In
the article “Catholics Then, Muslims Now”, the author Doug Sounders has tried
to highlight the underlying factors and beliefs behind the release of the current
controversial anti-Islamic video which has been termed as highly disrespectful
to the Holy Prophet (PBUH) by the Muslim community around the globe. In
author’s view, this video is a continuation to the anti-Muslim eruptions in the
United States. These outbursts against Muslims are an outcome of post 9/11
scenarios in the context of a scheme to propagate hatred against Muslims among
the resident community of the United States specifically and in that of the
whole West in general. A highly organized and well framed strategy has been
backing these activities as before this project, a mosque was burned few months
back in Missouri and similarly an attempt was made to blow up an Islamic school
in Illinois with an acid bomb. The author further sheds light upon the
doctrines of those who are backing these activities and links their motives
against Muslims to those against the Catholics of such extremists in the past.
The
Roman Catholics immigrants were targeted severely since the 19th century and a
whole way of hatred was tried to create against them. Writings were published
to create an environment of deep distrust against them in the United States.
Catholics were termed as extremists, disloyal and were blamed for being
inclined towards authoritarianism.As the
author “Paul Blanshard” who wrote “American Freedom and Catholic Power” which
was New York Times best seller in 1950, said “Catholicism
was an ideology of conquest, and that its traditions constituted a form of medieval
authoritarianism that has no rightful place in the democratic American
environment.”And so at the time this text was dominating the ideology of
many of their famous scholars and other prominent liberal figures of the
society.
Today,
similar is the mind frame of thoseanti-Islamic groupsagainst the Muslims.
Muslims are blamed of being terrorists and extremists. The author provides
examples for how Muslims are being tortured by involving them undue in various
accusations. These accusations comprise, stating Muslim federal officials as
loyal to Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, alleging Muslims for being part of the
terrorist activities in the United States and spying them for years without any
sound proofs. This is the same attitude and strategy that was adopted against
the Catholics a century back. The tactics that are used to dishonor Muslims are
almost no different than those used for defaming the Catholics,here the only
change is media sources that are much more advanced today.
Sounders;
the authorof the article also gives prominence to the role of the U.S
government regarding the whole gimmick against Muslims by emphasizing its
reaction in this current situation of the controversial video. To state that
the Republican government has provided a platform for such ventures of those
anti-Islamic people won’t be wrong because such type of inflammatory rhetoric
wasn’t allowed to enter into mainstream politics ever before. President Obama’s
government has neither initiated nor does it seem that they intend to take
practical steps against those criminals who have released and propagated the
blasphemous video. As it is a crime in the International Law to disgrace or try
to humiliate any religious figure, book or beliefs of any religious sect, but
still there has been no concrete measures taken on part of the U.S
government.On the contrary it has been criticizing the protests that are
prevailing in the Muslim countries and trying to suppress the governments of
those nations in this matter. U.S government is giving it the name of “Freedom
of Speech” which indeed is a fundamental right of every human declared by Article
19 of the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” which states, “Everyone has
the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to
hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information
and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”But blasphemy
isconsidered against this right and so U.S government is
depicting double standards in this regard.
In
view of the author of this article the main reason for this disgusting attitude
of the anti-Islamic groups against the American Muslims is the pace of
development and progress of the Muslims residing in U.S. They have achieved
stable positions in the various domains such as education, social and economic
fields of life. They are in the favor of peaceful lives of all the religious,
ethnic and social communities in the U.S. Though the American Muslims are
inclined more towards liberalism and highly detest the doctrines of Taliban and
other such extremist groups, they have been living under deep distress and
dissatisfaction. Probably one of the other main reasons for their misery from
the hands of the anti-Islamic groups is because of the aim of those American
Muslims to achieve progress and stable positions in the society and to become a
part of the mainstream politics of the U.S.
Works
Cited
Saunders, Doug. "OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR; Catholics Then, Muslims
Now."The New York Times. The New York Times, 18 Sept. 2012. Web. 23
Sept. 2012.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/18/opinion/catholics-then-muslims-now.html?_r=1>.
"The
Universal Declaration of Human Rights."UN News Center.United
Nations, n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2012. <http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml>.
Written By: Muhammad Azhar Khan
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