Good article. I've also been thinking how people responded towards the Japanese after Pearl Harbor, how it is similar towards Muslims now.
I disagree that I owe the entire Muslim faith an apology. I bear no ill will toward them as a religion...and have not or will not disrespect purely based on their faith. I do not need the author of this article to speak for me....I can do it myself. I think to compare the treatment of the Japanese in this country after WWII and the treatment of the Muslims in our country now is an insult to the Japanese AND to my intelligence. AND I have a right to bear ill will toward their extreme fractions. I have a right to ask their less extreme fractions to stand up and speak while our sons and daughters are over there giving their lives to help keep us safe from these monsters. I have a right to still be angry over the senseless loss of lives these extremists brought upon our shores and many other shores in the name of their religion. So I do think, no I believe, it is fair for kinder, gentler sectors of this religion to vocally condemn and expose these fractions. o.k. now...sorry you asked? Love you tooo Tara.
No, not sorry I asked. I wasn't sure if you disagreed with the article or the fact that it was interesting! I agree with you in many ways. I think that it is important to remember that these extremists do not stand for all Muslims, but they do need to be more vocal of that.
I still respectfully disagree..I took something else from the article...I am not one to get involved in destructive threads. But don't ask me to agree with your perception of the article. I will not....NOR do I agree the with the parallels drawn with the American-Japanese and the American-Muslims. I'm not trying to make this thread to self destruct...just stuck a nerve with me...and HAD to voice MY opinion/perception/whatever.
Sorry one more little thing...I disagree with the parallels BECAUSE I felt the American-Japanese were treated MUCH harsher than the American-Muslims are....I don't think it even comparable... o.k....I'm leaving now
Ask my mother and grandmother how the Japanese treated them the three years they were imprisoned by the Japanese simply because they were of European ancestry living in China in 1941. Japan had invaded Manchuko (Manchuria) in the 30s and by 1941 were in control of most of China. The treatment of the internees, simply because of the way they looked, simply because of ethnic affiliation, was far worse than the treatment of the Japanese in the internment camps in America. The point is that nations and large numbers of their citizens often scapegoat a particular group because of fear--easier to blame something on an identifiable group than trying to sort out a couple of million extremists from the entire population of Muslims. Easier to stick all the Japs in internment camps here or all the Europeans in internment camps in Asia than trying to determine who would be a threat. Actually, my mother and granny can't be asked since they are long gone, but I can speak for them since I heard their tales of degradation, fiflth and deprivation during their confinement my entire childhood. What they didn't say was that Hitler was trying to convince Hirohito of Japan to exterminate the Jews in captivity (my mother and grandmother and many others). Japan apparently eventually agreed to do this but it was so late in the war in never happened. They were among the lucky, but still victims because of their affiliation with a group. I don't feel a need to apologize to the Islamic masses as a whole, but I don't recall every judging or fearing them as a whole. If someone has done so, I guess their conscience can be their guide as to how they respond.
I understand what you're saying Jim and I agree about the mindset of nations in WWII. Maybe I'm overly optimistic BUT I think we've evolved as a population and learned from our mistakes of the past. I think the mass of American believe the same or there would be internment camps again. I do think the Muslims owe their faith, their beliefs and their people a vocal stance against the extremists that purport to act in the name of that faith. I think to apologize as a nation says we haven't grown past our intolerance's.... and still see only black and white not the many shades of gray. The author (in my opinion) is lumping all Americans into a prejudiced, simple minded society by telling us not to lump all Muslims into a single belief of evil. I believe we know the difference...and no apology necessary. ...so which is it....have we grown, or are we as I feel he portrays us? I think he insults us by not acknowledging there are no internment camps, no segregation. I feel no need to apologize for that... Is the fraction of our population that is violent against American- Muslim not prosecuted? Are their rights not protected the same as mine? I feel no need to apologize for these either.... Sorry...will go for good this time...have taken enough space and spouted enough.
