The Muslims on TLC’s “All American Muslims aren’t evil enough. That’s why home-improvement giant Lowe’s pulled its ads from the show. The Florida Family Association (FFA) claims the show is “propaganda that riskily hides the Islamic agenda’s clear and present danger to American liberties and traditional values… the show profiles only Muslims that appear to be ordinary folks.” I guess the FFA believes the Muslims on TV shouldn’t be ordinary folks. They need to be evil!
Now, to be fair to the FFA and its leaders, I can only assume they know little to nothing about Muslims, despite their best efforts to speak as experts on the subject. But I can’t blame them too much. For years, all they have seen on TV and the news are evil and scary Muslims. Maybe they’ve seen “True Lies,” where Muslims are screaming, murderous terrorists who want to kill Arnold Schwarzenegger. Or maybe they’ve seen “The Siege,” where Muslims are screaming, murderous terrorists who want to kill Denzel Washington. Or maybe they’ve seen “Back to the Future,” where Muslims are screaming, murderous terrorists who force Michael J Fox back into 1955. Or maybe they’ve seen every Chuck Norris… ever.
Or maybe they’ve simply been watching too much FOX News and Bill O’Reilly, who told us, “Muslims killed us on 9/11.” He has also said there is a “Muslim problem,” and that “for every Muslim in the world who wants democracy or human rights, there’s one who doesn’t.” I’m pretty good at math. That’s half. That’s bad. That’s definitely a scary statistic, other than the fact that it is totally untrue. Saying “Muslims killed us on 9/11” is just dumb. Imagine if after Timothy McVeigh committed his crime, someone said, “Christians killed us in Oklahoma City.” Imagine if in the wake of the scandal in the Catholic Church, someone said, “Catholics molested our young boys.” Or imagine if after watching an episode of Jersey Shore, someone said, “Italians are ruining our summer vacations.” Just imagine.
Saying sweeping, racist things about Muslims, however, is simply part of American discourse. This all happens because Arabs and Muslims are seen as threatening, menacing, and foreign. Racism against us is just different. People avoid young black men because they’re afraid they might lose their money. But people avoid young Muslim men because they’re afraid they might lose their freedom. Someone might handover is wallet, but he might kill for his freedom.
It was as a result of this environment of Islamophobia that Lowe’s pulled its ads from “All American Muslim.” As a show of my disgust with their move, I returned $2600 worth of appliances to their store. And I was totally pissed off, not because Lowe’s was being racist, but because, as a good Arab, I searched long and hard for that good deal. And now I have to do it all over again.
The truth of the matter is that Muslims and Arabs love freedom. They line up for American visas. They have been leaving their societies for decades, coming to America for freedom and opportunity. Like everyone else, they come here for the three M’s: Money, Money, and Marilyn Monroe.
There’s a possibility that the Florida Family Association might get its way in the end. Since its November 13 premiere, “All American Muslim” has been declining steadily in the ratings, most probably because it is a show about five pretty ordinary, mundane Muslim-American families. So far it has presented a young couple going through the anxieties of having their first child (just like any other young couple), the struggles of a young woman trying to open a new business (just like any other young woman), and the story of a high school football coach passionate about the growth of his young players (just like any other coach).
Now, the last episode of “All American Muslim” did show a white guy crying when he had to give up his dog. And why did he have to do it? Because of his Muslim wife! I guess Muslims don’t only hate freedom… they hate Lassie too.
“All American Muslim” was put on TV to show that Muslims might be just like everyone else. And if it gets canceled, it will be because it actually showed that Muslims are just like everyone else. And seriously, who wants to watch that?
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Watch Amer return his stuff to Lowe’s
Good job and thank you for doing this Amer, I hope every one does that. Thank you again
Now which powerful, influential group do we think is pitting the country against Arabs? Same group icing out Ron Paul’s presidential bid? Can we say Jews own Hollywood, or can only LA Times columnist Joel Stein say that?
Amer, I understand the valid point youre trying to make about stereotypes but Timothy McVeigh did not commit the crime(s) he commited based on a religious premise. Just because he is caucasian does not mean you can equate him to being Christian. He never claimed or believed in any type of organized religion. He was an American terrorist who harbored anti government animosity and used that, along with a disturbed childhood filled with bullying, to propel his motivation for his heinous acts. The fact that I am trying to state is that he did not commit his act of terrorism citing religion as his motive. The example was not analagous. If he was a Christian extremist, it would be.
Also, you posted on the ten year Anniversary of September 11th how you are angry with America’s treatment of Muslims. But that day wasnt and isnt about anger or hatred or hating and being intolerant of anyone. That was a day not about the terrorists or religion or the people who choose to live in ignorance and treat peaceful Muslims disrespectfully. It was not about Obama, it was not about TSA, or how people of various ethnicities have been disrespected at airports. It was not about anyone except the people who lost their LIVES and the families whos lives have been forever changed because their spouse, father, mother or child is gone and is never coming back. It was about being selfless enough to honor those men, women, and children. You ranted angrily rather than using that day to pay respect or say one kind word in memory of the thousands of innocent human beings who lost their lives which is what America has chosen to remember about that day. Its not a day we are choosing to remember terrorists or a poor choice made by a few people. Not One word in that post paid respect to those souls. Not one word. As an American, as a human being, your lack of respect or empathy for those people was insensitive. You have 364 other days in the year to educate ignorant people on how Islamophobia or equating all Muslims to terrorists is wrong and how it does nothing but weaken us as a society, as human beings. All of which I agree with, however it was ill timing, the date you chose to do it wasnt about that. It was about honoring the victims’ memory.
If you have a platform, why not use it to bring positive encouragement of coexistence among people of different religions instead of Consistently posting blogs with angry undertones against, well, anyone who isnt Muslim. Or blogging and sarcastically, but really, pointing the finger and placing blame on people of other religions or placing blame on those who dont support it enough. Not every American, regardless of ethnic or religious background, suffers from Islamophobia. Not every American concedes to ignorant stereotypes. Not every American harbors or propels anti Arab, anti Islamic feelings. Not every American believes the garbage on Faux News. Not everyone is ignorant and hates or points a blaming finger towards Muslims.
I like to believe people are inherently good and can rise above bigotry or racism or anger or hatred or stereotypes and express tolerance. Denouncing someone or an organization like Lowes for something that was wrong should not be done through angry sarcasm or hatred or being ‘pissed’ or boycotting or returning their products because, really, that does nothing. Instead it should be about spreading knowledge and acceptance and informing society about why what they are doing is wrong. Not anger. Being ‘pissed’ never got anyone anywhere.
Maybe you can change the tone of your blogs so rather than challenging others and angrily defending something you are passionate about, you can instead put out a positive message and educate people who do not understand instead of alienating them by playing the blame game and propelling your belief that everyone is against Muslims. Because frankly, that isnt true, and that notion you keep propeling is just as ignorant as the bigots youre trying to educate.
The problem is bigger than Lowe’s!
The problem is that we lack the Will, the LEADERSHIP and the COHESION to act with one voice!
Moslims constitute 25% of the worlds population. Moslim/Arab countries controll over 50% of the world’s oil!
We have bigotry and division amongst our own people and every one just pulls for themselves and their identity for what ever Arab country they come from.
Why is it— that Zionest/Jews who barely comprise 1% of the world’s population and have no obvious controll of wealth, like oil, can have so much POWER/CONTROLL of the richest and most powerful country (the U.S.) and keep us all on the defensive, where the only choice we have is to write letters to our congressman and boycott Lowe’s for a day or two?
We need a unified strategy, where members of all the factions, come together, (Moslim and Chritian) to develop a plan of action, so we can go on the offensive and not just be the VICTiMS!
If losing Palestine and being made to look like we are the criminals, does not motivate us into an action of Unity, then I don’t know what will?
AMERICA (the U.S.) is now, in the phase known as, THE GLORY THAT WAS ROME! Like Rome, the decedence from with in, will cause the implosion, so no terrorism is needed, Moslem or otherwise.
It is evidenced by the fact that the best that America can do, is present those clowns who are running for President as the best of the bunch, is very telling and very sad!
We need a leader, backed by a Unity Coalision, who can take on the whole establishment, including AIPAC, and present a strong, cohesive message of Unity and Restorative Justice!
Are we up to it?
Can we come together– or forever lament our fate?
Yusif Barakat: yusifpeace@gmail.com http://www.yusif.org
I am not a Muslim . but I,m south Asian . If this can happen to a peaceful Muslims this can happen to us too . I am boycotting Lowes !
Excellent job returning the appliances to Lowe’s. Go spend your hard earned money at a locally owned appliance center. They’ll appreciate your business more than Lowe’s ever would.
Other than Islam being a religion of violence which claims superiority over equally primitive religions of christianity and judaism, I think that Arabs are just plain evil even without having the religion to prove it. Just look at the reports all over the media about torture and gross mistreatment of migrant workers in the arab world and youll get my point. The thing is, Islam is not bad by itself, but the fact that the religion is under the stewardship of a pathological race is what taints it, resulting in a horriby fashioned system of social control that uses death as the solution to all problems. I have experienced mistreatment under arabs first hand and believe me I did not have the time of my life. Those people will burn, scald, pierce, douse with acid and do every imaginable (and unimaginable) thing for extremely petty reasons (even a child doesn’t reason like that). The evidence is all over the media. The disturbing thing about it is that the arabs do not even attempt to explain away the highly frequent acts of violence against migrant workers and instead act as if they are some sort of superior beings to the immigrants (just like a mean child who likes torturing animals). So I fully support the invasion of Iran (nuclear weapons at the hands of Arabs? hell no! I will volunteer to fight myself!) and israel’s war against palestine (who wouldnt attack someone who aims shrapnel-loaded katyushas at schools?) DOWN WITH ARABS!!!