[ Outline ] · Standard · Linear+ In U.S., fear and distrust of Muslims runs deep, story from reuters

[Deepone]

WASHINGTON (Reuters)- When radio host Jerry Klein suggested that all Muslims in the United States should be identified with a crescent-shape tattoo or a distinctive arm band, the phone lines jammed instantly.

"For me to suggest to tattoo marks on people's bodies, have them wear armbands, put a crescent moon on their driver's license on their passport or birth certificate is disgusting. It's beyond disgusting.

"Because basically what you just did was show me how the German people allowed what happened to the Jews to happen ... We need to separate them, we need to tattoo their arms, we need to make them wear the yellow Star of David, we need to put them in concentration camps, we basically just need to kill them all because they are dangerous."

Those in agreement are not a fringe minority: A Gallup poll this summer of more than 1,000 Americans showed that 39 percent were in favor of requiring Muslims in the United States, including American citizens, to carry special identification.

Roughly a quarter of those polled said they would not want to live next door to a Muslim and a third thought that Muslims in the United States sympathized with al Qaeda, the extremist group behind the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington.

"The level of knowledge is very, very low," said Mohamed Esa, a U.S. Muslim of Arab descent who teaches a course on Islam at McDaniel College in Maryland. "There are 1.3 billion Muslims in the world and some people think they are all terrorists."

And optimists saw signs of change in the November 4 election of the first Muslim to the U.S. House of Representatives, which has 435 members.

full story:
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews....C1-ArticlePage1

[The_Ro]

Those in agreement are not a fringe minority: A Gallup poll this summer of more than 1,000 Americans showed that 39 percent were in favor of requiring Muslims in the United States, including American citizens, to carry special identification.

Roughly a quarter of those polled said they would not want to live next door to a Muslim and a third thought that Muslims in the United States sympathized with al Qaeda, the extremist group behind the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington.

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews....C1-ArticlePage1

Talking about human rights... :dunno:

[artzelda]

WOW, brainwashing must in vogue and there are susceptible people.

The US government does not require identification of individuals by race, nationality, religion or ethnicity, regardless of what people think. This is prohibited by the US constitution and we are a nation of laws - not men. Quote what you like, the facts are different. Muslim headdresses are prohibited in France and other countries. Not in the US - prohibited by the US consitution.

Past discrimination and injustices in the US have been removed and eliminated by the same government and people you condem - over 45 years ago. Before some of you were even born. Wow,to use this as an example is indicative of a total lack of knowledge and bigotry. GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT.

The issue of neutrality is really based on the supposition that there is an equal balance of opposing forces that will allow neutral? nations to remain neutral?. If this balance did not occur the neutrality of these nations would not be respected. When was the neutrality of the slavic countries respected?? Sorry - Thailand was once colonized by a European country.

Japan was not because it had no resources to provide. That's why Japan invaded China, Korea, and the South Pacific Islands. Know your history. Countries are invaded and colonized because they have something another country wants. Sweden was a colonizer as was Norway. In fact every major European country was a colonizer. The US has never colonized another country. Puerto Rico has special status and periodically the people there vote on what their status should be and they have continually voted to retain the present status. The US gave the Philipines its sovereignty after the Spanish American war. What other European volutarily relinquished territory and even aided financially???

Freedom of speech - in what other country can you burn the flag and get away with it. When Americans see people in other countries burn the flag they laugh and say they should come here and do it. Here it is legal.

The US as other countries has interests and has the right not to do as others ask. Other countries have the right to do the same. But the US has the right to retaliate if its interests are in danger. Let the most powerful win. Bottom line MIGHT DOES MAKE RIGHT.

As for the US being on the wrong side - the wrong side is any side you don't agree with. Wow what a statement. This implies no disagreement is allowed. THat's what I call freedom of speech.

Its not the weak who flee - its the disposses and oppressed that flee. Being weak is not the reason people left Europe. They came and continue to come to the US for a better life - and in most cases they get it. Hell - the governor of the largest state in the US is a prime example. Bodybuilder to governor. Our colleges are filled with foreign students. Look at the number of new businesses created in the US by foreigners inthe past 10 years - Google, Yahoo, Intel, etc. And the US is controlling the internet - Give me a break. We don't censor. China censors. Iran censors as do other countries.