.)