The answer is unfortunately obvious to me.
Published on Alternet (http://www.alternet.org)
Home > Why Is Bernie Sanders So Silent On Hate Toward Muslims?
________________________________________
Why Is Bernie Sanders So Silent On Hate Toward Muslims?
By Zaid Jilani [1] / AlterNet [2]
September 18, 2015
This week, America witnessed a series of events that highlight how much of
the country feels about Muslims. Teenager Ahmed Mohamed was arrested for
bringing a homemade clock to school that school officials ridiculously
believed was a bomb. Then, we saw a GOP debate [3] where no candidates
condemned the arrest, with speakers spending more time conflating the
teenager with terrorists overseas than calling school officials and the
police to account. Finally, we witnessed a horrifying moment [4] when a GOP
voter asked frontrunner Donald Trump how he would get rid of Muslims he
claimed were building military camps and had even recruited the president of
the United States. Trump actually promised to look into these absurd claims.
Perhaps the hate grew too intense, because parts of the Democratic Party
actually responded to it. President Obama invited Ahmed to the White House,
and Hillary Clinton fired off a few tweets condemning Ahmed's treatment and
Trump's remarks.
You would think that insurgent progressive candidate Bernie Sanders would be
the one to speak up for the plight of Muslims. He is, after all, a genuinely
anti-establishment figure with a strong history [5] of supporting civil
rights. But if Bernie Sanders even noticed this week's spree of anti-Muslim
hatred, he isn't showing it. He didn't offer any invitations to his Senate
office, or deliver any tweets. He rarely speaks about Islamophobia on the
campaign trail, and foreign policy merits barely a mention in his speeches.
When he does talk about Islam, it comes off as clumsy and ill-prepared, as
if the senator has no knowledegable advisors on Islam or foreign policy. An
oft-repeated line of his is that ISIS is in a "battle for the soul of Islam"
- but he fails to explain how a group that only has a fraction of the
territory of Syria and Iraq, two countries that make up less than 3 percent
of the global Muslim population, is somehow capable of defining Islam. His
ideas for combating ISIS involve pushing Saudi Arabia [6] to get more
militarily involved, ignoring the fact that the Saudi military is currently
pummeling Yemen into dust, thereby increasing extremism, not reducing it.
His own spokesperson has more or less denied [7] that the senator ever
called for reducing military aid to Israel, despite the fact that he did it
just a few weeks ago in a Vox interview.
If Sanders is trying to appeal to the concerns of Muslim Americans at all,
it does not show. This is especially important in light of the fact that the
senator has been hurting with black voters, and there are hundreds of
thousands of black Muslims [8] who are not being talked to at all by the
political establishment.
It doesn't have to be this way. Sanders could draw on his own history as the
son of Holocaust survivors, and point to the historical similarities [9]
between antisemitism and Islamophobia. He could deliver a major speech in
Dearborn, Mich. calling for a reset of U.S. foreign policy to take into
consideration the welfare of Muslims abroad caught up in our wars, and rally
the Jewish and Muslim communities to stand together against hate, and for a
more balanced Israel-Palestine policy. He could stop fumbling [10] when
asked about the number of Syrian refugees the U.S. should take.
All of this is possible, and in a Democratic primary where Sanders needs
every progressive, pro-civil rights vote to defeat Hillary Clinton, it's
electorally advantageous. But it starts with Sanders showing that he cares,
and right now, there's not a lot of evidence that he does.
Zaid Jilani is an AlterNet staff writer. Follow @zaidjilani [11] on Twitter.
Share on Facebook Share
Share on Twitter Tweet
Report typos and corrections to 'corrections@xxxxxxxxxxxx'. [12]
[13]
________________________________________
Source URL:
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/why-bernie-sanders-so-silent-hate-towa
rd-muslims
Links:
[1] http://www.alternet.org/authors/zaid-jilani-0
[2] http://alternet.org
[3]
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&sou
rce=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB4QqQIwAGoVChMIs9Xhntz_xwI
VyBKSCh2vzgqT&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffusion.net%2Fstory%2F198636%2Fbobby-jinda
l-ahmed-mohamed-gop-debate%2F&usg=AFQjCNGJtIrSDzxBLWwTdIvEfnSvIScEHQ&
;bvm=bv.103073922,d.aWw
[4]
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&sou
rce=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB0QqQIwAGoVChMIuYX199z_xwI
VhRCSCh3lnwZ7&url=http%3A%2F%2Fabcnews.go.com%2FPolitics%2Ftrump-lets-co
mment-muslims-problem-us-slide%2Fstory%3Fid%3D33847640&usg=AFQjCNHZpmhuO
QU2Dml9b2KC2vX-wekhmQ&bvm=bv.103073922,d.aWw
[5]
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/20-examples-bernie-sanders-powerful-re
cord-civil-and-human-rights-1950s
[6]
http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/09/15/bernie-sanders-insists-saudi-arabia-s
hould-kill-more-people/
[7] http://www.vtcynic.com/11546-2/
[8]
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/26/muslim-american-demographics_n_5027
866.html
[9]
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&sou
rce=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB0QFjAAahUKEwiB1uK24P_HAhU
SDpIKHTgsAek&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alternet.org%2Fnews-amp-politics%2Fwes
ts-failure-take-syrian-refugees-has-echoes-holocaust&usg=AFQjCNE89gKnJtW
ZcPRAAeezYfJL5GRmNg&bvm=bv.103073922,d.aWw
[10]
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/sep/14/bernie-sanders-under-pressure
-to-define-stance-on-us-response-to-refugee-crisis
[11] https://twitter.com/zaidjilani
[12] mailto:corrections@xxxxxxxxxxxx?Subject=Typo on Why Is Bernie Sanders
So Silent On Hate Toward Muslims?
[13] http://www.alternet.org/
[14] http://www.alternet.org/%2Bnew_src%2B
Published on Alternet (http://www.alternet.org)
Home > Why Is Bernie Sanders So Silent On Hate Toward Muslims?
Why Is Bernie Sanders So Silent On Hate Toward Muslims?
By Zaid Jilani [1] / AlterNet [2]
September 18, 2015
This week, America witnessed a series of events that highlight how much of
the country feels about Muslims. Teenager Ahmed Mohamed was arrested for
bringing a homemade clock to school that school officials ridiculously
believed was a bomb. Then, we saw a GOP debate [3] where no candidates
condemned the arrest, with speakers spending more time conflating the
teenager with terrorists overseas than calling school officials and the
police to account. Finally, we witnessed a horrifying moment [4] when a GOP
voter asked frontrunner Donald Trump how he would get rid of Muslims he
claimed were building military camps and had even recruited the president of
the United States. Trump actually promised to look into these absurd claims.
Perhaps the hate grew too intense, because parts of the Democratic Party
actually responded to it. President Obama invited Ahmed to the White House,
and Hillary Clinton fired off a few tweets condemning Ahmed's treatment and
Trump's remarks.
You would think that insurgent progressive candidate Bernie Sanders would be
the one to speak up for the plight of Muslims. He is, after all, a genuinely
anti-establishment figure with a strong history [5] of supporting civil
rights. But if Bernie Sanders even noticed this week's spree of anti-Muslim
hatred, he isn't showing it. He didn't offer any invitations to his Senate
office, or deliver any tweets. He rarely speaks about Islamophobia on the
campaign trail, and foreign policy merits barely a mention in his speeches.
When he does talk about Islam, it comes off as clumsy and ill-prepared, as
if the senator has no knowledegable advisors on Islam or foreign policy. An
oft-repeated line of his is that ISIS is in a "battle for the soul of Islam"
- but he fails to explain how a group that only has a fraction of the
territory of Syria and Iraq, two countries that make up less than 3 percent
of the global Muslim population, is somehow capable of defining Islam. His
ideas for combating ISIS involve pushing Saudi Arabia [6] to get more
militarily involved, ignoring the fact that the Saudi military is currently
pummeling Yemen into dust, thereby increasing extremism, not reducing it.
His own spokesperson has more or less denied [7] that the senator ever
called for reducing military aid to Israel, despite the fact that he did it
just a few weeks ago in a Vox interview.
If Sanders is trying to appeal to the concerns of Muslim Americans at all,
it does not show. This is especially important in light of the fact that the
senator has been hurting with black voters, and there are hundreds of
thousands of black Muslims [8] who are not being talked to at all by the
political establishment.
It doesn't have to be this way. Sanders could draw on his own history as the
son of Holocaust survivors, and point to the historical similarities [9]
between antisemitism and Islamophobia. He could deliver a major speech in
Dearborn, Mich. calling for a reset of U.S. foreign policy to take into
consideration the welfare of Muslims abroad caught up in our wars, and rally
the Jewish and Muslim communities to stand together against hate, and for a
more balanced Israel-Palestine policy. He could stop fumbling [10] when
asked about the number of Syrian refugees the U.S. should take.
All of this is possible, and in a Democratic primary where Sanders needs
every progressive, pro-civil rights vote to defeat Hillary Clinton, it's
electorally advantageous. But it starts with Sanders showing that he cares,
and right now, there's not a lot of evidence that he does.
Zaid Jilani is an AlterNet staff writer. Follow @zaidjilani [11] on Twitter.
Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.
Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.
Report typos and corrections to 'corrections@xxxxxxxxxxxx'. [12]
Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.[13]
Source URL:
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/why-bernie-sanders-so-silent-hate-towa
rd-muslims
Links:
[1] http://www.alternet.org/authors/zaid-jilani-0
[2] http://alternet.org
[3]
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&sou
rce=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB4QqQIwAGoVChMIs9Xhntz_xwI
VyBKSCh2vzgqT&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffusion.net%2Fstory%2F198636%2Fbobby-jinda
l-ahmed-mohamed-gop-debate%2F&usg=AFQjCNGJtIrSDzxBLWwTdIvEfnSvIScEHQ&
;bvm=bv.103073922,d.aWw
[4]
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&sou
rce=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB0QqQIwAGoVChMIuYX199z_xwI
VhRCSCh3lnwZ7&url=http%3A%2F%2Fabcnews.go.com%2FPolitics%2Ftrump-lets-co
mment-muslims-problem-us-slide%2Fstory%3Fid%3D33847640&usg=AFQjCNHZpmhuO
QU2Dml9b2KC2vX-wekhmQ&bvm=bv.103073922,d.aWw
[5]
http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/20-examples-bernie-sanders-powerful-re
cord-civil-and-human-rights-1950s
[6]
http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/09/15/bernie-sanders-insists-saudi-arabia-s
hould-kill-more-people/
[7] http://www.vtcynic.com/11546-2/
[8]
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/26/muslim-american-demographics_n_5027
866.html
[9]
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&sou
rce=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB0QFjAAahUKEwiB1uK24P_HAhU
SDpIKHTgsAek&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alternet.org%2Fnews-amp-politics%2Fwes
ts-failure-take-syrian-refugees-has-echoes-holocaust&usg=AFQjCNE89gKnJtW
ZcPRAAeezYfJL5GRmNg&bvm=bv.103073922,d.aWw
[10]
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/sep/14/bernie-sanders-under-pressure
-to-define-stance-on-us-response-to-refugee-crisis
[11] https://twitter.com/zaidjilani
[12] mailto:corrections@xxxxxxxxxxxx?Subject=Typo on Why Is Bernie Sanders
So Silent On Hate Toward Muslims?
[13] http://www.alternet.org/
[14] http://www.alternet.org/%2Bnew_src%2B
