Investigating Teh Muslims, part deuce

[kinvore.livejournal.com]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110615/ap_on_re_us/us_muslims_terror_hearings

So NY Congressman Peter King is holding more hearings, this time on violent Islam in prison. It hasn't resulted in nearly as much controversy as his previous hearing where he just attacked "violent Islam" in general, but it's still drawing some protests.

For the record when it comes to violence done in the name of Islam I tend to condemn it rather strongly. Few things annoy me more when my fellow liberals seem to give certain acts a pass, often citing cultural reasons. What gets me is if these acts (such as honor killing and/or the systematic suppression of women) were done in the name of Christianity then they'd be screaming bloody murder. It shouldn't be a different reaction just because it's done by the enemy of your enemy.

That being said these investigations are awful and hateful. I think of it this way: imagine if he held hearings on violent blacks in America. He would be rightfully tarred and feathered for even suggesting it. Why? Because it's not right to suggest an entire group of people is guilty for the actions of a few. These hearings are thinly-veiled hate speech and have no place in Congress.

I'll save you some time, Congressman King. There's violence in the name of Islam. There's violence in the name of Christianity. There's violence in the name of nationalism. There's violence done in many names, so please stop the hateful posturing and work on issues that actually matter, such as jobs.

Comments

[blue-mangos.livejournal.com]

For years, law enforcement officials have said the prison atmosphere is ripe for recruitment for any extremist cause, from violent Islamist extremism to skinhead, white supremacist and Latino gangs.

This right here. I certainly have no issue with looking into the growth of radicalism in prisons, but the entire spectrum needs to be addressed, not just one segment of the prison population.

[kinvore.livejournal.com]

Agreed.

[whoasksfinds.livejournal.com]

what if one segment of the prison population poses a greater risk to national security?

[blue-mangos.livejournal.com]

I'd say any radical group poses a similar threat to national security. How many domestic terrorist acts or even murders have been committed by Islamic groups in comparison to the others mentioned here. And remember, the key word here is domestic.

[mijan.livejournal.com]

I'd say that Islam, as a religion, is no better or worse (and no more or less fictional) than Christianity. I think that in the USA, we just deal with more Christians trying to push their beliefs directly into law. I loathe the Christian extremist who bombs abortion clinics as much as I loathe the Muslim extremist who bombs a marketplace.

[moonchylde.livejournal.com]

I've never actually heard a liberal defend violence in other cultures.

[kinvore.livejournal.com]

I've heard many make excuses at the very least. For instance on an episode of Real Time not long ago Bill Maher said we need to be stronger about decrying the sexism in Islam (can't remember how exactly he phrased it, will see if I can find it) and the panel hesitated, seeming to feel he wasn't being sensitive to their culture or something.

Okay poor example due to not having specifics, I'll look it up and post if I can find it. ;)

[kinvore.livejournal.com]

I've found a link but it includes a lot of commentary from someone, it's not just the clip from the show. I can link it if anyone wants because it does have SOME of the parts I was thinking about but let me (for now) just go over what was said.

Bill said there can be no real democratic revolution in the Middle East until it includes some sort of sexual revolution. Tavis Smiley was one of his guests and said the West has its own sexism and isn't exactly a shining example.

Bill then went on to give statistics and examples on why sexism in the Middle East is so much worse than what we have in the West. In this case I agree with him. It's disingenuous to pretend the sexism of both cultures is the same. It's not even close.

[malasadas.livejournal.com]

This is my impression of the Hon. Peter King

lookatmelookatmelookatmelookatmelookatmelookatmelookatmelookatmelookatmelookatmelookatmelookatmelookatmelookatmelookatmelookatmelookatmelookatmelookatmelookatmelookatmelookatmelookatmelookatmelookatmelookatmelookatmelookatmelookatmelookatmelookatmelookatmelookatme

[rasilio.livejournal.com]

I haven't been following the hearings (in fact this is the first I have heard about this round) and so cannot comment on them directly, however I will state that this...

"That being said these investigations are awful and hateful. I think of it this way: imagine if he held hearings on violent blacks in America."

is an example of a false equivalency.

Being black and being a Muslim are not the same thing. They are not even the same class of thing. Trying to say they are is trying to equate skin color to religious belief and no one who has ever lived was violent simply because of their skin color, there are a whole lot of people who have been violent solely because of their religious beliefs

Further holding a hearing on violent radical strains of Islam is not necessarily equating being a Muslim with being a violent radical, whether King is doing this or not I cannot say because frankly I never pay any attention to him but a discussion of violent Muslim Fundamentalism does not axiomatically paint all Muslims as violent fundamentalists.

[kinvore.livejournal.com]

It's the same thing in that it's advocating hatred to an entire group for the actions of a few. The differences between blacks and Muslims in this particular case are irrelevant.

[kinvore.livejournal.com]

trololol

[meus-ovatio.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure Rep. King can just ask the FBI or his local University for the relevant analysis, information and trends regarding radicalism.

[kinvore.livejournal.com]

But then he can't be the center of attention!

[pastorlenny.livejournal.com]

I think we need to investigate the violence being done in the name of Western liberal idemocracy.

[kinvore.livejournal.com]

word

[whoasksfinds.livejournal.com]

There's violence in the name of Islam. There's violence in the name of Christianity. There's violence in the name of nationalism.

sure, but how many radical christian groups, or radical nationalist groups are launching attacks against civilians targets around the world on a daily basis? how many have declared war on the united states? how many have successfully carried out a significant number of attacks against american interests around the globe?

you're making a false equivalency. just because violence is perpetrated in many names, does not mean the threat level is equivalent between all of them.

[geezer-also.livejournal.com]

I have to admit,I have never been able to understand why this even has to be said.

[kinvore.livejournal.com]

Which ones of any are launching attacks against civilian targets on a daily basis? I'd venture the answer is "none".

There are white supremacist groups that have vowed to kill all blacks/jews/whatever, should we judge all white people by their actions? The only false equivalency being done is by King and his ilk, trying to tie the acts of extremists to Islam at large.

[mybodymycoffin.livejournal.com]

Pro-tip: When White people talk about the problem Others, they know to use precise language so they don't betray their latent bigotries. When someone says "violent Islam", they just means Islam.

Does King really care about national security? What's he going to do about it? Beside blaming brown folks, I mean?

[whoasksfinds.livejournal.com]

When White people talk about the problem Others

why are you stereotyping white people? isn't that racist?

When someone says "violent Islam", they just means Islam.

no, they means radical islam. there is a difference.

[kylinrouge.livejournal.com]

It's a stupid and pointless hearing, just like the one he called for the community center in Manhattan. The idea that Muslims in American prisons have anything to do with extremist factions in other countries is incredulous at best, and ludicrous at worst.

[whoasksfinds.livejournal.com]

who would have thought that a major in the US army had anything to do with extremist factions in other countries.