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What
Actually Causes American Fear of Islam and Muslims?
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An ambitious 81-page document, Fear, Inc. 2.0: The
Islamophobia Network's Efforts to Manufacture Hate in America, just
appeared from the Center for American Progress, a liberal Democratic
organization. Unlike its first
iteration, in which a group with a $40-million annual budget and deep
ties to big business had the nerve to claim that seven much smaller
institutions were overpowering the country through their financial clout,
this one looks at what the alleged "Islamophobia network"
actually does.
 The
report, written by Matthew Duss, Yasmine Taeb, Ken Gude, and Ken Sofer,
makes for interesting reading. Its premise is that critics of Islamism
(1) are really anti-Islamic and (2) have single-handedly distorted a the
fundamental American value, namely a "basic respect for the rights
of minority groups throughout the country." According to the CAP
study, "the views of anti-Muslim actors stand in stark contrast to
the values of most Americans."
By dint of hard work, however, "a well-funded, well-organized
fringe movement can push discriminatory policies against a segment of
American society by intentionally spreading lies while taking advantage
of moments of public anxiety and fear." This effort "takes many
shapes and forms": a general climate, cynical political efforts, and
institutional policies. Despite some setbacks, continues the CAP
narrative, the network's efforts "continue to erode America's core
values of religious pluralism, civil rights, and social inclusion."
Those fingered as part of this network (I am one) should be perversely
proud of our accomplishment: Just a handful of individuals lying manage
to subvert a core American value – and all this with what CAP itself
estimated to be less than $5 million a year!
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The (Hindu) Rama
Temple in Lemont, Illinois, raises few issues.
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But there is a more convincing reason why Americans fear Islam and
Muslims. The news is filled almost daily and even several times daily
with bulletins from one Islamist front or another. I hardly need rehearse
the repertoire; just turn to the day's headlines. ISIS and the Charlie
Hebdo-like massacre most dominate the news, but Islamists are all the
time winning unfavorable attention for themselves by making aggressive
cultural demands (say, wearing a face-covering burqa in the courtroom),
pushing the superiority of Islam (don't dare say a negative word about
Muhammad), or apologizing for some repulsive practice (such as honor
killings or female genital mutilation).
Another way of putting it: the United States hosts about as many
Buddhists and Hindus combined as it does Muslims. Yet, when did Buddhists
or Hindus try to change the existing order or engage in violence on
behalf of their faiths? Who ever hears about them? Who fears them?
Maybe it's Islamists who are prompting powerful and spontaneous
responses through their threatening behavior. Maybe we critics are not
"intentionally spreading lies" but honestly interpreting
Islamist aggression and supremacism. Maybe CAP and its ilk should blame
the fear of Islam less on we critics and more on the Islamists themselves.
(February 13, 2015)
This
text may be reposted or forwarded so long as it is presented as an
integral whole with complete and accurate information provided about its
author, date, place of publication, and original URL.
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