To Sir Salman, with love

[gauchecritic]

Wold he be knighted if he stayed in Spain?

I think it was a matter of playing pretend football instead of the real thing.

 

[S-Des]

I recognized that when I lived in London. Here in the states, however, Americans are very fickle. While the majority of people I know are generally tolerant of Muslims, I still hear the occasional 'rag-head' remark whenever a turban-wearing Muslim visits the restaurant. If push came to shove, they would most likely give in to denegrating Islamic culture and belief.

I don't know how the schools around here regard Islamic holidays and such. But I live in a very conservative, very pro-Bush area, and denouncement of Islam (which many know little about) seems pretty common. It would not surprise me if Islamic tradition was suppressed in favor of Christian ones.

There was a very detailed poll recently that addressed some interesting topics, including how Muslims flelt they were treated in America. According to the results, foreign born Muslims felt mostly welcomed and were happy with their treatment. American born Muslims felt much more picked on. I can't say if that's because the foreign born were more willing to tolerate things, or that the American born ones were too sensitive. I'm sure there are plenty of areas where people have a lack of respect for them, either because of religious differences, or just preconceptions based on world events (or maybe even a general lack of intelligence ). But here, there is very little in the way of those types of comments. I hear idiots from time to time, but they pick on everyone with equal vigor.

I don't know that much about Rushdie, but he has my undying respect for what he went through after Satanic Verses. There's no way the British government couldn't have forseen the outcry over this. Good for them.

 

[slyc_willie]

There was a very detailed poll recently that addressed some interesting topics, including how Muslims flelt they were treated in America. According to the results, foreign born Muslims felt mostly welcomed and were happy with their treatment. American born Muslims felt much more picked on. I can't say if that's because the foreign born were more willing to tolerate things, or that the American born ones were too sensitive. I'm sure there are plenty of areas where people have a lack of respect for them, either because of religious differences, or just preconceptions based on world events (or maybe even a general lack of intelligence ).

Around here, I'd say it's all three.

You raise a good point, though, in that foreign-born Muslims feel more accepted than American Muslims. Maybe the typical American can accept a foreigner as having different views more readily than one 'born on God-fearing Christian soil.' Maybe it is a sense of 'they don't know any better (the foreigners)' as opposed to 'they should know better (American Muslims).'

I may be reaching with this argument, and in no way do I advocate it. But I would like to hear any thoughts regarding it.

 

[3113]

You raise a good point, though, in that foreign-born Muslims feel more accepted than American Muslims.

Two things pop to mind: first, it's not uncommon for people to be more courteous to a foreigner who moves in next door--not in all countries, but in most. Natives of a country like to show off their home, their traditions. And we Americans are very big on teaching and converting foreigners to our ways; we do have that arrogance of thinking we're the best country on Earth. So I suspect that we might be more friendly to someone with an accent who's clearly ignorant and whom we can educate.

We're far less tolerant of a person who is American, yet seems to be holding to foreign ideas rather than to ours. This is especially a problem for a kid who has strange traditions that aren't understood by other kids and their parents, teens and college students. For example, if we see a foreign lady who covers her head with a veil, we'll think, "They're from that other country, they don't know our ways yet...maybe they'll learn." But imagine a class of teenagers with one girl veiled--we might well pressure her and her family: "Why are you supporting the repressive policies of a foreign government that we're enemies with?" Suddenly, it's "un-American" rather than just a cultural difference.

The second thought that pops to mind is that those from other countries often choose to live in areas with others from their country who speak their language, sell their foods, maintain their customs etc. Which is how we end up with little ________ (fill in the blank: Korea, India, etc.). Native born Americans who go into, say, Little India in search of spices, are rarely going to be rude and narrow-minded.

Those that are born here, however, are not spending most of their time in Little_____. They're going to school, the mall, etc.,they're less sheltered, as it were, from the bigots.

Just my half-baked theory there.