They don’t refer to it as “Islamophobia”—a term promoted by Islamists and one that is sure to put off Americans who are sick and tired of being called names by special-interest groups with grievances—but the Islamic Society of North America is unhappy about Muslims’ image problem nevertheless:
It is time for the United States to stop treating every American Muslim as somehow suspect, leaders of the faith said at their largest annual convention, which ended here on Monday. Six years after the Sept. 11 attacks, Americans should distinguish between mainstream Muslims and the radical fringe, the leaders said.
True enough, and it would be helpful if mainstream Muslims would take the opportunity to introduce themselves to their non-Muslim American friends and neighbors. (”We’re here; our get-ups look weird; get used to it” comes to mind as a slogan.)
My only issue is this—what does Israel have to do with this “growing intolerance” toward Muslims?
Leaders of American Muslim organizations attribute the growing intolerance to three main factors: global terrorist attacks in the name of Islam, disappointing reports from the Iraq war and the agenda of some supporters of Israel who try taint Islam to undermine the Palestinians. [e.a.]
I’d really like to abandon my stereotypes, as the headline on Neil MacFarquhar’s piece encourages me to do. Too bad MacFarquhar just underscores the stereotype of the New York Times as the source for mainstream apriori and enduring hostility to Israel: anti-Israel prejudice, as in pre-existing judgments that interfere with an objective analysis or a situation.
MacFarquhar allows the Muslim group to make the unsubstantiated charge against “some supporters of Israel.” For “balance,” he quotes a rabbi who is happy to denounce some of these “supporters”—two Christian fundamentalists and one Jew. Not an Israeli but an American Jew:
Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, denounced by name Christian fundamentalists like Pat Robertson and Franklin Graham, as well as Dennis Prager, a well-known radio host who is Jewish.
“The time has come to stand up to the opportunists, the media figures, the religious leaders and politicians who demonize Muslims and bash Islam, exploiting the fears of their fellow citizens for their own purposes,” Rabbi Yoffie told the opening session.
Right. Muslims are being “demonized” because it’s somehow good for the Jews, and Israel.
