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Blog — Islamophobia
Wednesday August 22, 2012
For those who are active in promoting Palestinian rights, the looseness with which the anti-Semitism charge is often made by anti-Palestinian activists is well-known. Even former President Jimmy Carter was branded a “bigot” by Alan Dershowitz for his distaste for Israeli policies towards the Palestinians. The conflation of criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism is not only absurd, but waters down a very serious charge that ought to be reserved for real racists. Read More »
Posted by Omar Baddar at 6:55 pm / / Leave a comment
Monday August 20, 2012
It is a disturbing trend that the federal government possesses near limitless power to end litigation with the mere assertion that they were acting in secret in the interest of national security. It is especially troubling when cases involving the basic constitutional rights of American citizens have been violated. The state secrets privilege also has a well-documented history of abuse, as it is more often than not used to shield government agencies from embarrassment or revelations of gross misconduct. This is most likely the case with “Operation Flex.” Read More »
Posted by Frank Matt at 3:44 pm / / Leave a comment
Friday August 10, 2012
Not long ago, when Islamophobia’s break into mainstream political discourse was still fresh, my dismay with bigoted rhetoric from politicians was accompanied by an adrenaline rush of sorts, with the exciting “wait until my Facebook friends see this” thought rushing through my head. Well, it’s not funny anymore. Now, troubling statements just elicit sighs of “here we go again” instead of punchy humor. That’s certainly how I felt when I heard Newt Gingrich’s comments about the anti-Muslim witch-hunt this week. Read More »
Posted by Omar Baddar at 2:01 pm / / Leave a comment
Thursday August 09, 2012
Earlier this week Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney was pointedly asked whether he would condemn Michele Bachmann’s witch-hunt against Arab American and American Muslim public servants. Romney refused, saying “I’m not going to tell other people what things to talk about. Those are not things that are part of my campaign.” This refusal to show leadership is troubling, but was dismissed by many as simply the former governor attempting to avoid controversy. Read More »
Posted by Frank Matt at 1:04 pm / / Leave a comment
Friday August 03, 2012
We wrote earlier this week about a Republican primary in Tennessee between Rep. Diane Black (TN-6) and her challenger Lou Ann Zelenik, an outspoken critic of the Islamic Center in Murfreesboro. Zelenik, who had challenged black two years earlier on an almost entirely anti-Muslim platform, lost again in yesterday’s primary, failing for a second time to win the coveted congressional seat. Read More »
Posted by Omar Tewfik at 2:53 pm / / Leave a comment
Thursday August 02, 2012
Attacks on Arab American and American Muslim Public Servants
Every so often an issue emerges that presents a clear choice of right and wrong and with it a clear opportunity for public officials to demonstrate leadership. This edition of "Leadership or Pandering” takes a look at the unfounded attacks on American Muslim public servants by Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and cosigned by Representatives Trent Franks (R-AZ), Louie Gohmert (R-TX), Tom Rooney (R-FL) and Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA). Read More »
Posted by Frank Matt at 1:09 pm / / Leave a comment
Wednesday August 01, 2012
Over the past few days, POLITICO has been doing an exceptional job covering a number of the key issues we deal with on a daily basis and which affect our community politically and socially. Among others, POLITICO has covered the fallout of the Michele Bachmann’s Muslim Brotherhood conspiracy, Mitt Romney’s latest trip to Israel, and how Islamophobia is factoring into certain congressional races. We encourage you to read the following articles which are extremely informative, and shed light on the some of the arguments being used to characterize these larger issues. Read More »
Posted by Omar Tewfik at 2:53 pm / / Leave a comment
Friday July 27, 2012
Michele Bachmann and her colleagues are finding themselves increasingly isolated within their own party in their McCarthyite witch-hunt to root out Muslim Brotherhood operatives in the federal government. Read More »
Posted by Frank Matt at 3:11 pm / / Leave a comment
Tuesday July 24, 2012
Cole is right to connect these politically-motivated smear campaigns to their potential electoral ramifications. The attempt to politically marginalize Arab American and American Muslim citizens is no longer a cost-free attack; these communities have proven their ability to organize, mobilize, and swing electoral outcomes. Hopefully, both parties will also learn this lesson before it’s too late. Read More »
Posted by Samer Araabi at 3:02 pm / / Leave a comment
Monday July 23, 2012
By Nasser Siadat
For the many Arab Americans and American Muslims living under the scrutiny that has come as a result of intolerance and prejudice, this event highlighted the very universal message of Ramadan that all peoples of faith and non-faith can relate to— dialogue fosters understanding, and that despite our ideological or political differences, we all unite on a very basic humanitarian level. Read More »
Posted by Guest at 8:28 am / / Leave a comment
Monday July 23, 2012
Nearly everyone agrees that these letters went too far and many have likened Bachmann to Senator Joe McCarthy, seeking out the communist threat in the 1950s. But we rarely discuss how we got here, and what conditions exist - mainly within the Republican Party as Rollins warned - which led us to this point. Read More »
Posted by Omar Tewfik at 5:52 am / / Leave a comment
Friday July 20, 2012
Just in time for Ramadan, a federal judge has ruled that an injunction preventing the opening of a new mosque in Murfreesboro, Tennessee is illegal and should be overturned, allowing the mosque’s members to use the space during the the Muslim holy month. Read More »
Posted by Jeffrey Wright at 3:47 pm / / Leave a comment
Friday July 20, 2012
While the Muslim Brotherhood has been Gaffney’s boogeyman of choice recently, a bit of digging by ThinkProgress’s Matt Duss into CSC’s past campaigns and publications revealed that within the past 10 years Gaffney has leveled nearly verbatim charges of infiltration against an “Iran Lobby” and a “Wahhabi Lobby.” Read More »
Posted by Frank Matt at 2:47 pm / / Leave a comment
Friday July 20, 2012
To save you time, a headache, and an acute bout of depression about the people who run our government, I’ve summarized the arguments made by Congresswoman Michele Bachmann about the Muslim Brotherhood infiltration of the US government. Read More »
Posted by Samer Araabi at 10:16 am / / Leave a comment
Thursday July 19, 2012
Where would Egyptian protesters get the idea that the US is secretly backing the Muslim Brotherhood? From their fellow-travelers in the American Islamophobe community, naturally. In a superb piece for the Times website published on Tuesday, Robert Mackey traces the spread of the “Obama as secret supporter of the Ikhwan” meme from ultra-right wing American bloggers to Egyptian protesters. Read More »
Posted by Jeffrey Wright at 1:29 pm / / Leave a comment
Wednesday July 18, 2012
In a Senate floor speech today, Sen. John McCain derided his fellow Republicans’ witch-hunt to root out infiltration by “Muslim Brotherhood operatives” and came to the defense of one of its chief targets, Hillary Clinton’s top aide Huma Abedin. Read More »
Posted by Frank Matt at 1:51 pm / / Leave a comment
Monday July 16, 2012
AAI President Jim Zogby joined CNN anchor Anderson Cooper tonight on “Anderson Cooper 360” at 8:15pm ET to discuss former Presidential contender Rep. Michele Bachmann’s controversial call for an investigation into the extent that the Muslim Brotherhood has infiltrated the U.S. government. Read More »
Posted by Omar Tewfik at 7:16 pm / / Leave a comment
Thursday July 12, 2012
By Johara Hall
On Monday, a group of panelists will discuss religious discrimination against American Muslims today, the role of Shari'ah for the American Muslim community, and the implications of Islamophobia on Christian and Jewish communities in the US. Read More »
Posted by Guest at 1:24 pm / / Leave a comment
Wednesday July 11, 2012
According to AAI polling data, Arab Americans have become less and less able to relate to the Republican Party over the last ten years. In 2000 Arab American Republicans constituted 38% of the Arab vote. That number dwindled to 25% in 2010. The issue remains that alienating any group of potential voters is not smart for either political party. Read More »
Posted by Omar Tewfik at 8:48 am / / Leave a comment
Friday June 29, 2012
By Nama Khalil
The Institute for Social Policy and Understanding held a timely symposium, Reason vs Rhetoric: Understanding American Muslims, which featured leading experts on issues facing the American Muslim community, and their place in the broader national landscape. Read More »
Posted by Guest at 2:43 pm / / Leave a comment
Looking at Iran by James Zogby
Kahlil Gibran Awards Gala - April 16, 2013
