Sharia Law is NOT Closer to America than it Appears... Part IV: This Club has an Exclusive Membership

Adam L. Silverman, PhD*

At Salon's War Room, Justin Elliott brings a report on a Lebanese American who is trying to establish a Republican Muslim club in FL.  As SST readers can no doubt imagine, this has been met with, shall we say, skepticism by some Republicans in FL (there are even more, and more inflammatory, links in Elliott's reporting, I'm not putting them here, if you want to click through to Salon and then click through fair enough).  Apparently the fear of a MUSLIM AMERICA is so upsetting to some Americans that it has garnered Governor Perry some negative campaign publicity from everyone's favorite Islamophobes and deep thinkers, as well as a Muslim running for a GOP spot in VA's House of Delegates from one of the same deep thinkers.  It has even led the Orthodox Jewish Candidate trying to hold Congressman Weiner's seat in NY for the Democrats to trail in the race, and combined with concerns over Democrats (because of President Obama) not being supportive enough of Israel has led Mayor Koch to endorse the Republican Candidate.  And what really gets me is that the guy who wants to form the Republican Muslim club indicates in Elliott's report that he agrees with Congressman West on many of his views, not just those on Islam.  That's after Congressman West sent him a less than pleasant letter, as a reply to a letter asking him to stop demagoguing on the Islamaphobia and shouted him down at a town hall meeting earlier this year (video at the latter link, as well as Elliott's report).  This reminds me of Hannah Arendt's remarks about Leo Strauss: “he wanted to join a party which wouldn’t have him because he was a Jew.”  And that's the irony in America ten years after the events of 9-11: Muslim Americans have, in many ways, become the Jewish Americans of the late 19th to mid 20th Century America...

*Adam L. Silverman is the Culture and Foreign Language Advisor at the US Army War College.  The views expressed here are his own and do not necessarily reflect those of the US Army War College and/or the US Army.

Comments

[William R. Cumming]

In your opinion, Dr. Silverman, how does JFK's formula for his relationship to the Catholic Church hold up today for other religions? I believe he still is the first and only Catholic believer elected to the Presidency!

[Larry Kart]

Good point, but that's Hannah Arendt and Leo Strauss.

[J]

'Fear', there is BIG $$$s in promoting fear. Look at all the cottage industries that have sprung up since 911, cottage industries that capitalize on 'fear' of Muslims, 'fear' of Al-Qaeda, 'fear' of the Qu'ran, 'fear' of anything Mideastern, 'fear' of Shar'ia, fear of the boogieman. Look at how many U.S. Politicians have made a name for themselves promoting 'fear', Giuliani for one some now call 'America's Mayor', just cause he happened to be NYCs mayor on 911. He's a celeb, look at how 'celeb status' has also been heaped upon those that promote 'fear', Pam Geller, etc., now have notoriety and 'fame', they appear on talk circuits, talk shows, tv news commentary broadcasts (Fox News).

Thar are BIG $$$s in them thar 'fear' hills, folks. And in particular the 'fear' of Muslims and anything 'Mooslim' is being orchestrated by a peanut government for its own political aims, that peanut government is the Israeli Government. It's political aim is to keep U.S. in their hip pocket. Just look at who they are subsidizing to indoctrinate and promote their anti-Muslim causes, and lead U.S. around by our nose.

We as Americans cannot afford to let the tail (Israel) wag our big dog (U.S.). If Israel wants to fear Muslims, that is their problem, not our U.S. one, and I say don't bring U.S into it.

Muslims celebrate life just like everybody else, just take a look at a Chechen wedding celebration for example.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5moLX2yLZkg

We need to embrace life, and stop 'fearing' what we don't know or understand.

[William R. Cumming]

And questions for the list! Is there any argument to be made that 9/11/01 represents the suicide of Islam as opposed to its rebirth? Does Islam have anything but demographics on its side for expansion throughout the world's peoples? And if you stack up the WEST's religions--specifically Christianity, Judiasm, and Islam how do they fare on the totality of the human race as it races towards the nine (9) billion mark this century?

[Matthew]

West is just creating his news reels. Do you recall when Southern politicians used to mock "agitators" and "riled up" blacks? Bilbo got into the Senate too. But it ended in tears.

Haters always fly high at first, before falling quickly back to earth. He will be embraced and then shunned by degreees.

[markfromireland]

"Is there any argument to be made that 9/11/01 represents the suicide of Islam as opposed to its rebirth?"

No, and was that an attempt at a trick question?

"Does Islam have anything but demographics on its side for expansion throughout the world's peoples?"

Yes starting with a very attractive spirituality a comprehensive ethical system and often a great sense of community.

Do yourself a favour and do some research on which religion is the fastest growing in the USA (and in Europe come to that) you might be surprised at what you find.

"And if you stack up the WEST's religions--specifically Christianity, Judiasm, and Islam how do they fare on the totality of the human race as it races towards the nine (9) billion mark this century?"

What exactly are you trying to ask here? What do you mean "how do they fare on the totality ...

Fare in what way and which totality?

Oh, and before you or anybody else asks no I'm not a Muslim I'm a somewhat conservative Catholic.

markfromireland

[J]

Yup, he will. Hater's quickly loose their luster and 'star' appeal. Just from the way West acts, he has a lot of 'bottled up hate' inside of him just waiting for the cork to be popped from its bottle. Sad that people can be so ate up with hate. Look at how hate has aged Pam Geller, she now looks like a scrub-brush that was slammed by the backside of a MAC truck. OOooow, Geller messes up one's headlights jut gandering at her.

I prefer looking at pretty scenery, not the pickled variety like Geller.

[Roy G.]

WRC! One benefit that isn't often mentioned is the stricture against usury. Islamic banks function on a much more conservative level, which in turn allowed them to nicely weather the global financial meltdown, since they were not seduced into buying Goldman Sach's garbage investments.

Over the weekend, I read some commentary that contained the interesting assertion that welfare and investment programs for workers in the United States were provided in order to make communism less attractive; once the Soviet Union fell, so did the ruling rationale for these programs, and hence, the burning desire to eliminate them.

I suspect that the fight against Islam carries the same cold war overtones of capitalists vs. workers, with Islam being a potential threat to capitalist hegemony, which must therefore be demonized and subjugated.

[William R. Cumming]

MarkfromIreland! Do not many religions and belief systems advertise that they provide:
". . . a very attractive spirituality a comprehensive ethical system and often a great sense of community."

My question if so how do they do so? The desert religions dominating western culture largely seem to rely on violence against the 'other' not what you suggest Islam uniquely provides but perhaps I am wrong.

[markfromireland]

WRC: Actually if you read what I wrote you'll see that nowhere have I suggested that Islam uniquely provides these things. I have said that it provides them.

Certainly many religions say that they provide these things and many of them do. The failure of what - for lack of a better term, I'll call the "conventional religions/sects" to do so in the many people is one reason for the spread of Islam, Mormonism, etc.

AS to how Islam meets these needs for its adherents particularly its new adherents - I suggest you ask a Muslim or better yet several Muslims, I'm quite sure that a little googling will turn up plenty of "why I became a Muslim" testimonies.

markfromireland

[Babak Makkinejad]

I do not understand why there is such a visceral hatred expressed for Islamic Law; I mean the United States has no historical experience with Islamic Law - for the better or for worse.

And some of the Islamic Law legal codes could have benefited Mr. Clinton, for example. A temporary marriage to Ms Lewinsky - say for the duration of his presidency - would have prevented that entire sordid affair.

[DanM]

Dr. Silverman,
(And all else interested in this topic). Take a gander at the graph at the top of this link, apparently taken from an FBI training manual on "Islam."
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/09/fbi-muslims-radical/2/

[The Twisted Genius]

I read the whole article and thought it was out of "The Onion." I would expect something like this to be a product of the darkest days of the Soviet Union when they said all us Green Berets were murderers and rapists recruited out of our worst prisons. It seems the FBI is an active part of Fear Inc. I would hope the exposure of this program would lead to indignation and a vigorous investigation by DOJ or our legislature... but I'm not holding my breath.

[The Twisted Genius]

PL,

Back in 1973 my girlfriend (now my wife) and I saw a movie in downtown Troy, NY called "The Spook Who Sat By The Door." It was about a black man who went through CIA training (heavy n the paramilitary stuff) as part of a token program. After being kept in a meaningless desk job by the door, he left the CIA and returned to his former social work in Chicago. Eventually he trained and led an underground/guerrilla force setting out to stick it to THE MAN. That movie was banned shortly after that showing. Even back in my idealistic youth, I enjoyed the message of that movie.

Even though we're older and slower than we once were, I hope we can impart our collective wisdom to the right audience before the apparatus of imperial oppression catches up with us.

Note to THE MAN: I do not advocate the violent overthrow of our government.

[turcopolier]

TTG

After my latest interface with US strategy, not sure that Americans are worth fighting for. After all, what can you say for a country that allows itsef to be dominated by a couple million people loyal to another country. Southerners, in particular, are not worthy of their ancestors. Perry? Sweet Jesus, look away, uncle Bob. pl

[J]

TTG,

Don't forget 'which part' of THE MAN is 'always' NOW listening 'inwards'. After the fall of the former Soviet Union, it's usefulness as a real-deal National Security tool went by the wayside, and since that time, particularly post-911 it has become a monster turned inwards on our citizenry. The only thing private anymore is the space between a person's ears, But never fear DARPA is working on unlocking that one too.

I never thought that the National Security Act of 1947 would one day become a very 'abused' broadsword 'turned inwards' on our very own nation.

[Fred]

There are some mid-west Yankees that aren't worthy of theirs, either. Sadly.

[SAC Brat]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4523519125993797655

The homework assignments around here are a bitch. Fun film, I liked how Freeman turned people.

[HS328]

I'm inclined to think that all three surveyed belong somewhere in the lower third of the y axis

[Cold War Zoomie]

Xenophobia has always been a part of our country. It's frustrating yet is nothing new:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_and_Sedition_Acts