DAR AL HARB / ISLAM - U.S.A. / UMMAH: THE U.S. OF A. DOING SOME MOSLEM BUTT KISSING

Large difference in treatment of Muslims in US, Europe: expert; ‘Everyone from somewhere’

KUWAIT (KUNA): There is a large difference in the situation of Muslim immigrants in the US and in Europe, and thus a distinction between the two has to be made when discussing the topic of Muslims living in the “West”, said US Attorney Ihsan Alkhatib on Wednesday. Speaking to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on the sidelines of his visit to Kuwait as part of an outreach program sponsored by the US State Department, he said “Islamic publications refer to the ‘West’ as if it were one entity when there are in fact key differences between Europe and the US.” Alkhatib, who is President of the Detroit Chapter of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), explained the situation in Europe was very much seen as one of Muslims versus Christians with the historic backdrop of the Crusades.

Meanwhile in the US, “everyone is from somewhere and the definition of who is American is broad.”

Moreover, he said Muslims were able to do better in the US than in Europe because America offered “unlimited opportunities” and it was a person’s work and efforts that defined who they were.

He also noted Muslims had “discipline and self-control”, which were values that further enabled them to succeed especially as they were compatible with middle-class American values.

The attorney noted that Muslims identified themselves through their religion and “religiosity is not looked down on in the US” as it was the Western country with the largest percentage of Church-goers and believers in God.

In Europe, however, he said there was a different relation with religion because of the “historic control of the Church over the public, and thus some Europeans associate modernity with being less religious.” This, Alkhatib said, was one reason why Muslims “clash” with European societies, but were able to integrate easily in the US.

Asked about the situation of Muslims in the US post-9/11, he said, “The Federal Government followed two tracks simultaneously: it moved aggressively against those who posed a threat to national security, but at the same time it moved just as aggressively against people who targeted Muslims and Arabs in the US in hate crimes.”

He noted that although there were some cases of discrimination against Muslims, the American constitution guaranteed the right to free practice of religion. He cited the example of a girl who sued her school in Oklahoma after it suspended her for wearing “hijab” or veil.

“The Justice Department sued the school on her behalf for violation of her religious freedom rights, and she won the case,” he said.

One fact he stated was that 70 percent of all Arabs in the US were actually Christians, and that most Muslims in the US were not Arabs.

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The United States should not "kiss moslem butt" ever...


Pertinent Links:

1) Large difference in treatment of Muslims in US, Europe: expert; ‘Everyone from somewhere’