Manufactured hatred

What I first took to be a storm in a tea cup ended up turning into anything but. Even more than the tragedy of September 11, the current mosque controversy will, I think, define for a generation what it means to be an American Muslim. While I'm not an American myself, my wife is American and Muslim, and so, like millions of others, I have a stake in this issue.

What shocks me more than anything about the mosque debate is that being a Muslim in the US is not as "normal" as I once took it to be. After all, I lived in the US for about five years, both in the Midwest and on the East Coast, both before and after September 11. My faith was pretty much never an issue in any of my dealings with non-Muslim Americans. The sense I got from my stay there was that, unlike the current climate in Western Europe, where being a Muslim automatically places you in the "dodgy" category for a large chunk of the population, in the United States you are judged more by your individual actions than any group identity (barring race, but that's not really the subject here). Well, that was then. Reading about the vitriol that surrounds the Park51 project has made me think again.

A Time poll shows a rather disheartening picture of Americans' attitudes about their Muslim compatriots. Only 55% of the people surveyed believe that most American Muslims are patriotic. Yes, that is a majority, but quite a slim one. Again, 55% would agree to a mosque being built in their neighbourhood. That means that we should be prepared for a slew of anti-mosque protests around the US from the 45% who disagree -- the kind of protests we've already been seeing in California, Tennessee and Wisconsin. It gets worse, though: around 30% of Americans think that Muslims should be prevented from occupying the post of president or Supreme Court judge. Only 44% say that they have a favourable attitude towards Muslims. What do you make of numbers like that? I'm not alone in making comparisons between the current American wave of Islamophobia and older, more ingrained European Islamophobia.

Politicians from both major US parties have been falling over each other in making outrageously Islamophobic remarks, the most infamous, of course, being Newt Gingrich's comparison of Muslims to Nazis. If Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, who is currently touring the Middle East on behalf of the State Department, is a "radical Islamist", as Gingrich claims, then which Muslim is not?

Some media players have not been much better. In particular, News Corporation, which owns the New York Post, the Wall Street Journal and Fox News (among many other media outlets) unleashed the whole furore in the first place. The New York Times, which has launched a concerted and refreshingly sane attack on the mosque rejection movement, still featured a column that accused American Muslims of supporting "illiberal causes", and an article by the editor of National Review Online, who claimed that Park51 was "a Hamas-endorsed Islamic center". This is one example of the kind of demagoguery that has surrounded the issue. Yes, Hamas has "endorsed" the mosque, while "endorsing" churches and synagogues in the same breath. So are the Sarah Palins of this world going to "refudiate" churches next?

The pleasantly surprising part in all this has been that, as Maureen Dowd has pointed out, some of the most spirited defence for Park51 has come from Republicans, namely Michael Bloomberg and Chris Christie. Now Ron Paul has joined this group, issuing one of the most lucid statements that has yet been made in favour of building Park51. It is a sad thought, though, that Ron Paul, of all people, offers more hope on the issue than Barack Obama does.

So there's some hope here that even right-wing Americans will come to their senses. Newsweek suggests that the issue will go away after the primaries. Perhaps it will. But it certainly leaves a very bitter taste in the mouth, one which may linger for years to come. Perhaps one day Muslims will be praised for revitalising Park Place by building Park51 (some are doing so already). But rebuilding a secure place for Muslims in American society will most likely take far longer.

Visitor profiles, 15 October to 14 November 2009

Welcome to the twenty-first installment of Notes on Religion visitor profiles!

The most recent month (15 October to 14 November 2009):

This month, Notes on Religion received 759 visits.

Visitors came to Notes on Religion from every inhabited continent, alhamdu lillah. The largest number of visitors (24%) came from Italy (grazie!). The United States was next with almost 24%, while Canada came third with 16%. In sha' Allah, I'll quote all monetary amounts (if any are discussed) in euros along with Canadian dollars over the coming month.

Within Italy, the largest number of visitors (15%) came from Rome.

A plurality of visitors this past month (34%) were referred to Notes on Religion by Google. The most common Google search term that brought visitors to the blog was 'russian neo nazi beheading'.

The most popular browser this month was Internet Explorer (47%). 91% of the visitors were Windows users.

Since the founding of the blog (15 March 2007 to 14 November 2009):

The total number of visitors during these two years and eight months was 11,791. The average number of visitors was 12 per day.

The largest number of visitors (43%) came from the United States. The second-highest number (15%) came from Canada. The United Kingdom came third with 7%.

Within the US, the state with the largest number of visitors (14%) was California, while the city with the largest number (5%) was New York.

The majority of visitors (53%) was referred to the blog by Google. The most common search term entered by visitors who were referred to Notes on Religion by Google was 'russian neo nazi beheading'.

The most popular browser was Internet Explorer (47%). 90% of the visitors were Windows users.

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Visitor profiles, 15 November to 14 December 2008

Welcome to the fifteenth installment of Notes on Religion visitor profiles!

This month (15 November to 14 December 2008):

This month, Notes on Religion received 359 visits.

Visitors came to Notes on Religion from every inhabited continent, alhamdu lillah. The largest number of visitors (38%) came from the United States. Canada was next with 18%, while the United Kingdom came third with 8%. In sha' Allah, I'll quote all monetary amounts (if any are discussed) in US dollars along with Canadian dollars over the coming month.

In the US, the largest number of visitors (14%) came from New York.

In Canada, 22% of the visitors' ISPs were in Quebec.

The largest number of visitors this past month (45%) were referred to Notes on Religion by Google. The most common Google search term that brought visitors to the blog was 'russian neo-nazi beheading video'.

The most popular browser this month was Firefox (48%). 89% of the visitors were Windows users.

Since the founding of the blog (15 March 2007 to 14 December 2008):

The total number of visitors during the year and ten months was 5,094. The average number of visitors was eight per day. A big thank you to everyone who visited and took this blog above the 5,000 hit mark!

The largest number of visitors (44%) came from the United States. The second-highest number (19%) came from the Canada. The United Kingdom came third with 7%.

In the US, the largest number of visitors (14%) came from California.

Quebec accounted for 44% of the visitors' ISPs within Canada.

The biggest proportion of visitors (41%) was referred to the blog by Google. The most common search term entered by visitors who were referred to Notes on Religion by Google was 'neo nazi beheading'.

The most popular browser was Firefox (46%). 90% of the visitors were Windows users.

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via FoxyTunes

Visitor profile, 15 April to 14 May 2008

Welcome to the fourteenth installment of Notes on Religion visitor profiles!

This month (15 April to 14 May 2008):

This month, Notes on Religion received 206 visits, that is, 255% more than the number received the previous month, alhamdu lillah. The average number of visitors during this period was seven a day.

Visitors came to Notes on Religion from Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe and North America. Most visitors (58%) came from the United States. Canada was next with 21%, while the United Arab Emirates came third with 4%. In sha' Allah, I'll quote all monetary amounts (if any are discussed) in US dollars along with Canadian dollars over the coming month.

In the US, the largest number of visitors (17%) came from New York.

In Canada, 47% of the visitors' ISPs were in Quebec.

The largest number of visitors this month (33%) were referred to Notes on Religion by Google. The most common Google search terms that brought visitors to the blog were 'anders bøtter' and 'luttwak'.

The most popular browser this month was Internet Explorer (46%). 87% of the visitors were Windows users.

Since the founding of the blog (15 March 2007 to 14 May 2008):

The total number of visitors during the year and two months was 1,600. The average number of visitors was four per day.

The largest number of visitors (36%) came from Canada. The second-highest number (34%) came from the United States. The United Kingdom came third with 5%.

Quebec accounted for 56% of the visitors' ISPs within Canada.

The biggest proportion of visitors (39%) was referred to the blog by Blogger. The most common search term entered by visitors who were referred to Notes on Religion by Google was 'natasha aliyeva'.

The most popular browser was Internet Explorer (50%). 91% of the visitors were Windows users.

Muslim teacher in NY loses job because of hate campaign

Debbie Almontaser, a Yemeni-American teacher who led the drive to set up a new public school in New York called Khalil Gibran International Academy, was forced to resign her position as principal before the school opened its doors to new students. The reason was a campaign of Islamophobia unleashed by a group that called itself the "Stop the Madrassa Coalition". The group was, in some ways, orchestrated by the Islam basher Daniel Pipes.

The school's mission was to teach Arabic as a foreign language. Almontaser's plan was to have a student body that would be half Arab-American. In all other respects, the Gibran Academy was to be a regular New York public high school. Moreover, in its emphasis in Arabic, the school was similar to dozens of other schools in New York that stress a particular language, such as Spanish or Russian.

The campaign against the Gibran Academy (named after a Lebanese Christian poet) broke out when Pipes wrote an op-ed in the New York Sun, in which he argued that "Arabic-language instruction is inevitably laden with Pan-Arabist and Islamist baggage." He also called the planned school a "madrassa", which is simply the Arabic word for "school" but, as Pipes knows very well, means an "Islamic seminary" in English. More recently, Pipes has admitted that his use of the word "madrassa" was "a bit of a stretch" and a tool he used to "get attention".

Attention he did get: a group of people, including Jeffrey Wiesenfeld, a trustee at City University of New York, gathered around Pipes, and formed the above-mentioned coalition. Having very little information about the planned school to go on, the Coalition to Stop the Madrassa dug into Almontaser's past and her personal activities, and used the information obtained to smear her online and in the media. What motivated them was a desire to stop what Wiesenfeld referred to as "soft jihad", that is, the promotion of "radical Islam", in Pipes's words, through "the school system, the media, the religious organizations, the government, businesses and the like". In other words, the mere teaching of Arabic was construed by the group as equivalent to the promotion of "radical Islam".

What helped the Coalition clinch its case was an interview with the New York Post, in which Almontaser explained that the word "intifada" meant "a shaking off". She was asked about the shirts because some teenaged members of an Arab-American women's group she belonged to had been seen selling T-shirts that said "Intifada NYC" on them. The Post misquoted Almontaser as saying that the girls selling the T-shirts had been "shaking off oppression".

That was too much for the city's Education Department to bear, and Almontaser was asked to resign by Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott, who added that she had until 8:00 am the next day to resign, because Mayor Michael Bloomberg wanted to announce her resignation "on his radio show". Almontaser resigned, but filed a lawsuit to try to get her job back. A panel of federal judges has recently ruled that the New York Post has misreported the comments she had made to the paper.

The school did open under the direction of a different principal, Danielle Salzberg, who does not speak Arabic and soon made a name for herself with her authoritarian methods. Meanwhile, Almontaser has been assigned to a school inspection job, and has been allowed to keep her principal's pay of US $120,000 (Canadian $121,722) per year. The Coalition to Stop the Madrassa, for its part, continues to protest against the existence of the school (New York Times).

Visitor profile, 15 March to 14 April 2008

Welcome to the thirteenth installment of Notes on Religion visitor profiles!

This month (15 March to 14 April 2008):

This month, Notes on Religion received 58 visits, that is, 23% less than the number received the previous month. The average number of visitors during this period was two a day.

Visitors came to Notes on Religion from Asia, Australasia, Europe and North America. By far the largest number of visitors (48%) came from the United States. Canada and the United Arab Emirates tied for second place with 12%. In sha' Allah, I'll quote all monetary amounts (if any are discussed) in US dollars along with Canadian dollars over the coming month.

In the US, the largest number of visitors (29%) came from New York.

In Canada, 57% of the visitors' ISPs were in Quebec.

Most visitors this month (59%) were referred to Notes on Religion by Google. The most common Google search term that brought visitors to the blog was 'natasha aliyeva'.

The most popular browser this month was Internet Explorer (47%). 81% of the visitors were Windows users.

Since the founding of the blog (15 March 2007 to 14 April 2008):

The total number of visitors during the year and one month was 1,394. The average number of visitors was four per day.

The largest number of visitors (39%) came from Canada. The second-highest number (31%) came from the United States. The United Kingdom came third with 5%.

Quebec accounted for 57% of the visitors' ISPs within Canada.

The biggest proportion of visitors (42%) was referred to the blog by Blogger. The most common search term entered by visitors who were referred to Notes on Religion by Google was 'natasha aliyeva'.

The most popular browser was Internet Explorer (51%). 92% of the visitors were Windows users.

Visitor profile, 15 February to 14 March 2008

Welcome to the twelfth installment of Notes on Religion visitor profiles!

This month (15 February to 14 March 2008):

This month, Notes on Religion received 75 visits, that is, the same number as that received the previous month. The average number of visitors during this period was three a day.

Visitors came to Notes on Religion from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America. The largest number of visitors (38%) came from the United States, and Canada came second with 35%. Visitors from other countries accounted for less than 1% each.

In the US, the largest number of visitors (18%) came from New York.

In Canada, 15% of the visitors' ISPs were in Quebec.

Most visitors this month (59%) were referred to Notes on Religion by Google. The most common Google search terms that brought visitors to the blog were 'congratulate kosovo' and 'religion of kosovo'.

The most popular browser this month was Internet Explorer (56%). 93% of the visitors were Windows users.

In the year since the founding of the blog (15 March 2007 to 14 March 2008):

The total number of visitors during the year was 1,336. The average number of visitors was four per day.

The largest number of visitors (40%) came from Canada. The second-highest number (30%) came from the United States. The United Kingdom came third with 5%.

Quebec accounted for 57% of the visitors' ISPs within Canada.

The biggest proportion of visitors (44%) was referred to the blog by Blogger. The most common search term entered by visitors who were referred to Notes on Religion by Google was 'ishaq nizami'.

The most popular browser was Internet Explorer (51%). 92% of the visitors were Windows users.

Bangladeshi Muslim helps Jews under attack

Hassan Askari, a 20-year-old Bangladeshi accountancy student living in New York, is being hailed as a hero in New York after he helped rescue a group of four Jews from 14 Christian assailants who attacked them on the Subway.

When a member of the Christian group wished the Jewish passengers a merry Christmas, two of them replied with "Happy Hanukkah." According to the group of Jews, the Christians were not happy to hear that, and started assaulting the Jews, both physically and verbally, with the insults focusing on the victims' Jewish faith.

At that point, Askari stepped into the fray and pushed one of the Christian attackers. As a result, in Askari's words, "They grabbed me and punched and beat me up." He suffered bruises to the eyes and nose.

About protecting the Jewish victims of the attack, Askari says ""I just did what I had to do…. My parents raised me that way.... In Islam it teaches you to be helpful to your fellow man, to be kind, courteous."

According to Walter Adler, 23, one of the Jewish victims of the attack, "A random Muslim guy jumped in and helped a Jewish guy on Hanukkah - that's a miracle. He was the only person to help us…. He's basically a hero."

As a result of Askari's action, Adler managed to pull the emergency brake of the train. The police entered the carriage at the next station and arrested ten of the attackers.

Meanwhile, Askari celebrated Hanukkah with Adler the day after the incident (Al Arabiya).

Subhan Allah. This sort of story brings hope of a greater degree of understanding between Muslims, Jews and Christians, an understanding that may exist in many cases on a day-to-day level, but is often hidden underneath sensational news of discord.

US art gallery cancels chocolate Jesus (pbuh) statue display

In a victory for Catholic protesters, an art gallery in New York has cancelled plans to display a sculpture of Jesus Christ (pbuh) made of chocolate and depicting him naked. The statue, made by Canadian artist Cosimo Cavallaro, measures 1.8 m in height, and is called "My Sweet Lord".

The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights called for a boycott of the gallery, especially given the fact that the statue was meant to be displayed during Easter. As a spokesman for the group pointed out, the gallery "would never dare" to show a similar statue of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) during Ramadan. She has also described the statue as "an assault on Christians".

After management decided to cancel the exhibit, the gallery's artistic director resigned, complaining of "strong-arming from people who haven't seen the show" (BBC).

I must say it's a wise decision on the part of the Lab gallery. Some may see it as self-censorship, but I would prefer to see the outcome as an act of wisdom on the part of the gallery's management. Toying with people's feelings is never a good idea, whether it be in the realm or religion or anything else that people value. Thoughtful, intelligent criticism is one thing, but depicting a person highly respected by about half of mankind (Christians and Muslims) naked is neither thoughtful nor intelligent, but rather, in my view, a misguided shout for attention. I'm glad that the Lab gallery did not decide to take the route followed by the free-speech fanatics in Europe on the issue of the caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).