I can’t look at today’s date without immediately thinking of the attacks that this country faced nine years ago. When I looked at my iPhone this morning and saw “Saturday, September 11″, my heart sank. It happened again when the newscasters read the date on the TV at the gym. And just a few minutes ago, I was adding up an invoice for a client when I realized that I had worked 911 minutes on the project.
Of course, this year feels a bit different. For one, there is a whirlwind of controversy surrounding the mosque to be built at ground zero. And then a misguided pastor made headlines with his initial efforts (he later backed down) to burn Qurans in the name of his God. There seems to be more hate in the air than ever before.
We must remember that it was hate than fueled the attacks nine years ago. And we must hold ourselves to a higher standard. It’s tempting to throw our values out the window, but it is much wiser to hold them close – even when it’s terribly hard to do so.
Nine years later, it is my hope that we’re able to recognize the lessons that recent events are offering us, and to evolve as a people to a place of greater understanding, compassion and love.
What do you think? Is America Islamophobic? Is our hate any better than that of the Sept. 11 attackers? Let me know in the comments below.
September 11, 2010 at 7:04 pm
I think your analogy is too simplistic. Here is my point – we are responsible for what happens in our own backyard. We have to clean up our own act first before we can truly and honestly condemn the acts of other nations.
Below, my defence that my point of view is supported by your own religion:
“How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
- Luke 6:42 (NIV)
And recall the parable about the woman who committed adultery and what Jesus said?
“If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”
- John 8:7
September 11, 2010 at 7:19 pm
It wasn’t DW you were calling names – you were actually defending him.
And I’m not trying to use Catholic doctrine to lecture you – I’m trying to use it to demonstrate my arguments, because the best way to make someone understand where you’re coming from is to speak their language, and when it comes to our discussions of morality, your language is religion.
And yes – I realise that I’m not perfect. I make mistakes and I get angry. And it is a perfectly legitimate claim to say that I’m hypocritical.
I guess for me the reason I feel comfortable arguing my position without worrying about being hypocritical is that I try every day to be a good person, defined by my values and morals, and what I’m arguing for is not anything that I wouldn’t expect of myself.
September 11, 2010 at 7:51 pm
I’m not an american, but I live in Europe. In my country one of the better known newspapers has started to fight against something they call “the tyranny of the minorities”. For example ethnical, religous and sexual minorities shouldn’t get too many rights, because that’s hurting the native, heterosexual caucasian man’s society and its’ values.
Roughly 1/3 of the population is ethnical minorities, 1/5 of the population are members of LGBT and I’m not sure how many are from non dominant religion. Besides, half of the population are women, who get discriminated against aswell. So to sum it all up, I bet the the christian, caucasian, heterosexual man himself is a minority! However someone should check on it.
September 11, 2010 at 9:14 pm
When you use statistics Davide, why not include a source? Otherwise they are meaningless. I realize I should just take them at your word because you say over and over you only speak in truths. And no doubt the Catholic church has the stats directly from god, Herself, but I would like to know for sure you not pulling them from your ass!
September 11, 2010 at 9:36 pm
Boy how to watch a thread go off the rails.
Is America “Islamaphobic”?
From an external viewpoint Americans individually are wonderfull, charitable, engaging people.
But as a race they still seem to be living in the embers of their own Revolution. It is almost a seige mentality. “My way or the highway. If you’re not with us you’re against us.” We all share the planet, we are all dependant on the eco-system and we are all guilty of polluting it, not only with the obvious: carbon, plastic, etc., but with streams of negative energy.
Humanity (although there is precious little of it around sometimes) is becoming the cancer that consumes our planet.
Who started what: was it Islam, Catholicism, Hinduism, the Han chinese? Does it matter?
Aren’t we all responsible and shouldn’t we each take individual responsibility for the environment we are creating?
America is probably no more or no less Islamaphobic than it was pre Sept 11 – but the information stream: CNN, Fox, Internet, the 24 hour news cycle, makes it more obvious.
One small man in a backwater parish of 50 people has become the lead story throughout the world.
“Do no harm” – the physicians creed, all of us could take a lesson from that.
September 11, 2010 at 10:16 pm
umm… bush did it…
http://vigilantcitizen.com/?p=1813
September 11, 2010 at 11:06 pm
sure there are some very gruesome, violent events that some groups that happened to consider themselves muslim caused in the past. But i hate it when people generalized all muslims as “terrorists.” Its like saying gays are all “drag queens.”(nothing against dragqueens, love them) Just because there are some gays who love to dress like women it doesnt mean all gays are the same, and same could be said with muslims. Having raised by two Muslim parents, (my step dad being born muslim, and mom converting when i was young) i have the first account experience of what many muslims are really lpke. they might seem wierd to the western society, but really they are just very devoted and have really strong faith in their religion. These “muslims” (alqueda and etc.) are just a small portion of muslims in the world. I hate the fact that all muslims are treated the way they are treated in the west solely based on these “muslims” that happened to misinterpret their religion. Yes i believe that america is still “islamaphobic,” but just based on the general reaction to the burning of Qurans these past few days, gives me hope that slowly americans are becoming more less islamaphobic over time. (sorry for the grammar/typos/bad english, its not my native tounge
September 11, 2010 at 11:24 pm
FYI, there is no mosque planned for Ground Zero. The media has seized upon the sensational appellation of “Ground Zero mosque,” but the planned Islamic Center is several blocks from Ground Zero, and is designed to serve the needs of the Islamic community of lower Manhattan, which community has existed for decades. Let’s not fall into the trap of misusing language to incite more hate!
September 12, 2010 at 1:23 am
But they are allowed to burn Bibles and our flag and everyone is just okay with it? I don’t support burning the Quran but come on, “we are all in danger.” Everyone who says this is a hatemongerer. If I burn a Quran, I shouldn’t have to fear death at the hands of my Muslim neighbors. Sure they have a right to be pissed but if they try and kill me then they are the evil ones, not me. But how many Muslims do you know who will do this. I haven’t met one. Stop making all Muslims sound like insane, murderous, terrorists.
September 12, 2010 at 3:03 am
THANK YOU!!! I was wondering if anyone was going to say this =]
September 12, 2010 at 3:08 am
Hate is everywhere in the world, and it probably will be forever. A lot of people violence will solve things, I won’t mention any names or past presidents(though I’m sure some of you know who I mean), but in reality violence only brings more violence. It may take a while for the reaction to happen but it will happen, and this is because people don’t know how to let stuff go after the proper amount of time has passed. I’m not saying that we should just let people “walk all over us”, but there have been several times when people jump to violence instead of considering their other options.
P.S: Davey Wavey…I love you and all of your blogs and talky-blogs! =]
September 12, 2010 at 3:18 am
How would you know if DW is all about love or not? Do you know him? Any of his friends/family? I doubt it. I understand that you are entitled to your own opinion, but that doesn’t mean that you should act like you know what you’re talking about. So maybe you should really think about what you have to say before you say it, or type in this situation. I also doubt that he’s doing this just for the money, he talks about what he wants to talk about and that’s his perogative. I’m sure he knows much more than you give him credit for, the things you think he knows best are basic things that a 15 year old could understand. To be completely honest I didn’t realize today was September 11 either until I woke up and looked at my iPhone to see what time it was, so it is absolutely possible that DW didn’t realize this either. If you have a busy life you might not realize what day number it is, you just know the day name.
On another note, I think DW is all about love like he says. And I believe the world would be a MUCH better place if more people were like him.
September 12, 2010 at 4:54 am
Yep! You’re funny!
September 12, 2010 at 7:09 am
hang on I need to poop this out for you..here you go: Bell-Weinberg 1970 (2 percent); Billy-Battelle 1993 (1.1 percent); Cameron-Ross 1988 (3 percent); NABS 1992 (2 percent); NABS 2002 (2 percent); FRI (3.5 percent); MacDonald 1988 (3 percent); NCIS 1991 (3 percent); Schmit 1987 (.87 percent); Trocki (3 percent); Kinsly report (10 percent)however 65 percent he interviewed were prisoners, sex-offenders; male protitutes and has been debunked, no expert hold any credit to his findings; 2000 US Census Bureau (1 percent); National health organization (2 percent); Canadian government study 2009; (3 percent); Dutch government study (2 percent); French government study (4.5 percent); Norwegian government study (3 percent); Composite United States Demographics (3 percent, including .45 percent claiming to be bi-sexual); UCLA school of law 2009 (2 percent).
None of the above are sanction by the Church they are indepentant research groups. Basically 1 out 60 people are gay. These studies also do not include teen-agers experimenting, male-prositutes (gay for pay), or prisioners.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it! feeling like a fool aren’t you? Well you should!
September 12, 2010 at 8:52 am
Thanks, like I didn’t already know that Dan.
September 12, 2010 at 9:34 am
I just read that there *was* a mosque (of sorts) at Ground Zero, there was a Muslim Prayer room in one of the towers. Which means that destroying those towers meant destroying the prayer room and whoever was praying at the time.
September 12, 2010 at 12:01 pm
I was referring to the 9/11 incident and most involving the muslim community since. I realize there have been many terrorist groups beside muslims..
September 12, 2010 at 2:40 pm
Prejudice and bigotry is blaming an entire class of people for the actions of a few. Even though one is justifiably upset and angry about an action by a few members of a group, one is not justified in blaming the whole group. I believe the greatest threat to world peace is narrow minded religion. Believing mine is correct and your is wrong and must be eliminated is behind most prejudice, hatred, and terrorism. Christians can be just as prone to this as adherents to any other religion. On the other hand Compassion/Love is the essence of all religions. Those who do not practice the core of their religion are straying from it no matter how devoted and fanatical they are about believing and practicing the lesser elements of the religion. Here is the problem.
September 12, 2010 at 3:27 pm
Just read that in the NY Times, too. Kinda gives the lie to the whole “Islam is evil. Islam is to blame for 9/11!” argument.
September 12, 2010 at 4:03 pm
Davide, YOU MUST STOP HIJACKING DW’S BLOG!!!!!!!!
Your blog must not be doing so well, eh?
You have no clue whatsoever what DW’s intentions are in blogging. But I’m sure his intentions are not for you to turn HIS BLOG into yours…..something that you should be doing on your blog!
That’s CHEAP on your part…..and a lot of us bloggers don’t like people like you. And it has NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU BEING GAY OR CATHOLIC!!!!!!
Now buzz off and leave DW alone, will ya! Unless you can stay ON TOPIC and not take over the conversation. Has anybody ever told you you are ONE PUSHY DUDE!!!
September 12, 2010 at 4:42 pm
Davide and other please read what DW has written no where does he mention Catholics or other religions and he is also not asking if the US is Islamophobic his blog is referring to the headlines of Time With that said his blog is not stating that who is at fault but that if we as a nation have learn anything from what has happened that hate breeds hate and if you a a good christian as you portray yourself to be God’s message is to forgive and learn,and to love your fellow man . that is all CW is stating Please get off your Catholic high horse no one is attaching your religion .No matter what your religion is learn to love you brother and sister the world would be a better place to live Amen and love to all
September 12, 2010 at 5:04 pm
Change does begin with us. The world can certainly use more love.
What I will add is it would be a lot more helpful if all those pointing fingers, rushing to blame, or assigning guilt could look into a mirror. Their own lives and that moral high ground may not be so close to where they believe.
Peace to you,
T
September 12, 2010 at 5:15 pm
I lived in two different Muslim countries for 7 years each, working on management projects. My take is that we in the West, and the US in particular, precipitated the 11 SEP attack: in 1948 or so we took Palestine away from the Palestinians and gave it to the Jews. This released passion akin to the Kraken. Palestinians lost their homes, land and way of life. Many were in refugee camps for generations. I am only the messenger and I am not condoning the 11 SEP attack.
September 12, 2010 at 5:29 pm
A mosque at ground zero??? I thought the US didn’t negotiate with terrorists.
I am not Islamophobic, I just think muslims are primitive barbaric terrorists!!!
September 12, 2010 at 5:29 pm
We did not take Palestine away from the Palestinians. Churchill divided up the Middle East after WWII.
September 12, 2010 at 5:31 pm
I am not Islamophobic that would mean I am afraid of Islam!!! I am anti-Islam!!! Just like I am anti-semetic!!!
September 12, 2010 at 6:15 pm
All hate is the same in my eyes.
I don’t think any shopping center, entertainment facility, house of worship, etc. should me put OVER Ground Zero. Ground Zero should be a memorial site for all the people who died on 9/11. Covering up Ground Zero would be highly disrespecful to the people who died that day. However, the mosque wasn’t even going to be built directly on ground zero. It was going to be a few blocks away, which is perfectly fine.
It makes me sad to think that if the attackers had been Christians, there wouldn’t be this kind of bias towards a group of people the way there is towards Muslims now. Most people don’t lump extremist Christians, the Westboro Baptist Church, etc. with ALL of Christianity, so why should this be done with Muslims?
September 12, 2010 at 7:19 pm
Has America become Islamaphobic? Yes it has, but why? Exactly what did Islam do to anyone? It wasnt Islam that brought death and destruction to our shores, it was a group called Al Queda (sp). A bunch of knuckle-heads led by some guy who had nothing else better to do with his time. I mean tell me, was it the Christians, Catholics, Presbyterians, and Baptist that tried to wipe out the Jewish population? No. It was a group called the Nazis, another bunch of knuckle-heads led by some idiot who had nothing else better to do with his time. America/Americans need to get their focus back on track.
September 13, 2010 at 1:53 am
If only the Bush administration had read that bible passage in considering its response to the attacks I think we would live in a far different world. These wars have merely strengthened the resolves of the terrorists.
September 13, 2010 at 3:10 am
I never feel foolish for asking for clarification on a point, I would feel foolish by not asking for it and accepting you at your word. Thanks for taking the time to back up your statement. Now if you could work on your arrogance
September 13, 2010 at 12:25 pm
America is Phobic! period!!
And that’s exactly the way the movers and shakers of the US want the folks to be, scared shitless. Scared of gays, blacks, jews, catholics, mormons, moslems, latinos, guys with foreskins, banks, the rich, the neighbor next door, the police, the gun totin’ teapartiers, the liberal-progressist commie pinkos who wanna take away the guns, the boogie man, the drug pushers, you name it, you are supposed to be scared of them! It all keeps us controlled, good little consumers who go to buy the crap they sell at Walmart to make us feel better about the sad world we have created for ourselves. The flavor of the week is now “Islamists”. It was the Russians before, next will probably be the Chinese because they have become such successful capitalists. Irony of ironies.
It’s an election cycle. The manipulation of the electorate requires fear of the terrible possibility that the opposition might take over. Slogans like, “We want Our country back,” show best that the art of divide and conquer is still alive and well in America.
As long as we can be made to think we are all separate and therefore dangerous to one another, the madness will continue. When we see that we are indeed ONE, all passengers on this lonely little spaceship called Earth, will we vanquish fear.
Fear not.
be well,
Just think, for many of us on the planet, it is 9/11 everyday of the year.
FDR said it best: “The only thing we have to fer is fear itself!”
September 14, 2010 at 12:30 am
I think Todd needs a nappy poo.. as is always the case with the so called tolerant left.. the tolerance ALWAYS ends with any that drift from the liberal plantation..
YOU are the PUSHY DUDE.. Dude.
NOBODY ELECTED YOU TO BE DW’S MODERATOR.. GOT IT?
Being incapable of discussing opposing points of view is your problem.. not Davide’s.. go back to your cheap blog and keep YOUR cheap shots to yourself.. and while your at it.. leave your hate somewhere else.. you do a very bad job of hiding it.. as it spews from your ugly pie hole.. nobody likes your elitist slobbering drivel..
GOT THAT DUUUDE?
DAVIDE ROCKS!!
Keep it up bud. Pay no attention to the leftist bullies.
September 14, 2010 at 12:47 am
Ignorance is more dangerous than arrogance.. and for the record.. stating facts that are verifiable.. is not born of arrogance… just like bragging is not bragging if you can do it..
The ignorant are always the first to show signs of arrogance. What the ignorant man hates.. is the confidence he sees in those that are not ignorant.. he is threatened by confident minds.. typically making the claim of arrogance and the ever useful claim that the “tone” is too violent.. using that as a reason to ignore truth.. “I don’t like your tone”.. is par for the course.. and justifies the truly arrogant and ignorant.. to discard and dismiss the truth..
September 14, 2010 at 12:54 am
DAN YOU ROCK!!
Keep up the wisdom.
I love reading your well thought out post.
Jack
September 14, 2010 at 1:25 am
Hispotatallie.. methinks Dan handles you pretty well..
Given your obvious contempt for the truth and utter lack of wisdom.. does make it an uneven fight however..
It’s always easy to rub the nose of a lefty in the truth he willfully ignores.. and it’s lots of fun.
Wooooo Hooooo!!
September 14, 2010 at 7:11 am
Yeah we were angry & pissed off at what that dozen or so did on 911. Then time went on and we realized it wasn’t just a dozen or so, it was more, many more. Just how many more, 20, 50, 100, 1,000, 10,000, 100,000? Then you hear there’s many out there that want to do much more killing. Does it look like the terrorist killings are going to stop? When I’m at the Rose Bowl or Super Bowl do I have to worry that I’m going to be worm fodder? Am I Islamophobic? Sort of.
September 14, 2010 at 11:48 am
PERFECTLY said Tony!
Absolutely Perfect..
September 15, 2010 at 2:02 am
My dear Davey, I understood how you feel….it’s part of the life…doesn’t meant being a muslim is bad…coz ‘this people’ are really crazy in their mind…they juz wana to conquer our little world…me, as muslim, I believe, my lord & god, that’s Allah S.W.T and his prophet, teach us to ‘love’ one another even though his or her is non-muslim…I didn’t made up story coz I know it’s stated in Holy Quran…..=) No worry, we have to be professional about this issue….and stand for social=)
September 15, 2010 at 2:32 am
Naz, take a deep breath..
sit down.
find your medication..
September 15, 2010 at 4:44 am
Jack,
You just wish to argue the same point. Naz takes a moderate muslim view and you make fun. I’ve said it before why not be part of the solution instead of trying to draw a cloak of hate over things?
T
September 15, 2010 at 1:02 pm
T, You speak of a cloak of hate that I draw over things? All I’ve done is precisely what you have no wisdom nor courage to do..
which is to simply open your eyes..
The very fact that Islam itself, by default.. has painted itself into the corner of forcing the world to use the language of “moderate”.. in order to distinguish the part of itself from the part of Islam that is in fact cloaked in Hate as demonstrated to the world thru it’s regular use of Terror, Torture and it’s free flowing blood lust.. as called for, in it’s Quran, the written part of Islam that even the “moderates” honor.
But that self identifier, “moderate” that Islam
forces the world to use..
is
it’s
own
indictment
of itself..
When did you last think to use that language with regard to any other religion? Moderate Lutheran? Moderate Methodist? Moderate Jew? Moderate Buddhist? Moderate Christian? Moderate Amish? And if not.. and you still fail to see the true nature of Islam.. then you T, are the one that continues to argue the same tired point..
which is not just dangerously ignorant.
but utterly pointless to any intelligent observer.
Naz may be of “moderate” persuasion.. even while stating casually.. “they juz wana to conquer our little world…” a fact that does not seem at all to carry any weight nor make him question himself or his own part of Islam and it’s part in his life.. except to re-affirm that he is still a true believer and he believes that Allah and his Prophet tell him to love one another.. even the non Muslim.. even as the bombs explode around him and the threats continue to the world.. and the blood of the non believers and non Muslims, the Jews, the Gays, the adulterous.. swirl around his moderate Muslim ankles..
Were he or you, care to open your eyes you would see a literal river of blood has not only consecrated the spot of the proposed Ground Zero Victory Mosque but over the centuries has become the face of Islam.
in modern times..
and in fact, from Day One of Islam..
when Naz’s Prophet, (at the direction of Allah), first picked up a sword.. to use against all Infidels or those not willing to Submit..
Neither Islam nor Naz have ever shown any sign what-so-ever, of an inclination toward changing their stated positions.. moderate or not.
September 16, 2010 at 9:03 am
Thank you
Jack for your having defended “our” friend, Davide. And you said it All “So-Well!” And Xo :-* to Davey Wavey, you Jack, Davide and All here, from, _ _ _ davvi
September 16, 2010 at 12:03 pm
Thank you Davvi, I appreciate your thoughts very much.
All the best to you my friend..
Jack
September 16, 2010 at 2:16 pm
You’re “So-Welcome,” Jack. And i concur that Tony “said-it” “Perfectly!” Xo :-* to “All” from, _ _ _ davvi
October 8, 2011 at 2:33 pm
In Islam gay guys know that they are cursed by god but not punished to death.
I’m muslim in fact, a lesbian. I know that I’m cursed by god.. But I can’t change the religion my family grow up with!