As-salaamu alaykum

Welcome friends from Islamicblog It's my priviledge and honor to have you visit my little corner of the blogosphere.

Firas in the comments suggests that I'm too harsh on Marshall since "he's on our side after all" and that I shouldn't overreact since there are other, presumably less important liberties, like "like not having your phone tapped without a warrant, not having your library borrowing history tracked, etc."

Maybe for Firas, those are rights he can live without. For me, I'm not that eager to give even those liberties up. Moreover, Firas ignores the main point of my argument, which is that it's not about which liberties but whose. While government has infringed on a number of civil rights, the ones that are actually being violated are the ones that belong to Muslims.

It's not average Joe American's library records that are being searched, but Jawad American's. It's not white people's phones being tapped, it's Muslim and Arab-Americans. The FBI is trying to infiltrate mosques, not churches.

In short, I don't think you can have a discussion about the post-9/11 civil liberties reductions without talking about whose liberties are being taken away. It is by far unequal and the nation's so-called security is being borne on the backs of law-abiding Muslims, Arab Americans, and South Asians.

If I'm giving Josh a hard time, it's because he should know better. He's a highly educated journalist, who should have a better appreciation for history, since we've been through this before. Pearl Harbor, anyone?

Comments

[UmmZaid]

Hey, I agree with you. If you start looking the other way when it's a right to see a lawyer or examine evidence used against you, then you've started right down the slippery slope to looking at library records and requiring retinal scans (which, by the way, will be required of those Brown Muslim folks in Iraq).

[joe]

"The FBI is trying to infiltrate mosques, not churches."

Rightly so. Mosques/Islam has devolved into a fundamental threat of the American society. That's called treason in these parts, and we don't put up with it kindly. We don't want a Muslim way of life, a Muslim govt. Look what it goes Islamic countries... geez, even the Communists did better as a system of government.

Hence, the FBI can tap you guys as long and deep as they feel like. Today you might not be a threat, tomorrow you might get all radical and stupid on us. Understand that 95% of America is behind this whether or not they will admit it publically.

Life ain't going to be easy for you and your ilk for the next 25 years or so.

[Joe]

and btw, why should the FBI surveil churches. Come visit one, any one. You won't see us spewing vile diatribe blaming someone else for our failings. Well, we don't fail, so that's one reason. The other reason is that Christianity is about peace, that's transparently obvious. Islam on the other hand... well, that's obvious too.

And you posting like you do, don't you realize that you only provide justification fuel for the stereotyping fire... you are only burying yourself, one post at a time. We don't even have to do all the heavy lifting here... thanks!

[Firas]

Well, my political consciousness was formed in the libertarian, no compromise on privacy foundation--but like any Muslim (and any lefty), I've just felt pigeonholed into a corner by the way the debate has been framed post-9/11. That said, there is a lot to be said for a return to reason.

PS. As an Indian, it's really heartening to see a Hindu speak out so vociferously for Muslim liberties! We're all in this together after all.

[Joe]

Firas, the post 9/11 backlash may have unfairly pigeonholed you into a stereotype. However, what amazes the other 90% of America is that folks like AD and Muhaja-blah-blah (who are probably more justifiably classified as bad guys) react to this unfortunate situation by lashing out at the good guys.
They should focus their limited intellect on reforming their own community. Until Islam sincerely repudiates radicalism and joins the modern society, the stereotyping will grow, and with some justification I might add.
Unfortuntaly for their own cause, bloggers like these two make continuous apologies for Islam, blaming the west for somehow inviting terrorism in the first place. Kind of like 'the devil made us do it', or 'it was the twinkies that made us do it'.

Chronic lack of introspection is very common today in Islam. Which means that Islam is unable, for some time, to correct its course. New leaders with the strength and conviction to isolate and help us eliminate the radicals are needed. The problem I see here is that there are many more than a handful of radicals. I mean look at AD and Muha as good examples of average Muslims who have that huge chip on their shoulder. Are they representative of the average Muslim or are they exceptions?