I once had a discussion with my dad about Japanese internment camps that were used during WWII. He said that Americans would never allow such a travesty to happen again. I told him that it would take only the right line up of events and the right kind of government leadership to make Americans support that kind of curtailing of rights.

But I didn't imagine it would happen so soon.

Nearly half of all Americans believe the U.S. government should restrict the civil liberties of Muslim-Americans, according to a nationwide poll.

The survey conducted by Cornell University also found that Republicans and people who described themselves as highly religious were more apt to support curtailing Muslims' civil liberties than Democrats or people who are less religious.

Researchers also found that respondents who paid more attention to television news were more likely to fear terrorist attacks and support limiting the rights of Muslim-Americans.
[...]
The survey found 44 percent favored at least some restrictions on the civil liberties of Muslim Americans. Forty-eight percent said liberties should not be restricted in any way.

The survey showed that 27 percent of respondents supported requiring all Muslim-Americans to register where they lived with the federal government. Twenty-two percent favored racial profiling to identify potential terrorist threats. And 29 percent thought undercover agents should infiltrate Muslim civic and volunteer organizations to keep tabs on their activities and fund-raising.

Cornell student researchers questioned 715 people in the nationwide telephone poll conducted this fall. The margin of error was 3.6 percentage points.

Anyone surprised by this? Anyone surprised that Republicans were more likely to favor such restrictions over Democrats? Or that the religious were more likely to favor restrictions over the non-religious?

I'm most surprised to find that those who watch more television news were MORE likely to fear further terrorist attacks. But I guess it shouldn't be surprising when you think about the current state of television news.

I find that quite scary that almost half of America wants to limit the rights of certain Americans because they are Muslim. I think it's horrible.

PEACE, Mike

I'm not suprised at this because most conservatives show some kind of hatred towards them

Let me put it this way:


If I had not had previous experience with Muslims and knew that the vast majority were not anything like what I see on tv on a consistent basis, and if I would let the imagery influence me enough, I wouldn't be surprised to find myself among those 44%.


But...


I know better

The only possible explanation I see for this, and I do not intend this as an excuse, is:

1. A set of big events have occurred, foremost 9/11, but others as well

2. The country is scared, etc.

3. The media sees a big story, knows it gets big rating, runs with it

4. The gov't sees a big opportunity, and runs with it

5. The media, displaying thosei mages, etc., in turn influences the viewers/readers, etc., and they in turn feed into it, and so on.

6. The gov't knows that its strategy has been of good use to it, so it is not likely going to do much to change it. Does anyone remember that ad with the pack of wolves? Animal imagery is one of the oldest forms of propaganda, I was just a bit miffed to see it being used that blatantly.

7. Result: an environment where results like the ones in the article become possible.


Oddly enough, one of the things I liked about G. Bush's actiond post-9/11 was that he told Americans not to hold all Muslims accountable for the act. I haven't seen a gesture like that since, nor do I expect it.



Edit: Just to add, I dont think Americans really are anti-Muslim. They're just ignorant. They're anti-what-they-see-on-TV, but that is not even close to being an accurate picture.

44% is a lot. I am friends with some muslims and I can only shake my head right now....

Ok lets get this in perspective.

Of course a majority are for curtailing some Muslim American rights, a majority are for curtailing everyone's rights otherwise George Patriot Act Bush wouldn't have got reelected. But when it breaks down into specifics it turns out only a small percentage are for specific things like registering.

And keep in mind that 39% of American men and 30% of American women believe in UFOs. So at least less believe in registering Muslims than believe in UFOs, that's not so bad.

Christ, the nation is the most technologically and economically advanced society on the whole planet, and we STILL have problems with bigotry.

I wonder how Baba and Amer feel about this, being North American Muslims.

Do you guys really believe that Europe or Canada would be any better if it was as racially diverse as the US? I don't. The US has its problems but then again we are dealing with a whole different ballgame than most of our developed nations friends are in terms of level of racial and cultural diversity.

It's probably a bit much to say that "most" do. Even this poll doens't show that.

But do you yourself support that or oppose it? Because Michael Savage, whose show you're promoting in your sig, has said among other things, that Muslims are "non-humans."

Here's the quote from his May 12 show: I think these people need to be forcibly converted to Christianity but I'll get here a little later, I'll move up to that. It's the only thing that can probably turn them into human beings. ... Because these primitives can only be treated in one way, and I don't think smallpox and a blanket is good enough incidentally."

Republican Senator Peter King said on Sean Hannity's radio show that the vast majority of Americans mosques are run by "an enemy living amongst us." He claims that 80-85 are controlled by "Islamic fundamentalists."

Conservative Sean Hannity himself has said that "So Islam is a threat bigger than what most people are willing to say publicly" in response to Republican Pat Robertson's assertion that Islam was a "monumental scam."

Wouldn't you say that kind of discourse hurts?

We are also the most culturally conservative of the industrialized nations.

Sorry, but thats totally false. You might hate Muslims, but from the conservatives I know, the people I associate with, I have seen no hatred towards any muslims. Sure, there are assclowns on both sides who are bigots etc, but I would never label any group like that. If anything, diehard Christian-conservatives think, ofcourse, that their religion should be the center of everything (I don't), but still, I don't see any of them as hateful.

I wonder who the two people are that voted "yes" :?

Actually, most of them are on the Republican and religious side, according to this poll.

I'd just love if that were true, but I'm sorry, it's not.

Why would you love it if it were true that most conservatives hate Muslims?

Well, when it comes to homophobia and racism, it is perfectly well spread. Ofcourse you will have disdain towards certian things based on religion, and the right is certianly more religous. But, there certianly are assclowns on both sides. Not just with religion. You have to admit. I don't care for extremists on either side.

I think his intention in saying what he did was that he would love to believe it was just restricted to one easily defineable cross-section of society, but that it is sadly much more prevelant than that amongst many (if not bordering on the majority hinted by the original post) peoples.

Forgive me if I have interpretted it incorrectly.

Well, that AND a little anti-conservative bias. A little sarcasm, too.

NeverMIND...

No it isn't. Homophobes and racists (in this case against Muslims) are more likely to be Republican and devoutly religious. I can understand why you don't want to believe that fact, but a fact it is.

You could also say, for example, that both Republicans and Democrats are just as likely to be anti-war because some Repubicans are anti-war. But that would be inaccurate. It simply isn't the case.

sorry but thats totally false...first of all i never said that ihated muslims....second of all most conservatives i've seen around here and on the radio....Rush/Savage callers have called in about it. They show acts of hatred towards them but they dont in fact hate them.

I would agree with you. But wait. Thats EXACTLY what I was saying in the rest of my post Yes, there ARE homophobic and racist democrats, by the way. I know plenty. My point was, its on both sides.

I said you 'might'. Because I really don't know anyone that hates Muslims, conservative or liberal. After 911, there was apprehension, and a few nutjobs (One guy here tried to blow up a mosque or osmething). But really, its very subdued now. I said might, because you seem to be generalizing that the conservatives you are familarized with hate Muslims. I don't care for Savage too much, but I listen to Rush (unfortunately) far too often. I think you might be misinterpretating him, because I don't sense much of anything hateful towards Muslims from him. IF he refers to any group (aside from generalizing liberals, which he is soooo good at), he makes note that he isn't trying to generalize all of that group. My point is, I don't know where you are comming from.

In terms of the discourse and policy, there is no difference. Whether they hate them or they just act like they do, it's still the same result if you're a Muslim. And many of them certainly act like they do. Hannity. Rush. Savage. Coulter. Lordy, especially Coulter.

It's like when conservatives say they don't hate gays, they just oppose any and all rights for gays. What's the difference if the result is the same?

What i meant in the first post i had (I worded it wrong) is that they show racist/hateful acts/sayings to them. Its obvious that they don't think Muslims rights shoudl equal everybody else's. Whenever i listen to Rush , thats bascially waht i hear.

Well, they don't hate them. They disagree. But, yup, the result is the same, pretty much. And they don't want, nor do they have to, offer them rights.