Never OK To Condone Being Islamophobic
Source: The Day
By: Rev. Bruce M. Shipman, Groton CT.
During a lunch party in London, the woman on my right remarked that she was Islamophobic. I let the remark drop, but afterwards resolved never to do so again. I do not let anti-Semitic remarks pass unchallenged, and I know half truths told in a climate of fear can allow hatred to grow. Neither anti-Semitism nor Islamophobia is OK.
Just back from England, I read a column by Cal Thomas that was full of half-truths that promote Islamophobia ('Farewell to jolly old England,' Aug. 29 ). While there I followed the events that he cites in explaining the migration of 200,000 Britons. He implies that ?fear of
more terrorism from a growing Muslim population? is behind this movement, whereas English newspapers reported many were simply fed up with the climate, while the growth of crime and decline in the quality of life were also cited as reasons for moving abroad. The crimes that shocked the nation when I was there were caused by drunken teenagers who beat a man to death for challenging them after his car was pelted by garbage. Another victim, with a Turkish name and presumably Muslim, stood up to a gang and was also beaten to death. A debate about raising the drinking age is under way in Britain, and drunken street fighting is a national problem.
Before Sept. 11, 2001, bombs were set off in Britain by Irish terrorists, while in Spain it was Basque separatists who made people fearful. We separated the IRA in our minds from the Roman Catholic religion, and the same is true of Basque separatists. May we do the
same with Osama bin Laden's gang, who must be pursued as criminals without giving a bad name to a great religion. Islamophobia is not OK.
Rev. Bruce M. Shipman
Groton