06 October 2014

Islamaphobia



In general, I am inclined to think little of celebrities who step into public debate. Displaying competence as an actor, or football player does not automatically demonstrate competence in public policy. ::sigh:: I hope I am not stepping into an agreement trap here - paying attention simply because I agree. None-the-less, I think Ben Affleck is spot on when he calls out Islamophobia.

Worldwide condemnation of ISL by leaders of Sunni, Shia, Moabite, Wahabi, and Sufi Islam does not seem to silence those who are practicing this particularly ugly form of racism and religious bigotry. Yes, there is an ugly strain of Islam, which alas arises most frequently from Wahabi. It is outright evil, has been condemned by Islamic leaders for years, and it is the false Islam of al quida and ISL. But we Christians cannot really criticize this, one need only look at the Inquisition, the drownings of Jean Claude Calvin, and the fate of the Huguenots to see our own dirty hands.

My family is very proud of my niece, a Muslim, Air Force Academy grad, and pilot who is as loyal to this country as anyone could ask. We Christians, here in my parish pray for her safety every mass.

That my gentle readers is American, Christian, and yes, Islamic. Religious bigotry, Islamophobia, which is by the way racist, most Muslims are either immigrants of the children of recent immigrants. The ugly nativism that infected the Klan is on display in this virulent, unamerican (yes that is their word but it fits them better) prejudice.

Incidentally, I named 4 different types of Islam of the top of my head. There are others. In Iran, there are several different kinds of Shia! Kurdish Sunni is not Indonesian, although the differences are subtle and can mystify Westerners. Islam, like Buddhism, and yes Christianity, is a mosaic. Blanket statements about it are almost always bigoted and wrong.

2 comments:

JCF said...

Jim, could you proofread your posts some more? Sometimes I have trouble understanding what you're getting at.

For example: "The ugly nativism that infected the Kian is on display in this virulent, unamerican (yes that is their word but it fits them better) prejudice"

Kian?

FYI, the preferred English spelling of a adherent of Islam is "Muslim". The preferred English spelling of the majority Islamic tradition is Sunni.

"That my gentle readers is American, Christian, and yes, Islamic." What is the subject of "That"? Praying for your niece? [If it's Christians doing the praying, it's hard to see how "that" is Islamic. If she's praying for you, then that is!]

FTR, I think I agree w/ what you're saying here (I haven't followed the Affleck brouhaha closely). But greater clarity in your writing would help.

JimB said...

JCF,

Oops. I sort of count on my spell checker software. It appears that it did not run on this post. And, when I forced it, I did not get complete agreement on some things (Suni v. Sunni.) In the event, I have done an update, so I hope it is now more intelligible.

I shall be more careful going forward.

St Laika's

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