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AMP Comment - January 1, 2008
Islamophobia escalates in presidential election
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
Muslim American community was dismayed at the highly offensive year-end Islamophobic remarks of one of Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani's campaign officials who told Britain's Guardian newspaper that Americans need to chase Muslims "back to their caves."
John Deady, co-chairman of the New Hampshire Veterans for Rudy, told the newspaper that Giuliani has "the knowledge and judgment to attack one of the most difficult problems in current history. And that is the rise of the Muslims. And make no mistake about it, this hasn't happened for a thousand years...we need to keep the feet to the fire and keep pressing these people till we defeat them or chase them back to their caves, or in other words, get rid of them."
When Deady was later asked if he was referring to all Muslims, he said: "I don't subscribe to the principle that there are good Muslims and bad Muslims." He resigned when Giuliani faced questions about his offensive remarks.
Deady’s chilling remarks were not surprising because he was only perpetuating bigotry and sentiments of religious intolerance displayed by many Republican presidential hopefuls. His statement is one of many from the Republican Party this election cycle that reveal apprehension about Muslim Americans' engagement in civic and public life.
Tom Tancredo (R-CO), who quit presidential race recently, has repeatedly suggested that the United States should bomb the holy sites of Mecca and Medina to "send a message to the terrorists." In October, John McCain (R-AZ) told BeliefNet.com that he would be "uncomfortable" with the prospect of a Muslim in the White House. Earlier in September, Giuliani’s political advisor Peter King (R-NY) stated that "unfortunately, there are too many mosques" in the Untied States and accused Muslims of not cooperating with law enforcement. Last month, Mitt Romney ruled out the possibility of a Muslim serving in a Cabinet level position.
American Muslims have expressed concerns about the rising anti-Muslim views of several advisors on the Rudy Giuliani campaign. However, Giuliani, a leading Republican presidential candidate, did not repudiate his advisors' remarks. His silence sends a terrible message which leads one to question, if Islamophobia is a de facto Republican Party policy?
Democratic Senantor Barack Obama's candidacy is another instance of Islamophobia in presidential race. Since declaring his candidacy for president in February 2007, Obama, a member of a congregation of the United Church of Christ in Chicago, has had to address assertions that he is a Muslim or that he had received education about Islam in Indonesia, where he lived from ages 6 to 10. While his father was an atheist and his mother did not practice religion, Obama's stepfather did occasionally attend services at a mosque in Indonesia.
Despite his denials, rumors and e-mails circulating on the Internet continue to allege that Obama is a Muslim, a "Muslim plant" in a conspiracy against America, and that, if elected president, he would take the oath of office using a Quran, rather than a Bible, as did Representative Keith Ellison (Democrat from Minnesota) the only Muslim in Congress, when he was sworn in January 2007.
Islamophobia, which may be defined as “alienation, discrimination, harassment and violence rooted in misinformed and stereotyped representations of Islam and its adherents,” has already created an atmosphere of suspicion among the fellow Americans towards the Muslims. In this Islamophobic charged atmosphere, it is not surprising that thirty-two percent Americans believe that their fellow citizen Muslims are less loyal to the U.S., as reported in a July 2007 Newsweek Poll.
The rhetoric against Islam and Muslims clearly seeks to alienate and disenfranchised the seven-million strong Muslim American community and feeds into the dangerous climate of Islamophobia.
Tellingly Muslim Americans are kept at arm's length from the presidential candidates that is affecting their right to engage their public officials. Republicans and top Democrats failed to appear at the Arab National Leadership Conference in Dearborn, Michigan last October.
Islamophobic comments from president hopefuls and campaign officials are damaging to the Muslim American community. They are symptomatic of a culture that continues to treat Muslims as suspects and not as equal citizens in this country.
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