Thursday, March 01, 2007

Is There Any Doubt Left??

After watching this video, please tell me if there is any doubt left that Mr. Baker is motivated by prejudice and bigotry in his fight against the Katy Islamic Association (KIA) that is trying to build a mosque? I mean after having been in discussions with some of his more intelligent and reasonable neighbors, I was beginning to feel that may be we had misjudged these poor, peaceful country folk. Not any more. These 'supporters' are a bunch of red-necks who don't want their children to be in school next to "them" (with few exceptions like gb). Don't miss the statement by one of the 'supporters', who is openly threatening lynching by hanging if he is called a liar.

This short take by Jon Stewart show was hilarious... it shed a humorous light on how absurd the anti-KIA (Katy Islamic Association) crowd is, and that their 'official' position that this is not about Muslims is as big of a joke as they themselves became last night.

Check it out for yourself: Click here (its a little slow loading)

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Using redneck does not help your argument. Does being from a rural area some how make you less of a person, and redneck can be construed s a racial slur.

I'm African American but I hate double standards on both sides.

Anonymous said...

Asalaamu alaikum. I have a comment that's maybe a little bit of a bring-down, and I'll preface it by saying that I have no doubt there is ignorance at work up in Katy, and right now it's all about the dollar as you'll see from Mr. Baker's web site: www.americanpigrace.com.

However...bear in mind that the same principles that applied to the UK mosque undercover programs may have applied to this segment - although obviously with far less import. The producers pick and choose which sound bites to air, which gives them the power to make everyone in Katy look like an idiot. It looks to me like they selected the drunkest, stupidest people to include in the final package. Bear in mind that the Daily Show is news parody and these segments are meant to be funny, and although the content isn't outright lies, they do manipulate the coverage to maximize the hilarity.

Anyone who knows Rodwan Saleh knows what an upright, articulate and intelligent man he is, but they managed to make him look at least a little silly by asking him ridiculous questions. The same technique applies to both sides of the story.

Amad said...

salam... Actually, I see your point... I can also see how they could have spun this completely in the opposite direction. I don't think they have a reason to be more favorable to Muslims, but it may have been just funnier to exploit the red-neck theme... So, I'll have to step back a bit on my conclusions then.

Anonymous said...

Being a regular Daily Show and Colbert Report watcher for past 5 years, I know their working.

They are very liberal people, so they do not have any affection towards religion of islam whatsoever, but they have their own liberal standards /morals. Being against any form of racism and discrimination is one of them. And they satire their way to put the message across. They could have spun the story either way, but they wanted to suggest what they felt (by saying opposite usually, they rely on sarcasm so much that Colbert acts as right wing conservative on his show, and says all things that he actually dont believe).

Anyway..

Anonymous said...

salaam,
That was pretty funny.

Sulayman said...

Wow, what a bunch of idiots.

They could have claimed that the pig race was completely unconnected to the masjid next door, except for the "Take a stand" and acknowledging they are "bigots."

Anonymous said...

I think you're being too polite by calling "rednecks." I prefer to use "hillbilly butter hogs" and "inbred trailer trash." I see no reason to be nice to these racist degenerates.
It doesnt take a lot to figure out their mindset. If they really want to have a pig race, they ought to participate to better represent the animal.

Amad said...

Dr.M, your comments always witty and sometimes humorous. Thx for stopping by.

Anonymous said...

if they oink like a pig, smell like a pig, then call it what it is, they are pigs. they are what they eat. how are their remarks not terrorism? its so sad that they can threaten the muslims there and everyone thinks its funny, if the shoe was on the other foot im sure the fbi would be investigating.

Anonymous said...

The comments here have really made me lose respect for you. Colbert report is notorious for making people look silly.

But more importantly, I have sympathy for this community. As usual Muslims, are terrible at doing dawah and then want to make fun of people whose only exposure to Islam is media and killings in Iraq. They don't know any better and are reacting out of fear.

I suspect there is some truth in how the KIA leadership approached them because it shows in your comments, there is a contempt of average working class people by professional Muslims. They definitely plan to basically take over the community, and build a Muslim community, thats fine but don't be mad if someone doesn't agree with your plans.

I'm not saying there some prejudice is not involved but their feelings are understandable and it should have been taken into consideration when approaching them.

Lastly, there are lots of white converts who are from 'redneck' families, are they less Muslim because of that, how about all the Hispanics and African Americans who become Muslim from poor families, are they less human because they are poor and not engineers and doctors.

I swear sometimes the classist attitudes of many Muslims slips out and its not pretty.

Amad said...

Woh there anonymous... what are you talking about? If you look up the definition of red-neck, this is what you'll see:

–noun
1. an uneducated white farm laborer, esp. from the South.
2. a bigot or reactionary, esp. from the rural working class.
–adjective
3. Also, red-necked. narrow, prejudiced, or reactionary: a redneck attitude.

This discussion has been going on for some time now, on Ruth's blog mostly. If you were following that, you would have known that my reference is to the #3 definition above. Where did poverty/class come into this? The Baker dude and the neighbors are actually pretty wealthy, they are not poor by any stretch.

Also, if you refer to my posts on affirmative action, you'll know that I am not affected by any 'professional' complex. I can understand how you can make the assumptions in your comment, if you came into this 'cold'. So, hopefully you will understand now that in no way am I referring to this issue in any sense of class.

Finally, I'll be honest, I don't watch the TV, in fact I don't choose to have one at my home. So, if you read my reply to Ruth, you will see that I already admitted to a possible misjudgment based on my limited knowledge of TV programming. If this doesn't clear the air, feel free to comment back.

P.S. If you research the Katy story, you will be inclined to give more benefit of doubt to your Muslim brethren than the Baker friends, based on facts, not allegiance.

Anonymous said...

Asalaamu alaikum. I hear what anonymous (the last one who posted) is saying, if only because some of the comments on this board are nasty, vicious and name calling - kind of "bigoted and reactionary."

Also, although some of the pig race-goers may be defined by the dictionary definition for "redneck," it's still an offensive term, just one step above nigger or cracker. Calling someone a redneck is not the same as calling them an uneducated, rural, white farm laborer from the south. (BTW, many dictionary definitions include the fact that it is an offensive term.)

Beyond the exact definition, however, is the spirit of some of the comments here - I have to wonder if the Prophet (SAW) would have called those who hated or feared him pigs, hogs or white trash. No matter how much bigotry exists in Katy or elsewhere, it's incumbent upon Muslims to do good dawah - to show bigots that Muslims are good people not worthy of fear or hatred.

drmaxtor, I've been to your blog and I don't understand the value in the nasty, name-calling, trash-talking comments you make. If you're a Muslim you should think twice about the language and tone you use.

Anonymous said...

There is no point in playing semantics, anonymous. I failed to see what Iraq has to do with this situation. Nor I believe in giving the benefit of the doubt to racists who threaten their neighbors with talk of "ropes and trees." Two legged pig shooting contest anyone?
I don't consider calling these throwbacks appropriate epithets rude at all. Their color is irrelevent, their attitude on the other hand, much like their pigs, stinks.

loitoastmasters said...

Asalaamu alaikum. It's just as unfair to blame a community for the actions of a handful of their members as it is when the public and the media do it to us. Be fair - it was one man who said "get a rope, find a tree" and you didn't hear the question he was asked. And the show is satire. To generalize that to a phrase like "racists who threaten their neighbors with talk of 'ropes and trees'" is just as bad as what the press often does to Muslims.

Anonymous said...

Waliakum Asalam,
I did hear the question he was asked, and he responded by calling for a lynching. Thats a clear threat. Sounds like fighting words to me, and a good klansman is a dead one. Then there was another idiot who flat out said that he didn't want a mosque in Katy or ANYWHERE else.
Maybe not every single person in this community is a racist, but theres clearly enough to raise other then a few eyebrows and concerns...Daily show or no Daily show.