veiled4allah: terrorism, fascism, Islamophobia... a strange mix indeed

A few points to ponder

First:

CAIR (video):

American Muslims have consistently condemned all acts of terrorism, whether carried out by individuals, groups or states. We repudiate anyone or any group that plans or carries out a terrorist act. We welcome early actions by law enforcement authorities against credible threats to the safety of the traveling public. The American Muslim community has always been dedicated to the protection of our national security. It is also important that our fellow Americans understand that Muslims are law-abiding citizens who should not be targeted or singled out because of their faith or national origin.

Hesham Hassaballa:

All Praise and Thanks is due to the Lord God Almighty that these alleged terrorists were caught. In a raid conducted yesterday, British authorities arrested 24 suspects who allegedly planned on boarding planes bound to the United States and explode them in mid-air. I am extremely happy this attack was thwarted. All Praise is due to God... ...If what is alleged against them is true, all I can say is "God is enough for me, and He is the best of those who handle affairs." These agents of Satan thought they could commit mass murder in a twisted effort to "defend Islam." Yet, the Hand of the Lord is longer and more powerful. If what is alleged against them is true, these partisans of Satan thought they were performing "jihad." They were doing nothing of the sort. They were planning to commit murder, and I am thankful to the Precious Lord that they were caught.

There are, however, some important points regarding this story that must be pointed out. This whole investigation started with an anonymous tip, and that tip came from a concerned member of the Muslim community in Britain. Would you look at that! A Muslim, helping to fight terror! In fact, we Muslims have been fighting the good fight for a long time.

Second:

Al-Muhajabah:

Some of the visions of Muslim extremists like Bin Laden are, if not technically fascist, fundamentally totalitarian... ...The term "Islamofascism" is thrown around quite freely in some quarters. There is such a thing, just as there are extremist interpretations of Judaism, Christianity, and Hinduism that call for the fight against anything "other". What's wrong with the term "Islamofascist" is when some people apply it to any Muslim who seeks to an integration of Islam and politics, even if that Muslim condemns Bin Laden and Zawahiri. Such a distortion inhibits debate.

There are certain policies and certain beliefs that are fascist and rightly deserve to be called so, policies and beliefs that dehumamize those who are of a different religion or ethnic group and that promote violence against the other religion or ethnic group.

But Islam is not itself a fascist ideology. In fact, Islam condemns all such hatred and violence.

Third:

Gallup: Many Americans Harbor Strong Bias Against U.S. Muslims

A new Gallup poll finds that many Americans -- what it calls "substantial minorities" -- harbor "negative feelings or prejudices against people of the Muslim faith" in this country. Nearly one in four Americans, 22%, say they would not like to have a Muslim as a neighbor. While Americans tend to disagree with the notion that Muslims living in the United States are sympathetic to al-Qaeda, a significant 34% believe they do back al-Qaeda. And fewer than half -- 49% -- believe U.S. Muslims are loyal to the United States.

Almost four in ten, 39%, advocate that Muslims here should carry special I.D.

SusanG at Daily Kos pulls all these strands together:

What happens when you yoke an entire religion to the word, "fascist?"... ...While there undeniably are pro-violent, extremist Muslims - as there are Christians and Jews and atheists - using language that encourages 40 percent of Americans to consider an entire religion's adherents as requiring special ID's seems a tad ... well, let's avoid a Godwin's law violation, shall we?...

...Got that, Mr. Bush? While the terror cells were comprised of Islamic extremists, other Muslims were the ones who saved the world from a terrorist strike that could have been the worst since 9/11.

P.S. Doesn't requiring a certain class of citizens to have "special IDs" sound like the real fascism around here?