Hate Mongers

A local reactionary blogger recently commented on the Pew Research Center study that Kathleen Parker in her syndicated column today also attempts to interpret. For them both, given their twisted logic and biased, anti-immigrant and anti-Islam points-of-view, the news in the study is that as many as 6% of American Moslems (26% of “young Moslems”) think that suicide bombings are justified “often, sometimes or rarely.” Why would anyone be surprised by this finding? I would have been surprised that such a large number approve of suicide bombings before America’s illegal and deadly invasion of Iraq, before we instigated a civil war that has chased millions from their homes; I would have been surprised by this finding if tens (maybe hundreds) of thousands of civilians hadn’t already died in Iraq and Afghanistan in the name of their “liberation.” I’m frankly surprised, given that the Christian Right in this country wants to obliterate Islam, that right now the number isn’t far higher.

And of course both our local blogger and Ms. Parker ignore another recent study, this time of all Americans, not just Moslems, showing that only 46 percent of Americans think that "bombing and other attacks intentionally aimed at civilians" are "never justified," while 24 percent believe these attacks are "often or sometimes justified." That is, a far larger percentage of the general population than the Moslem population approves of suicide attacks. But that's an inconvenient truth for the Reactionaries. In other words, in an effort to fan the flames of hatred toward immigrants and Moslems, these Reactionaries ignore the fact that apparently American Moslems are more peace-loving than everyone else around them.

This kind of hatred and unbalanced reporting is what makes our world a dangerous place.

Thanks to Waldo for the link.