Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington hosted a Muslim Family Day on October 14. The event raised controversy among a small group of protestors, about 10 in all. The event was a celebration of the end of a month of fast and charity.
Joe Kaufman, flew in from Forida to lead the demonstration with a speech. He is the chairman of Americans against Hate, and founder of CAIR watch.The protestors held posters with bold accusations. They faced the cars driving into the theme park. Some of their posters said "Six Flags over Terrorists," and "ISNAS Dollars at Work." Most of the protestors main source of information came from Kaufman. They heard him speak on KCBI radio asking for people to come out support the protest. The demonstrators were very hesitant to speak with reporters and when some did they chose to remain anonymous.
"I am here to inform the people of the threat right in their background," said Kaufman.
Kaufman's spoke about the Islamic Society of North America and the Council on Islamic-American Relations, and their supposed connections with Hammas and the Muslim Brotherhood of Pakistan. When protestors were asked whether they new the core principle of the organizations or their mission statement, they said no. One woman actually said she was not intelligent enough to answer that question.
Jamal Kaddura, spokesman for the local Muslim community said the accustaions were slander to the organizations name and completely false.
"We are peaceful people. We are just trying to celebrate our holiday," said Kaddura.
Marwa Arakeeb, a local Muslim woman, said she was appauled by the signs the protestors held. She fealt they had no right to make these false accusations. They are preaching hate.
"I wish they could come inside and see us with our children and families," said Arakeeb.
The protest raised a question for me. If news and television stopped associating Muslims and terrorism, would society see that not all Muslims are terrorists? Would people see us as humans and in a more positive light?
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3 comments:
The problem with the media is that it does not draw a distinction between Muslims and Islamists. Hence, for an average Westerner, it is difficult to understand that Islamists are associated with terrorism and Muslims are the primary victims of terrorism.
Islam is the religion of Muslims. Hence, it should not be associated with terrorism. Islam preaches peace, and killing one innocent person is like killing all of humanity. Unfortunately there are those Muslims who kill in the name of the religion. But they cannot be considered real Muslims. Just like in every country or race there are those who commit terrible crimes on humanity, but they do not represent the specific country or race as a whole. If one does so they are actively participating in stereotyping an entire country or race.
"Islam is the religion of Muslims. Hence, it should not be associated with terrorism."
What should we associate terrorism with when people who commit it are doing it in the name of Islam?
"Islam preaches peace, and killing one innocent person is like killing all of humanity."
Yes, but it also preaches war, i.e., Koran 2:191 "and kill them wherever you find them".
"Unfortunately there are those Muslims who kill in the name of the religion. But they cannot be considered real Muslims."
If they consider themselves Muslim, we are in no position to say otherwise, even if they defame Islam by their acts.
"Just like in every country or race there are those who commit terrible crimes on humanity"
Unfortunately the number of Muslim terrorists is disproportionately large. When IRA terrorists were called Irish terrorists it did not stereotype all Irish. The sooner we start admitting that there are terrorists among us; that they do not represent all Muslims; and as Muslims we condemn them. Trying to run from terms like Islamic terrorism or Islamofascism creates an impression of Muslim unity and erases the line between the moderates and the radicals.
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