Two nights ago, President Obama gave his speech on terrorism, and in the course of that speech said something so dangerous and ugly that it stuns me that it actually happened, and it has to be confronted, especially by Democrats.
This is a real problem that Muslims must confront without excuse.
This has to be said without restraint: Collectively calling out ALL MUSLIMS as somehow responsible, in any way, for the murderous terrorism of people and groups they have absolutely nothing to do with, and telling ALL MUSLIMS that they hold a special responsibility to “confront” the problem of terrorism, is bigotry in its most pure form, is dangerously inciteful, and is the territory of the Trumps and Coulters of the world. The fact that a Democratic president has used the power of his seat to further such illogical and irresponsible and dangerous ideas is very disappointing.
Obama added to that collective calling out:
Muslim leaders here and around the globe have to continue working with us to decisively and unequivocally reject the hateful ideology that groups like ISIL and al Qaeda promote; to speak out against not just acts of violence, but also those interpretations of Islam that are incompatible with the values of religious tolerance, mutual respect, and human dignity.
Again, this is the collective punishment of ALL MUSLIMS for acts and ideologies the overwhelming majority of Muslims have not a single thing to do with, and it is ugly and deeply dangerous. These things should never be said by any world leader trying to lead us to a better and brighter future.
Yes, Obama also said things like this:
Here’s what else we cannot do. We cannot turn against one another by letting this fight be defined as a war between America and Islam. That, too, is what groups like ISIL want. ISIL does not speak for Islam. They are thugs and killers, part of a cult of death, and they account for a tiny fraction of more than a billion Muslims around the world -- including millions of patriotic Muslim Americans who reject their hateful ideology. Moreover, the vast majority of terrorist victims around the world are Muslim. If we’re to succeed in defeating terrorism we must enlist Muslim communities as some of our strongest allies, rather than push them away through suspicion and hate.
All of this is true and it’s very good that Obama said it, but it does very little to diminish the weight of the dangerous ugliness of the previously highlighted words. When you use the power and position of the U.S. presidency to collectively and humiliatingly call out all Muslims, all over the world, handing them special responsibility for heinous acts of terror that have killed and maimed hundreds of people, you are exactly “turn[ing] against one another by letting this fight be defined as a war between America and Islam,” and “push[ing] them away through suspicion and hate.” That’s exactly what that is and does.
Furthering in any way the kind of ideas that collectively blame all Muslims for terrorism is exactly what fuels the growing number of attacks on innocent Muslims all over the world. President Obama needs to address this, and he needs to take back those words and ideas.
UPDATE: Please read this letter to President Obama from an American Muslim about the speech. Excerpt:
I do not appreciate the implication that Muslims and Muslim leaders are not doing "enough." Muslims should not be held to a different standard than anyone else. I would like to hear more acknowledgement of how Muslims are speaking out.
"But just as it is the responsibility of Muslims around the world to root out misguided ideas that lead to radicalization, it is the responsibility of all Americans -- of every faith -- to reject discrimination."
The first part of the above statement is problematic as it implies several things. 1) It suggests that radical Muslims conspiring to do harm are freely roaming our communities while sharing their ideology and it is going unchecked. 2) It implies that our communities are not concerned about the threat of terror just like anyone else would be. 3) Lastly, it puts the onus to fight terrorism on the Muslim community, when in fact, this problem is not uniquely ours. It shouldn't be. It impacts all Americans, and we should equally be concerned.