The Stealth Muslim Victory

Posted By Marc Lynch Wednesday, November 3, 2010 - 8:10 PM Share

The last few months of U.S. political life have been defaced by rampaging anti-Muslim rhetoric, from the manufactured controversy over the Park51 mosque in New York to the Florida Quran-burning threats to hysterical warnings about 'creeping sharia' and stealth jihad in the halls of Congress. The victory of the truly absurd ban on applying sharia in Oklahoma may be only the first of the legislative fruits of this ugly trend. The volume and aggressiveness of this anti-Islamic trend has had some real costs both at home and abroad, most likely drowning out the earnest efforts of the Obama administration to rebuild relations with the Muslims of the world. Hopefully that noise will fade now that Election Day has come and gone. 

But in the meantime, there's some quiet good news. The "Ground Zero Mosque" didn't get Carl Paladino anywhere near the New York Governor's Mansion. As political junkies will recall, the leader of a major Tea Party group explicitly called for Keith Ellison (D-MN) to be defeated because he "is the only Muslim member of congress. He supports the Counsel for American Islamic Relations, HAMAS and has helped congress send millions of tax dollars to terrorists in Gaza [insert 'sic' as you like]." All the better then to realize that both Muslim members of Congress -- Ellison and Andre Carson (D-IN) -- cruised to re-election yesterday and that nobody seems to have even much noticed. 

The very fact that their wins have thus far been a non-issue is one of the more encouraging things I've come across today. I can only hope that Muslims around the world notice their victories, and place more weight on their effective participation in U.S. democracy than they do on the Oklahoma referendum or on the loud, angry voices of the anti-Islamic fringe. The administration's public diplomacy team might want to get on that.  

EXPLORE:DEMOCRACY, ELECTIONS, ISLAM, POLITICS
 

AEHSAN

6:48 AM ET

November 4, 2010

Sorry Marc but not buying anymore

My brother who is a non-practicing muslim recently left the US cause it was too crazy socially even though he is not at all religious. Me I refuse to visit the country at all cause the rhetoric frankly scares me off from even trying to go through security. My wife and kids went recently to visit and they went through security screening that has frankly put them off for going there. We’ll just take our tourism money elsewhere. Its very very clear the US is xenophobic/religio-phobic nation when it comes to Islam whether it chooses to declare it or not. You can be as ‘liberal’ as you like, you have a Muslim sounding name – the US is not the land of the free. Hey I'll watch Hollywood films, US TV and hell I even work for Americans - but do I feel its an equal opportunity 'fair' nation. Sorry not buying it anymore.

 

ABLITZ

10:38 AM ET

November 4, 2010

Yeah security can be a pain,

Yeah security can be a pain, redundant, and racial profiling (more specifically country profiling) does happen.
We have a problem here in this country: Those who are currently yelling the loudest, are those who are being heard.

Don't pay attention to those yelling because almost everyone else isn't. The values that the United States projects to the rest of the world still exist just as strong as ever. Anti-Muslim sentiment in the US seems to be on the rise in some places and among some groups, but for the most part not in the main stream.

The United States might be the prime example of integration between Muslim and non-Muslims. The courts and other institutions still protect everyones rights equally.
The Cordoba Project for example was entirely political. No one questioned the legality of the project only its wisdom. It was obvious that certain politicians and organizations took the opposition stance entirely for political reasons (ADL for example), while others had the courage to stand up for what they believe in (Mayor Bloomberg for example).
This and the Quran burning pastor were blown way out of proportion. The pastor had a very small following and zero mainstream support from anyone. Even the right-wing in this country thought it was despicable.

So if the US isn't an "equal opportunity fair nation" what is? Don't try to argue for Europe as they institutionalize bans on religious clothing and structures. And of course Arab governments are far from it as well (goes without explanation).

 

ENIGMA

3:12 PM ET

November 4, 2010

it ain't that bad

Dude, my fiance is Iraqi and she and her family all have had far more problems in places like Jordan and Syria as far as security. Yeah there are some nutcases here but for the most part, Muslims are treated respectfully. They have literally gotten cussed out and blatantly disrespected by gov't officials in Jordan simply because they are from Iraq. America is not perfect but the social situation is not nearly as bad as you say. At least not where I live....

 

AEHSAN

12:08 PM ET

November 4, 2010

Not advocating others are better vs. US

I agree the US was a great beacon of light for integration vs. the rest of the world. Its sorry to see that go.

Oh and Transtrist only 2 points;
1. Nice to see you're setting the standards so high. If Muslims countries can behave in dumb ways and have issues lets import them into a place that had none.
2. You proved my point.

Good fences make good neighbours - Lets also not lose sight of the fact that the US barges uninvited into the Muslim world, props up dictators and supports collective punishment with high levels of collateral damage either directly or indirectly. The Muslim world exports its extremist crazies violence to you. Only one of these is officially approved and democratically elected policy.

 

ABLITZ

8:01 PM ET

November 4, 2010

I thought we were talking

I thought we were talking about the United States as a place that treats people within its own nation equally and fairly. We weren't talking about its foreign policy. You deflected my arguments with that because you couldn't respond to the fact that I pointed out that Islamophobia is far worst if not institutionalized in Europe.
The United States treats its citizens well. Like I said we have a few people yelling right now, but for the most part the climate is still very tolerant of Muslims. I'll agree its disheartening to see some people acting this way towards innocent citizens, but we are far from losing our values.

 

AEHSAN

8:11 AM ET

November 5, 2010

Fair point

Horror of horrors on a comments post someone will concede and say you're right. The FP debate is a distraction. You're right US is still better than most of mainland Europe and hopefully this will pass.

 

JACOB BLUES

9:41 PM ET

November 4, 2010

Security? Anybody read Jeff Goldberg's latest experience with

the TSA?
.
http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2010/11/american-airlines-pilots-in-revolt-against-the-tsa/65746/
.
.
http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2010/10/for-the-first-time-the-tsa-meets-resistance/65390/
.
.
Millions of Americans are getting the choice of either being microwaved or frisked / felt up, every day when they fly. The entire population is going through a daily reverse 'racial profiling' because of a bunch of Islamist terrorists / death cultists. Yet, the Muslim community from which they spring, remains silent.

 

NSC LOS ANGELES

9:54 PM ET

November 4, 2010

Another laughable, dhimmi article from FP

As for the "absurdity" of banning sharia how exactly do you justify allowing citizens in the US to be judged under another legal system (one that hates women by the way). Britain has 80 sharia courts governing the lives of who knows how many women and children, systematically favoring male heads of household. Looking towards Europe exaclty what are the benefits of Muslim "integration," or more often than not non-integration.

For Aeshan, please do stay at home. I refuse to set foot in any Muslim nation and I think it's wonderful that you don't want to come here either.

I eagerly await the deletion of this post.

 

Marc Lynch is associate professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University.

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