Anti-semitic and inflammatory editorial

Subject: RE: Anti-semitic and inflammatory editorial
From: John Hardly
Date: 19 Sep 01 - 07:33 AM

"As an attorney who has successfully represented Arab-Americans in civil rights cases, it's my view we've been far too tolerant.

Arab-American and Muslim leaders have done everything possible to stand up for known terrorists and hamper law enforcement efforts to keep us safe. They defend the vilification of the West by terrorist groups, even though they live here and benefit greatly from it."

This doesn't sound like racism to me. It sounds like he is making an observation based on a professional experience---and he's talking about the leadership.

There seems to be a national oversensitivity to being called "racist". So much so that we can't even bring ourselves to make observations about verifiable differences without fear of being labeled as racist.

For instance, it isn't "racist" to conclude that an African American is probably a Democrat----more than 95% of them voted that way. If you sold elephant lapel pins it wouldn't be "racist" to avoid a black neighborhood---you would be a realist.

It's a pretty typical American (false) response to say "Oh, really? I didn't notice that the fellow was (black, asian, arab, etc) even when it is the most obvious physical characteristic.

I read the writer as trying to warn us that in his professional experience there are many among the Arab leadership in America who are not our friends, so it might not be in our best interest to confuse ignorance with tolerance.

Subject: RE: Anti-semitic and inflammatory editorial
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 Sep 01 - 12:49 AM

Well, Murray, it starts out on an entirely different tone, and then turns 180 degrees. Here's the first part of the editorial, just before the part you cited. Makes it hard to figure out exactly what the writer's position is. To my mind, the first part is quite inflammatory and shows a strong ethnic prejudice.
-Joe Offer-

---

Terrorist-enabling neighbors

New York may be Ground Zero for the World Trade Center (WTC) victims, but I live at Ground Zero for those who aid and abet the perpetrators.

Southeastern Michigan is home to the largest concentration of Arabs outside the Middle East. It's insulting for peaceful, tolerant Americans to hear every news anchor and even President Bush call for them not to physically attack Arab-Americans. While we've heard trumped up complaints that they've been harassed over the past few days, it's the exact opposite. As an attorney who has successfully represented Arab-Americans in civil rights cases, it's my view we've been far too tolerant.

Arab-American and Muslim leaders have done everything possible to stand up for known terrorists and hamper law enforcement efforts to keep us safe. They defend the vilification of the West by terrorist groups, even though they live here and benefit greatly from it. And, without question, the terrorists who succeeded last week could not have done so without the help of some of my Arab neighbors. They could not have done so without brazenly exacting our safety from politicians all the way to the White House.

Subject: RE: Anti-semitic and inflammatory editorial
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 19 Sep 01 - 12:17 AM

Sample qote from the article

"To be sure, most Arab- and Muslim-Americans are decent, hard-working, law-abiding Americans who want strong national security. Fouad Ajami of Johns Hopkins University and WND.com Editor in Chief Joseph Farah – who regularly risk their lives to expose terrorism and hatred in the Middle East, as did the late Seifeldin Ashmawy – make me extra proud to be an American. I take pride in patriotic Cleveland Browns fullback, Tarek Saleh, and moderate, tolerant Islamic leader W. Deen Mohammed.

And, besides those who died or were injured and their family and friends, my heart most goes out to the over 250,000 Chaldean- and Assyrian-Americans who live here. A Catholic minority primarily from Iraq, they were persecuted by Saddam Hussein, and now, their numbers are shamelessly claimed by Arab groups with whom they don't identify, for political and financial gain. Chaldeans are among the most patriotic, decent Americans I know. Now, because they have Middle Eastern looks and names, some may be wrongfully blamed."

Inflammatory stuff indeed ...........

Murray

Subject: RE: Anti-semitic and inflammatory editorial
From: Justa Picker
Date: 19 Sep 01 - 12:03 AM

Click

Subject: Anti-semitic and inflammatory editorial
From:
Date: 18 Sep 01 - 11:36 PM

There is an editorial today that shocked me in its tone....I will say that I am for stringent security measures, always have been, and I realize that in various circumstances they will impact some more than others and it can't be gotten around. But this went way beyond that and was not only targetting a group in general, but a very specific local group in her home town. If she has specific evidence she needs to go to the FBI. I plan to write the editor... http://www.townhall.com/columnists/debbieschlussel/ds20010918.shtml