Using sport to promote Islam

The world is Olympics: the 2016 Summer Olympics is taking place right now in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Personally, I agree with those who think that it would be best to urgently change the location of the games, because of the terrible mosquito-borne Zika virus which causes microcephaly in babies of infected pregnant women, and nobody has any idea what to do about it. Of course, money and the "prestige" of Brazil were considered more important than health, so people expressing fear of Zika were just called names and the Olympics started as planned like a feast in time of plague Zika.

Anyway, I am not interested in professional sport and I hold my children's swimming teacher in higher esteem than even the American competitive swimmer and most decorated Olympian of all time Michael Phelps. Why, then, am I writing a post about the Olympics? Because some hopeless Islamophiles use it (as they use any event) to promote Islam and push it down our throats, and Prof. Jerry Coyne has written a nice post that I wish to share with you. It features Mr. Phelps and another US athlete, Ibtihaj Muhammad, a saber fencer, 2nd generation convert to Islam and "the first Muslim American woman to wear a hijab while competing for the United States in the Olympics" (quote and photo from Wikipedia). I'd add that the presence of a person looking like this in the US team is a "nice" way to mark the 15th anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001.

 

 The text below is copied from Prof. Coyne's Aug. 11 post.

"Wearing a hijab is neither virtuous, courageous, nor heroic


Let me begin by saying two things. First, yes, in Islam wearing a hijab (the head covering) is a sign of virtue, designed to prevent men who cannot control their raging lust from seeing your salacious hair. It is a garment of modesty. But by “virtuous” above, I mean, this: you’re not a better person because you wear a hijab. All you are doing is displaying your adherence to one of the world’s many forms of superstition.

Second, this post is not meant to encourage bigotry against Muslims. Those women who wear a hijab have every right to do so, and are not bad people because they do so, although the hijab is probably a sign of coercion far more often than we think. Nevertheless, it’s laudable for people to fight bigotry: the unwarranted prejudice against someone on the basis of ethnicity or adherence to a religion.

But in these days of Regressive Leftism and Virtue Twerking... people often seem to post not to reduce bigotry or improve society, but to congratulate themselves for not being bigots. Often these posts center on hijabs, and, to me, boil down to this statement “I am awesome for not being a racist. I am not a racist because I don’t hate women who wear headscarves.” (For one blatant example, see here.)

I became aware of another example from the Twitter feed of Sarah Haider, once a Shia Muslim and now, a nonbeliever, a co-founder and outreach director of Ex-Muslims of North America:

"Why should a Muslim Olympian be remembered as an athlete, when she could be a token to make a political gesture? http://edition.cnn.com/2016/08/04/opinions/michael-phelps-flag-bearer-w-kamau-bell/ … W. Kamau Bell: A noble gesture for Michael Phelps? Bell urges the most-honored Phelps to step aside and let a U.S. fencer who symbolizes the nation's diversity to have the honor..."

Here Haider is talking about Ibtihaj Muhammad, the American Olympic fencer who wore a hijab under her headpiece during competition. For this Muhammad has been lauded as a role model, as having made history, and for showing exemplary courage. But Muslim women athletes who don’t wear the hijab are no less courageous—in fact, they could be seen as more courageous by bucking the social pressure to cover your hair. What is being celebrated seems to be not Muhammad herself, but her hijab, and I’m not wholly comfortable with that.  (I do recognize that it’s also a self-congratulatory gesture by the U.S. on our supposed liberality.)

Yes, Muhammad has reported sporadic cases of bigotry against her, as has surely every black athlete on Team U.S.A., but I don’t see that as heroic. Persistent, yes, determined, yes, and tenacious, yes, but an American hero? Not to me. Sarah Haider, who speaks openly of her apostasy, thereby risking death or injury, is a greater hero. As is Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who travels with an armed bodyguard in the face of many death threats—all for speaking up against the oppression of Islam. Wearing a headscarf in the U.S. is simply not a gesture worthy of the term “heroic.” You want heroic? How about not wearing a headscarf in Saudi Arabia?

The article cited by Haider was by W. Kamau Bell on CNN, and was a plea to Michael Phelps (written as a letter to him) to make a “noble gesture,” stepping aside as the U.S. flag-bearer in favor of Muhammad in the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. (He was voted flag bearer by his fellow athletes on the basis of his amazing performances, with Muhammad coming in second. And he ultimately carried the flag on the day Bell wrote his piece.) But why this plea? To show how open and liberal America is, of course—for making a hijab-wearer a symbol of our country. And, of course, to publicly denigrate Donald Trump and his bigotry. As Bell notes in his plea to Phelps:

Your stepping back will allow this moment to become something bigger than just another opening ceremony. No offense, but right now America has enough tall, successful, rich white guys hogging the spotlight trying to make America great … again.

No offense, indeed! Except, perhaps, to Mr. Phelps, who won more gold medals than any other American Olympian.

But why Muhammad instead of, say, a yarmulke-wearing Jew (if there are any on Team USA)? After all, on a per capita basis American Jews suffer twice as many hate crimes as do Muslims. Can you even imagine CNN asking Phelps to step aside in favor of a Jew sporting a skullcap? Of course not...

And why not an athlete who doesn’t have Muhammad’s history of anti-Israel tweets, as you can see here?... (Several nasty tweets are reposted - M. M.) Is this the kind of comity we want our flag-bearer to instantiate? Is this what we want as our symbol of America? Did Hillary Clinton know about this when she paraded her own virtue?:

I doubt you’ll find anything close to Muhammad’s lies and hatred on the Twitter feed of Michael Phelps. Muhammad is simply a dupe for false stories... Muhammad has simply used those lies to gin up public hatred of Israel. Some hero!

So kudos to Muhammad for following her dream. But no kudos to those who, as Haider says, want to use her as a symbol to feel better about themselves. We all agree that people should be able to wear whatever clothes they damn well want, but perhaps what’s in order is a little less self-congratulation about our open-mindedness, and a little less celebration of a garment that, in the end, is a sign of anti-Enlightenment values."

(Emphasis mine - M. M.)

Black Lives Matter against Jews and others

The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement was founded in the USA two years ago after the killing of Michael Brown. In my post about him, I had written: "It is an open secret that among too many black Americans, there is a subculture in which the proper way to get things is violence, and hard-working law-abiding blacks are "Uncle Toms" who must be despised for "acting white". This culture more than anything else keeps blacks behind." Black Lives Matter is just the latest manifestation of this violent supremacist subculture after the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X, the Black Panthers etc. Unfortunately, all these racist bullies have found undue support not only among blacks but also among white Americans who, as one of them admitted, are so burdened by guilt that lose their ability to think straight when they see melanin.

From day 1, Black Lives Matter was characterized by aggressive disruption of normal life and intimidation of law-abiding citizens. It was not content with creating troubles in the USA and spread to the neighboring Canada. The Globe and Mail opinion article The bullies of Black Lives Matter, by Margaret Wente, summarizes what followed on July 3: "Black Lives Matter was this year’s guest of honour at the [Toronto gay] Pride Parade. They graciously returned the favour by accusing their hosts of “anti-blackness,” and halting the parade until their demands were met. “We are under attack,” shouted Alexandria Williams, one of the Toronto group’s co-founders. “Pride Toronto, we are calling you out!” Ms. Williams said, as reported by the Toronto Star. She accused Pride of “a historical and current culture of anti-blackness” that is “deeply embedded in the festival.”... The Black Lives Matter activists are firmly convinced that they are at the very top of the pyramid of oppression. Only after the parade’s executives meekly agreed to all of their demands (basically, more money for their projects) did they allow the show to go on... The trouble is that when bullies get their way, they just keep on bullying. Sometimes the victims are so cowed they’ll even thank them for it. Toronto is planning to bestow this year’s award for race relations on none other than Black Lives Matter. I can’t wait to see what they’ll demand when they get it."

I have little sympathy to the organizers and participants of the Toronto gay pride parade. They brought it upon themselves by inviting BLM. Moreover, I do not like these parades and agree with those who see in them a show of force. When it comes to force, however, it is difficult to stand up to Black Lives Matter. For the Toronto LGBT community, it was a bad idea to mess with them.

It is small wonder that the heated anti-police rhetoric of BLM takes its toll. Back in December 2014, a black criminal shot dead two police officers in New York, ostensibly as revenge for the deaths of Michael Brown and another black man, Eric Garner.On July 7 this year, during a BLM protest in Dallas (Texas), a black Army veteran opened fire against the police and killed five officers. Before being killed, he stated that he "wanted to kill white people, especially white police officers". After this mass murder, a black man with no criminal record called it "an act of justice" and days later, on July 17, shot dead three police officers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Like other supremacist groups, Black Lives Matter demonizes and tries to shut down any criticism. In this, the movement finds invaluable allies among self-hating whites holding important positions. After the Dallas shooting, a young woman named Rohini Sethi, chemical engineering student at the University of Houston and vice-president of the Student Government Association, posted on Facebook: "Forget #BlackLivesMatter; more like #AllLivesMatter". Ms. Sethi was immediately and viciously attacked. Although she took down her post and apologized "profusely and at length" (a mistake; in such situation, it seems better to stand proud even if mistaken), she was punished. The student association's president ordered her "a 50-day suspension (from her vice-president's post), a requirement to attend a three-day diversity workshop in mid-August, a requirement to attend three “UH cultural events” each month from September through March, excluding December, an order to write a “letter of reflection” about how her harmful actions have impacted the association and the student body, and an order to put on a public presentation Sept. 28 detailing “the knowledge she has gained about cultural issues facing our society.”" A commenter remarked that the punishment "smacks of Mao's cultural revolution".

And today, while reading a 2010 article by the late Christopher Hitchens about how Western liberal intellectuals support Islamists and make fools of themselves, I scrolled down to the next article. It was quite fresh, titled Black Lives Matter's Jewish problem is also a black problem (by Chloe Valdary) and beginning with, "On Aug. 1, the Black Lives Matter Coalition (BLM) of groups and partners published a platform of objectives and demands... BLM included a section on Israel in its list of demands. With trite talking points, the group called for a divestment from the Jewish state as it is allegedly “complicit in the genocide against the Palestinian people.”"

The source was a Jewish news page, so it naturally had interest in Jewish matters. The New York Times reports about the new BLM platform without mentioning the anti-Israel demands at all. At least, however, it includes a link to the document, so you can see for yourself.

The following quotes are from a section called Invest-Divest. About security: "We demand... A cut in military expenditures and a reallocation of those funds to invest in domestic infrastructure and community well-being. A Reallocation of Funds at the Federal, State and Local Level From Policing and Incarceration (JAG, COPS, VOCA) to Long-Term Community Based Safety Strategies Such As Education, Local Restorative Justice Services, and Employment Programs... Congress would have to... end the mandated support of police departments... Any reduction in funds for prisons and policing would benefit all marginalized Black people because of the disproportionate impact that policing and incarceration have on them..."

About drugs and prostitution: "Pass legislation at the federal level decriminalizing possession and sale of all drugs, no matter the quantity... Eliminate ban on entry and immigration for individuals who have engaged in prostitution. Repeal portions of Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) deeming drug offenses “aggravated felonies” warranting exclusion and deportation..."

About health care: "Provide Black people access to services that speak to our cultural needs instead of trying to make our needs fit into the box of other races and cultures... Pass a bill to expand public health care to all U.S. residents and mandate that the wealthy residents pay for a portion of their services while low-income and working class folks receive free services..."

About energy sources: "Black people are amongst the most affected by climate change. If we’re not serious about reducing emissions, the planet will keep getting hotter and Black people will continue to bear the biggest brunt of climate change... The U.S. military is the largest contributor to emissions (war economy drives fossil fuel economy)... Divest from any industry that makes money on the production of fossil fuels. Shift toward Black community control of more local sustainable energy and food systems. Reduce military expenditures overall, particularly in the use of fossil fuel... Invest in solidarity economies... Resources to fund Black contractors to specialize in sustainable energy... Black, poor, and trans people of color are disproportionately affected by climate change, and the lack of access to breathable air and to land control over our food system..."

About foreign policy: "America is an empire that uses war to expand territory and power. American wars are unjust, destructive to Black communities globally and do not keep Black people safe locally... The US military accounts for over 50 percent of discretionary federal spending, a total of 598.5 Billion dollars spent annually... In addition, approximately 3 billion dollars in US aid is allocated to Israel, a state that practices systematic discrimination and has maintained a military occupation of Palestine for decades... As these figures demonstrate, resources and funds needed for reparations and for building a just and equitable society domestically are instead used to wage war against a majority of the world’s communities... The US justifies and advances the global war on terror via its alliance with Israel and is complicit in the genocide taking place against the Palestinian people... This policy... makes US citizens complicit in the abuses committed by the Israeli government. Israel is an apartheid state with over 50 laws on the books that sanction discrimination against the Palestinian people. Palestinian homes and land are routinely bulldozed to make way for illegal Israeli settlements. Israeli soldiers also regularly arrest and detain Palestinians as young as 4 years old without due process. Everyday, Palestinians are forced to walk through military checkpoints along the US-funded apartheid wall. The expansion of the war on terror has been vividly expressed in the violence the West with U.S. leadership used to attack the people of Libya. Not only was a government overthrown but arms were given to rebel groups who have violated the human rights of all Libyans. In the wake of this war crime Somalis, Nigerians, Eritreans and other communities who have been taking the risk of traveling through LIbya for decades have are experiencing even more hardship. The right of migration for many Africans inside and outside Libya has been placed in even greater jeopardy. Our family, our diaspora are now faced with rebel groups who attack them and smugglers who make them risk their lives in unsafe boats in dangerous waters. It is now not uncommon for hundreds of Africans to drown in the mediterranean every week...
The interlinked systems of white supremacy, imperialism, capitalism and patriarchy shape the violence we face. As oppressed people living in the US, the belly of global empire, we are in a critical position to build the necessary connections for a global liberation movement. Until we are able to overturn US imperialism, capitalism and white supremacy, our brothers and sisters around the world will continue to live in chains. Our struggle is strengthened by our connections to the resistance of peoples around the world fighting for their liberation. The Black radical tradition has always been rooted in igniting connection across the global south under the recognition that our liberation is intrinsically tied to the liberation of Black and Brown people around the world. The movement for Black lives must be tied to liberation movements around the world... What does this solution do?
Severely limits the war-making ability of the American military... Provides reparations to countries and communities devastated by American war-making, such as Somalia, Iraq, Libya and Honduras... Expands resources available for reparations and the various demands of the broad movement for Black lives: Universal health care. Full employment. Housing for all. Free quality public education at all levels. Etc. Contributes to the stabilization of regions throughout the world who have been devastated by US and US-backed military intervention, including Somalia, Kenya, Congo, Libya, Honduras, Colombia, El Salvador, the Middle East and across the world. Federal Action:
Build invest/divestment campaigns that ends US Aid to Israel’s military industrial complex and any government with human rights violations... Fight the expanding number of Anti-BDS bills being passed in states around the country. This type of legislation not only harms the movement to end the Israeli occupation of Palestine, but is a threat to the constitutional right to free speech and protest..."
Emphasis mine, otherwise I haven't changed a word. If the above text reads like a manifesto of some terrorist with preexisting mental health issues, this is not my fault. Let's help Black Lives Matter and give more publicity to their platform. The more people read it, the better.