and this link to a summary of some world reactions to the controversy http://theweek.com/article/index/206393/ground-zero-mosque-uproar-world-reactions
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
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This is a blog for Mrs. Loranger's Honors Comparative Religions class
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52 comments:
My personal belief is that America is somewhat Islamophobic beacuse they are basing their decision on what occured on September 11th with, if there should be the building of this mosque.You can't judge everyone like one of the followers stated in the video based on what the terroists whom were of this background did in New York with the bomingings because not everyone of that particular faith is at fault or is guilty by the actions of others. This all goes back to the Freedom of Speech, you can't take away another citizen's right or punish them based on their faith/what they believe in or how they want to express themselves based on a tragic event that occured here,as some of them stated they do have sympathy for the families whom have lost loved ones in this tragic event and do not support what the terroists did.It is not fair to put the blame on others and make them feel like it was their fault when they are not in the wrong but of course some American's have the mindset of not caring about having equality but just about themselves making sure that everything is good for them but not as a whole. As diverse as this nation is with multiple of religions, how would you as an individual feel if your religious group couldn't build a place where you went to worship for example a synagouge...or some sort of temple because of what someone of that same culture has done that affected the world tragicaly? So, we as American's have to think about things before we take immediate action and put ourselves in the place of others in a situation and see how we would react. Also, as a nation we need to make peace as we are already facing issues in the Middle East .
I think that America is very Islamophobic. Ever since 9/11, many people in America see Muslims in a negative light, judging them by the actions of other people that Muslims here have probably never met. I feel that the Islamic Community Center should be able to be built near ground zero. America prides itself for the freedom of religion as stated in the First Amendment of the Constitution. Citizens who are against the proposal of the center are not allowing that right to Americans who are Muslim. Charlie Brooker pointed out in The Guardian that the mosque is not even at ground zero, it is nearby. In Feisal Abdul Rauf's editorial, it is stated that the main goal of the center is actually to make relations between Muslim and Western worlds. In the video, one man said that many people who practice Islam in America do not even want to be associated with the Muslims responsible for 9/11. It is unfair for us to stop a religious center from being build because of fear of the crime people from the other side of the world committed.
With that said, I can see how 9/11 victims are upset by the action. As Ian O'Doherty said in the Irish Independent, it may seem like a provacative action by the Muslims. Although Americans may beleive they have a reason to be Islamophobic, it is an unfair assumption that all beleivers of islam have bad intentions.
Americans have a very large Islamophobia. Since the attack on 9/11 by the terrorist group from Iraq, people have associated Islam with these radicals. The attacks were so shocking that people immediately tried to find a scapegoat for their fear and it became the Islamic population. It is not right for a religion to be personified. As it shows in the video there are a variety of people who practice this religion, even some whites. People were outside protesting while the group was inside peacefully having a religious service. Stopping them from creating this place to worship is against the 1st amendment right of freedom of religion. This country is known to be a safe house for religions that are otherwise prosecuted and we should never give up that reputation. I have an Indian friend who has told me that his family is always stopped and double checked at the security checks at the airport just because of the color of his skin. America is scared of people who practice Islam or who resemble cultures that are predominantly Islamic.
My personal oppinion is that America is very islamophobic. We base one horrific incident from a specific group of people, to assume that their entire country is the same way. It is very shameful of America to be so quick to judge and so unaware of the actual situation. When one person or specific group does a wrong action, we should never assume their religion, ethnicity or country is the same way. Although there are special circumstances where that action of the person is because of one of those categories, we should assume it is only them until we receive further knowledge or have evident proof.
I understand that many may find it inconvenient that the new Mosque is located very close to ground zero, but Islamic people worshipped there before. There is absolutely no harm in building a mosque in that location. That religion is not to blame for the incident, and should be allowed to be located there.
I definitely think that there is a part of our population that is Islamophobic, but I don't know if it's fair to say that we are an Islamophobic Nation. There are definitely people who have expressed hatred towards Muslims because of the 9/11 attacks, but as the students said in the featured video, just because someone is Muslim, does not mean that they are associated with terrorists, and Muslims don't want to be associated with terrorists. Just because someone is American does not mean they are against Islam. This controversy is fueled by stero-types being thrown back and forth. The pastor in Floridia, for example, who wanted to burn Korans, had a small parrish, and the media played a huge role in the spread and escalation of that story. While there is a number of Americans who are against the mosque near ground zero, there are also just as many people who are supportive of the idea. I also feel like controversies like this can be related back to our country's history of racism, and other forms of intolerance. The only way to end intolerance is for individuals to come together and take leaps towards change. I think the mosque is a big step towards change in our country and the end of racial and religious discrimination.
I think that America is Islamophobic. Many Americans believe everything they hear in the media, which tends to be incorrect information. In my opinion, the media is the main reason why Americans think that Muslims are violent extremists. After the September 11th attacks, people have been terrified of Muslims. Americans think that the actions of a few radical Muslims portray the whole religion. In his article, Feisal Abdul Rauf says that they're building the Islamic Community Center to "strengthen relations between the Western and Muslim worlds and to help counter radical ideology." He also talks about how Muslims must work together to promote peace and the true understanding of the Muslim faith. Undoubtedly, Muslims have every right to build a Mosque where ever they please. This is protected by our First Amendment rights. Even though the community is two blocks from Ground Zero; I believe that building a Mosque in that particular area is controversial. However, if Muslims want to build the community center there, they have every right to do so. Haroon Siddiqui says that the building over the 'Ground Zero Mosque' is "free of facts and logic and unapologetically exploitative of emotional issues." Hal Goodman says "There is no logical argument why peaceful and law abiding American citizens of the Muslim faith can’t have a mosque near Ground Zero." The Muslims building this community center are Americans and that means they are guaranteed their rights as well. In the video clip, we can see that sixty-one percent of Americans don't want the community center to be built. This is an alarming percentage of people. Also, the video says that six hundred people gather on Fridays to pray. How can you deny six hundred people their First Amendment rights?
I think that a significant portion of America has tendency to be Islamophobic. Based on the media now a days, incidence of violence that occurs by small groups can influence people's opinions in a negative way. With the attacks on 9/11 and attacks by Al Qaeda have caused Americans to become fearful of Muslims. Certain Americans believe that from these tragic events caused by a few Muslims that all Muslims are responsible. Based on the article, Muslims said that the mosque was to bring peace and hopefully more understanding of their faith. As a country based on Freedom of Speech and Religion, they should be able to have a place to worship where they feel save.
I do believe that many Americans are Islamophobic. However, I do not think that these people represent our country as a whole, so it is not fair to say that America as a country is Islamophobic. This generalization is the same thing facing many practicing Muslims in our country and around the world. Many Americans believe Muslims to be a violent and terroristic group of people. As seen in the Time video, students practicing at the Park51 site do not associate themselves with the terrorism that has taken place by a select group of people practicing their faith. In the same way, I don't believe it is accurate to say that America is Islamophobic, even though there are many Americans who do possess an irrational fear of Muslims and Islam. I believe that the people opposed to the building of the Cordoba Islam Community Center are being stereotypical and irrational. First off, the center would not serve as a mosque, but as a location for people of all religions to congregate and worship their idea of God. The center’s hope is to better the relations of different religious groups. Furthermore, the people who are against the building of this center probably would not protest the building of a church or temple in the same area. Islam is not the only religion that has had groups that use violence as a way to express ideas. Christianity also has these groups, such as the white supremacists of the KKK. In conclusion, I believe many Americans are Islamophobic, but the country as a whole is not represented by these individuals.
I believe America is very Islamophobic. Of course not every person in this country is Islamophobic, but I feel as though the majority is. A lot of it has to do with 9/11 and it's not fair to the Muslim people that they are being judged so quickly because of this incident. Not all Muslims were involved and it's terrible to have our country assume that they were. We shouldn't have a negative look towards these people that came to a country that has the right to practice any religion. With the Islamic community center near Ground Zero, this Islamophobia is becoming more evident. Rauf's article says that the whole point of the community center, is to bring people from the West and Muslims together. Not to create more tension and hatred towards this religion. In the video, the Muslims explain that they did not have anything to do with the attack and that when people think of Muslims they also think of 9/11. Americans have to stop putting these two together. With that said, I believe that having the community center there is a good idea and will hopefully make others view Muslims with a more positive outlook.
It's not fair to generalize an entire country, however, I think that there is a good percentage of people in America who truely do not trust Muslims. This is mostly due to the fact that they don't understand their religion.
The fact that many Americans don't trust Muslims is also partly the fault of the media. When the attack of 9/11 occured, the media made it seem like it was the fault of Islam and that Muslims everywhere were in favor of the attacks. This, in my opinion, is horrible, since many Americans of the Islamic faith were also killed in the 9/11 attacks. The media is also making the 'Ground-Zero Mosque' sound much worse than it is, since (as said by Charlie Brooker in the Gaurdian) 1)it will not be located at Ground Zero, and 2) it will not really be a mosque. The people in charge of this project want the 'mosque' to be a place where people of all faiths can come and worship whichever God they want to.
I compare this to another religion in America. Because of a sect of Mormon extremists, many Americans tend to look badly upon Mormons. This was amplified when Jon Krakauer wrote a book on those extremists and made all Mormons look bad, when really that group of extremists had been banned from the church of the Latter Day Saints years earlier. Likewise, a small group of Islamic extremists attacked America and now many Americans consider it the fault of all Muslims.
I think this whole thing is really sad and that people should try to be more understanding of other people's religions. All this blind hatred makes America look really bad and shows that many have forgotten that America approved of freedom of religion before we were even a country.
After September 11th many Americans were frightened and used the Muslim people as scapegoats; calling them all terrorists and blaming them for the attack. Instead of realizing that it was just a few people, Muslim people were blindly accused for the terrorist attack. Americans are very islamophobic due to the fact that everywhere Americans are frightened of anyone that looked like they were from the Middle East. Now when a mosque is trying to be built near ground zero, many Americans are against it. The mosque is supposed to be a symbol of peace and harmony and a place where people of all religions are welcome. Even with these ideals in mind, some Americans do not want the mosque near ground zero. This is definitely a sign of Islamophobia because if it had been a different religious center there wouldn’t have been as much controversy. Instead of blaming the terrorist attack on all the people who are Muslim, Americans should try to rebuild relations with them and accept the mosque by ground zero.
I think that America is Islamophobic. Not every American is, but the group that is Islamophobic paints the picture of America as a whole. Many Americans associate Islam with violence because of 9/11 and other terrorist acts. But what many Americans don't realize is that many terrorist groups aren't Muslim. The Constitution allows freedom of religion, so this community center that also allows Muslims to pray there shouldn't be such a big issue. The center is supposed to be a place where people of all faiths can go to worship, its supposed to be a place to bring people of different faiths together. Many Americans don't see it as this, rather they see it as a potential danger. In the video, the people who were interviewed said they didn't even want to be associated with the terrorists who caused 9/11 and the terrorists who tried to do other violent acts. The Muslims of New York, and all over the world, don't represent the smell few who are anti-American and the small few who carry out such acts of violence. Many Americans aren't Islamophoboic, but the ones who are aren't a fair representation of America as a whole.
I think making broad, sweeping generalizations is always more harmful than helpful, because it prevents people from appreciating the nuance of an issue. Which is the case whether the broad generalization is “America is Islamophobic” or “Islam is a violent religion”. It’s misleading to think of America as a single entity, or Islam as one very specific mindset without variation.
There are certainly Americans who are Islamophobic. And they do make themselves heard. But they are by no means all of America. According to the video clip, more than half of Americans would not mind or even encourage a mosque being built in their neighborhood. They’re certainly not Islamophobic.
I guess I think “Is America Islamophobic?” is a poor question to ask, because answering it forces one to make a generalization one way or another and leave out the evidence for the other side. Which is essentially the same problem as thinking that since the September 11th terrorists were muslims, all muslims are terrorists.
Just to be safe, I’d like to add that, in my experience, Americans are not very Islamophobic. But that could be because I live in Carrboro, where everyone hates the media and does their best not to believe anything it tells us.
-Cat McKeown, 7th period
There are people in America who are extremists, yes, however the entire country is not Islamophobic. There were people who were afraid after 9/11 and needed to use muslims as a scapegoat, but now many are realizing that it was wrong to blame an entire group on something that does not represent their values. Just as there are radical and extremist Muslims, there too exist extremist Americans. I am not one of these, and I don't know very many who are extremists against Islam. Therefore, I don't think America as a whole is Islamophobic. It isn't fair to say that when most of us do not have a problem with it.
I think it's a shame that we have so much controversy surrounding it, considering we were a country founded upon the concept of "freedom of religion".
I believe that some Americans are Islamophobic to a certain degree. Some of the reasons I believe that to be true, are because Muslims would like to build the Cordoba House near the World Trade Center. The majority of the families of 9/11 are opposed to it, as are others. They feel it would be an insult to those loved ones, who lost their lives due to Muslim fanatics. They simply went to work that morning and never returned home. People tend to criticize or punish groups for one's wrongdoing. For example, the Muslims are equated to al-Quida as the Germans were to the Nazis. The Germans were paying restitution to the Jews for what the Nazis stole from them during WWII. Should the Muslims be paying for what al-Quida did to the families of the people who worked in the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and Shanksville, PA? However, the other perspective would be that the Muslims would build Cordoba House and give them a place to worship. It would also be open to all religions. Muslims feel this would be a way for them to grow and build an understanding among different religions and cultures. This would also strengthen relations between Muslims and the Western world. Is the property value high or low to rebuild near the World Trade Center? Should this be an incentive? One thing is for sure, a family friend (56-years old) was working at the New York Stock Exchange when the airplanes crashed into the Twin Towers. They evacuated the area and she had to take a ferry to New Jersey. Ever since that day, she has had one illness after another. Now, she must walk around with an oxygen tank everywhere she goes. She can only eat foods that are organic with no artificial flavoring or colors. When she eats something that doesn’t agree with her, she has an attack where her throat closes up and she cannot breathe. I witnessed it first hand when we visited her in New Jersey this past Christmas. This is no way for anyone to live, especially since they all were innocent bystanders.
American is not Islamophobic, but there is an enormous population of Muslims in American today. Regarding the 1st amendment, freedom of speech, many cultures tend to migrate to American due to fact of religious freedom. Although American was founded on Christianity, we still obtain that faith, it just that nowadays there is a super abundant amount of faiths present in America, that Christianity has taken a back seat. My personal opinion on building a mosque in that particular location seems inconvenient to 9/11 victims, however Muslims have worshipped there before, so why not continue. Honestly, I would not allow this at all. I’m a Christian our job is to spread the gospel, but referring back to the 1st amendment, one can’t tell another in what to believe in. In reality it seems we are very hypocritical on that statement, because of 9/11 we have embraced the stereo-type that all Muslims are destructive. In the video many stated they don’t affiliate themselves with what happen, which is reasonable because you can’t blame others who weren’t apart. Overall, I think we should just go ahead and build the mosque, just to show others how America is founded on freedom of religion. In a sense, is not being Islamophobic, simply due to the fact that Christians serve a God that allows you to have the ability to have free will (unlike other Gods) which is related to the establishment of “freedom of religion”.
“Free will is freedom of religion”
I believe America is Islamophobic. The reaction to the Muslim community center is direct evidence of that. Many Americans are still ignorant of the fact that Islam was not responsible for 9/11. Yes, it is true that not all Americans have negative feelings towards Islam, but I think America in general can still be considered Islamophobic because even those who know the truths about the faith cannot be comfortable expressing them in America. The subject of Islam has become so controversial that when talking about it every word has to be handled and chosen extremely carefully. That, to me, is fear and therefore, Islamophobia. The Muslim faith actually teaches a lot about peace. Americans don't see that because they have stereotyped an entire faith based on the actions of one radical group that happened to call themselves Muslim. Islam is not al-Quida.I think that America's Islamaphobia has made people forget who we are and what we are supposed to represent. Like in the video, the Muslims attending the center are Americans, and the protesters are trying to rob them of their right to practice their religion, which is evidence of Islamaphobia. Fear has made many Americans willing to bend the Constitution. In my opinion that is what makes the Islamaphobia so obvious. The circulation of false information and people's tendency to fear what they don't understand is what causes things like this. Until people become informed Islamophobia will remain an American reality.
I think a lot of our population is Islamophobic. There have been many people who have expressed hatered to all Muslims because of 9/11 because peopel believe that all Muslims are associated with terrism, but like the video states that not all are like that. But American do not like what they do not believe in and many people know nothing about Islam. That creats fear which leads to hate. And the media only expresses negative aspect of idivduals which creats more fear. But i believe that the Mosque should be built for hopefully it can help creat peace and understaning of Islam. And until people are more informed of this religion Americans will remain Islamophobic.
I would have to say that yes, I do believe that America in general is Islamophobic. Although many people have their different opinions when it comes to this topic and question, I think that by how most of the Americans are acting towards the Islamic prayer center near ground zero speaks for itself. Americans are lined up outside the mosque protesting. Statics say that 61 percent of Americans do not want Muslims to pray only a few blocks from ground zero. Many citizens throughout the United States are connecting the terrible tragedy of 9/11 to the Islamic religion and culture. Because of how 9/11 negatively impacted the US, it left a residue of hate towards the Islamic culture. Although the terrorists who caused the act of 9/11 were of this back round I think it’s unreasonable and unfair to group every Muslim in that way. Muslims are very hurt, angry, and upset at how the majority of Americans are treating them, epically when entering and exciting the mosque near ground zero. I think Americans are mostly scared of and by the practices and the people who celebrate the Islamic faith.
Yes, what happened on September 11th was a horrific event that Americans will never forget but it’s not right to protest the peaceful intentions of the Islamic faith. I can see why this is causing a lot of controversy throughout America, but I think some of it might be the medias inflammation of the subject. In the video provided it states that by having the diversity in the mosque they can only hope that many “Americans can differentiate between the Islam that they practice and the distorted views of terrorists.” I think many of the American citizens should realize the difference between the two, and discontinue grouping the two together as one.
-Jess Young 7th period-
I believe that the United States has become an Islamaphobic nation. I think that the reason our nation has an overall hostility towards the religion is a direct effect of the events that occured on September 11, 2001. Even though most Muslim's do not have any correlation with terrorist groups, the media and stereotypes has forced the two groups to be associated with one another. The events that occured on 9/11 have scarred this nation and others around the world, and unfortunately muslims have often been the ones wrongly blamed for the tragedy. One time somebody said to me, "Did you know President Obama is Muslim? That pretty much means he's a trained terrorist." I think this person's misunderstanding was largely due to the media's biased portrayal of muslims, similar to what Ata stated earlier.
Feisel Abdul Rauf made many points that convinced me as to why the Cordoba House should be built. It will, "Cultivate understanding among all religions and cultures." This is important because it will encourage people of various religious backgrounds to be accepting and educated on Islam and other religions. Also, the project will encourage ways for muslims to adapt their religious practices to the western world, making it easier to maintain their backgrounds outside of the muslim world.
The building of the Cordoba House will promote a less "Islamaphobic" nation, which has become an increasingly larger problem since the events that took place on September 11.
In my personal opinion, America is not a islamaphobic nation. That is not to say that there isn't a large population of Americans that are terrified of muslims. Unfortunately that population is extremely outspoken in the issue of the islamic community center in New York. Many people associate the tragic events that occurred on 9/11 with Islam in it's entirety which shouldn't be the case. The United States, in it's purest form of ideology, fundamentally supports the freedom of religion, speech, etc. Any person who is racists, intolerant or sexist, is not embodying the American way.
In my opinion, I do believe America is Islamophobic because of what happened on September 11. They have a high intolerance towards the Muslim community and are always connecting the tragic event to them. I believe that people are very ignorant towards the facts and they need to realize that just because someone is muslim doesn't mean that they aren't welcomed in our society. Muslims in America have the same rights as we do and are free to practice their religion. People are always quick to judge and it's not fair to someone and I believe that it does hurt the way we are viewed.
I think that the United States is very much Islamophobic. Although the attackers of 9/11 may have been muslim, that dosen't mean the the whole religion is based of terriorism. Infact the muslims from the video said they didnt want to be compared or even associated with them. The community center is not only a place for muslim worship, being that this community center is setting a diversity of religions to pratice and pratice freedom of worship.
America is extremely Islamophobic. I think that part of the reason for this is ignorance and lack of good solid information. After 9/11 we were shocked at what happened and needed a scapegoat. We now associate people of the Islamic people with terrorists. If Americans could get good accurate information about Al-Queda and Muslims I think we could realize the mistakes we have been making every sense those planes hit the towers. People just need to open those ignorant eyes of theirs and see the world in a different pair of shoes. We all would get along better no matter what religion or country we belong to.
To begin, I find the question of America’s Islamophobia to be rather unfair a query. Grouping all Americans into one mindset is as repugnant as assuming that all Muslims think alike. There are many different kinds of people inhabiting this country and with that comes innumerable convictions. It is entirely impossible to tell what “America” thinks because America represents incalculable diversity. It is irresponsible to paint our country as being of one mindset. Upon meeting those of other nationalities, I loathe the thought of being considered as an “American” instead of simply a person. We would do well to extend the same courtesy to others.
Having addressed that, I found the lack of clear information regarding the nature of this religious center troubling. The article by Feisal Abdul Rauf article made this much clearer, but had I simply read the articles published by other sources, I would never have known that the proposed “mosque” is considerably more. It seems this dust has been stirred largely by the sloppy, inaccurate coverage on the part of the media. I feel confident that far fewer citizens would object to the center if they understood it more clearly.
As for the issue of Islamophobia, I was shocked by the substantial percentage of Americans who find the center to be in poor taste. Muslims are no more responsible for the events of 9/11 than Jews were responsible for Germany’s poverty post World War One. I often forget how very different other parts of the country are from the Carrboro bubble, but it would seem as though many Americans view Islam through a narrow and clouded lens of fear. Muslims have every right to worship wherever they please. To suggest they should hang their heads in shame for tragedies for which they bear no responsibility is a tragedy itself. There is nothing more un-American than ignorant intolerance. These people want only to be able to worship openly in a welcoming environment.
I wouldn't say that America is Islamophobic, but a big majority of the American population is. Today, many people associate a Muslin person with the terror attacks on 9/11. Like the woman said in the video, the Muslims who are part of the New York community aren't responsible for the crimes that happened on 9/11. These Muslims don't want to be associated with the group who were part of the attacks. In "Building on Faith", Feisal Abdul Rauf states that the Cordoba House wants to improve the relationship between the Western and Muslim worlds. The Cordoba House will also have separate prayer spaces for not only Muslims, but Christians, Jews, and other faiths. The First Amendment allows freedom of religion, and these American citizens who are Muslim are not getting all of their right. I think that this center should be built because the Muslims are not being treated fairly and should be able to pray in a place that is peaceful and doesn't have a lot of people outside protesting their worship place. The article also said that this center will also include a multifaith memorial dedicated to the victims of the 9/11 attacks. A lot of people seem to think that the Cordoba House is only for Muslims to worship, but it's not. It's a place that will hopefully help religions peacefully understand each other.
I think for the most part America is not islamophobic. Although there are always people discriminating against someone, or some faith ect. Just like during WW2 or the cold war when people were bitter twords germans and russian, people have feelings of hostilaty twords people of the islamic faith after 9/11. ( witch is wrong) But i do not belive there are many that feel that way. I belive most people are completly on borad for a mosque to be built in NYC, or anywhere. but the problem is that it is very close to an area that is highly sensitive. I dont think most people think of this situation as an act of discrimination, but one of respect and sensitivity.
I do not believe that there is a single correct way to represent the views of individuals in America. To say that America as a whole is Islamophic is essentially incorrect. With that being said, I do not believe that Islamophobia is necessarily a fault of american citizens, nor is it always a bad thing/a radical idea. Many tend to associate Terrorism with Islam, because many (if not most) who have committed terrorist acts have openly represented Islam(from their views). The sad truth is, that most terrorist of the modern world, do in fact claim to represent Islam. And the reason behind the assumption that Islam and terrorism is connected, is based on several weak facts that have been manipulated and exaggerated by the media. Again, this is not a fault of American Citizens, but a wrong doing by the local/national media. Due to the nature of society and the way the world is today, creating a sense of equality while providing safety is a challenge. An observation that I have made about the media and terrorism is that they gain their power from one thing. The reaction of the viewers. It is important that citizens recognize the facts and react in a way that united them, rather than divides them amongst each other based on background.
I think for the most part America is not islamophobic. Although there are always people discriminating against someone, or some faith ect. Just like during WW2 or the cold war when people were bitter twords germans and russian, people have feelings of hostilaty twords people of the islamic faith after 9/11. ( witch is wrong) But i do not belive there are many that feel that way. I belive most people are completly on borad for a mosque to be built in NYC, or anywhere. but the problem is that it is very close to an area that is highly sensitive. I dont think most people think of this situation as an act of discrimination, but one of respect and sensitivity.
I do not think that America as a whole is Islamophobic. There is deffenently a portion of America that could be classified as Islamophobic, but not the majority. I agree with The Guardian, the U.K. newspaper which said that the media had failed in portraying the entire situation. I feel like it could be very easy to be misinformed, and all you know is that there is a mosque that is going to be built near ground zero. If that was all you knew and you associated them in some way to radicals then I can understand how the person could be very upset. I feel like if the media gave a more accurate portrayal of the situation then there wouldn't be wide spread Islamophobia, and people might be more concerned with the rights of everyone. However there will always be radicals on any side of a debate.
I do not think America is "Islamophobic", whatever that means. I think a lot of Americans are stereotypical toward Muslims and especially those of Middle Eastern descent mainly for 9/11. Since all of these people are Islamic, people choose to associate the religion with terrorism. While these stereotypical people are "afraid" of these people, I do not believe they actually fear the religion Islam. However, whoever does fear the religion Islam should not even be discussed about for the reason they are probably stupid/ignorant and have no idea what Islam is.
ok sorry this is a little late...
i feel like America is Islomophobic because of what a lot of other people said about 9/11. my brother had to watch a movie about 9/11 for a class and he rented a movie that talked about the conspiracies on the background of that day. It talked about how the US planned the attack on ourselves and used this fear of terrorism towards islamic people to guide them into war easier. I know this is just a conspiracy, but there is a lot that happened that day that is very mysterious and different people have their own opinions about what happened that day. but islamic people who live in the US should not be judged on this day if they were loyal US citizens before the attack. I dont think that they have to prove themselves loyal to the US again if they never stopped being loyal in the first place, it was just this one group of islamic people that are very powerful. But overall i would say that America is Islomophobic.
America as a whole is not entirely islamophobic, but many people are. As the articles showed, there were those who didn't believe that it was a bad thing, but there were also those that did.
There are many people in America that are clearly Islamophobic, but as a whole I don't think America is Islamophobic. There are so many Muslims in America that if we were truly islamophobic then they wouldnt be here, we would've kicked them out already. I can definitely say that there is a huge portion of Americans who are Islamophic, but I also feel like a majority of the people who are Islamophobic only feel that way due to ignorance. They probably don't know enough about the religion, and just have previous judgement of Islam because of 9/11. Also, many people aren't even aware of this issue, and I dont think it would be fair to classify America as a whole as Islamophobic.
I think that American is Islamiphobic because in the Time video it showed statistics of how many people opposed the islamic community center near ground zero. there are a lot of organizations and government officials that are trying to help the US become more open and accepting to the islamic religion. President Obama was in favor of building this center and i think that more people will accept this project because of his approval. Most people are 'islamiphobic' because of 9/11. I think that most people who are 'islamiphobic' for this reason are ignorant and have yet to learn or accepted the fact that every religion has extremest groups. People need to learn that there is no need to blame an entire religion for the acts of one extremest group. I think it is necessary to build this center so it will push people to lean to accept these people and understand that our country was build on the idea of freedom of religion.
I think a large part of America is definately Islamaphobic. If they weren't would they have to designate specific places where Muslims feel safe? They should feel safe practicing they're religion anyywhere just as a Chritian. The 9/11 and Al Queda attacks have just caused many people to view all Muslims in a bad way even though it was not even a significant percent of Muslims responsible for those attacks. To be honest I've caught myself making a uneccessary joke about a random Muslim who I do not know being a terriorist and I'm pretty sure most of us have or at least have friends who have. I bet now that the question is being brought to our attetion many of us feel bad for those comments. The statistics from the Time Magazine video just supports the idea that America is Islamaphobic and it's kind of sad in my opinion.
-Yachi Noel
America is most definitely Islamophobic. The thing is though it's not really the religion people are "afraid" of, it's anyone who looks like a "terrorist". For instance you could have some American who's technically "white" but if they have dark skin, dark hair and a beard, people will assume that they are a "terrorist". The only reason Americans have this fear of islamic people is because the majority of them look like the stereotype of a terrorist. If they met an islamic person who looked like a ginger, they wouldnt be prejudice against that person.
I believe that America is very Islamophobic, because i believe that most americans think of the event that happened on 9/11 when they think of Islam at all. This influences them and makes them more fearful of the muslims. America is so quickly to judge, which i personally don't think is fair. I understand that what happened on 9/11 was horrible, but Americans need to not always be so quick to jump to conclusions when they read something in the newspaper or a magazine. It is very unfortunate that the new Mosque is located very the outskirts of ground zero. MY personally opinion is that people shouldn't worry about it. This being built is no harm to anyone and it is just a religion and a place for Muslims to practice. I believe that this religion should not have a bad name by the Americans and they shouldn't be blamed for previous events.
I believe that America is very Islamophobic, because i believe that most americans think of the event that happened on 9/11 when they think of Islam at all. This influences them and makes them more fearful of the muslims. America is so quickly to judge, which i personally don't think is fair. I understand that what happened on 9/11 was horrible, but Americans need to not always be so quick to jump to conclusions when they read something in the newspaper or a magazine. It is very unfortunate that the new Mosque is located very the outskirts of ground zero. MY personally opinion is that people shouldn't worry about it. This being built is no harm to anyone and it is just a religion and a place for Muslims to practice. I believe that this religion should not have a bad name by the Americans and they shouldn't be blamed for previous events.
I don't think it is fair to call americans islamaphobic. With the situation in new york at park51 I think that although 9/11 happened a few years back, it is still a raw wound and the community center, while being constitutional, is unnecessary and is basically egging on those americans who equate being muslim with being a terrorist. Those people who do make that jump I would label not as islamophobic, but uneducated, largely in part to the poor job of the partisan media in reporting on this situation. I can also see that the building of the community center might help sooth the wound by proving that not all muslims are terrorists, but I believe that it is too soon to try.
I think a large portion of American is Islamophobic. America is suppose to be a place where everyone can be free. By the way Americans act now, it's obvious that's not the case. Most Americans are very quick to judge and thats exactly what they did. After the actions of 9/11 had taken place, most Americans judge every Muslim they see. I can't tell you how many comments I've heard about a Muslim blowing something up when they are simply doing something innocent like just walking by.I can't say that I'm not guilty of making a few myself. Muslims should be allowed to do anything Christians or any other religion are allowed to do when it comes to practicing their religion but they're not. America was bulit on freedom of religion but it's obvious we don't always practice what we preech.
I personaly believe that we as a country are extreamly Islamophobic. For most Americans its not something that we would want to admit too. but its deffentaly true. If you are getting on a plan with someone whereing a trubin its imposable not to pass judgement and be a little scared i know i personly do that even though i know i shouldnt. Before 9/11 things werent as drastic i dont believe but i know jugment was still probaly passed on many people just because they were diffrent than eachother. But now after 9/11 everyone thinks that each muslim that they see could be a terriost, and are instantly afraid of them. Witch i think is the real problem for all of us . i think that being scared of a person just based on how they look is one of the worst problems in america. But also will be the hardest to change about ourselfs.
I think that yes some people in American are. There was the man if Florida that wanted to have the book burning. People are making a huge deal out of the mosk being build next to ground 0. To me i don't see a problem because it was not that Islams that did that it was the tarriest. I don't think that everyone is but i do think alot of people are and i think its sad because they are getting blamed for something they did not do and now there first amendment right is being taken away. I think that a way to get rid of the problem would be to teach people that there is a difference between that two and show them there is nothing to be afraid of.
lexi savelli
I believe many people in America are Islamophobic, however, there are people all over the world who are Islamophobic. It just seems to be the case that here in America it seems to be more prelavent. I think a big reason as to why America is so Islamophobic is because of 9/11, even though it is not fair that we are this way it just happens to be the case. I think people are very afraid of the unknown and they automatically assume that if one person is this way then everyone is this way as well. People stereotype others and that's what makes people the way they are. Of course, to many stereotypes there may be a small true because otherwise we wouldn't have them at all but at the same time it doesn't make them right. I also believe that it is completely unfair that people are against having a place for prayer for anyone, that's like someone saying here in America that it's not okay for someone to have a church nearby. It's funny that America is called "the land of opportunity" and stuff when we are so judgemental about people just because we are unaware. People need to realize that being different is OKAY, and it's not something that everyone should just hate because they don't know what else they can do.
I definitley believe that America has become very islamophobic. We take one terrorist attack and all of a sudden say a whole population of people are terrorists. We have many people in America that would say no I'm not islamophobic but we have many more that I believe would say they hated muslims because they are terrorists. I dont like that our country is very unreasonable with who our hatred is towards. We can hate all the terrorists we want, but its not right to hate everyone that is associated with them just because. I think that the majority of Americans have become Islamophobic, but I will not say everyone has. Because there are many Americans that very much disagree with the majority. We need to be more mature with hatred in our country!
I think that America has become very Islamaphobic. Ever since 9/11, we have been saying that a whole population of people of a religious faith are a bunch of terrorists. they aren't a bunch of terrorists, but they are people who have been persecuted by america because of what a bunch of crazy extremists did on a plane.
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