Scary, ugly scene in New York

[marmar]

from AlterNet:




Posted by Joshua Holland at 8:54 am
August 23, 2010

Updated: Black Man Who Looked Vaguely “Muslimish” Accosted at NY Anti-Islam Protest
Posted by Joshua Holland on @ 8:54 am


Max Blumenthal flagged this video, in which a man whom John Cole described as having made “the mistake of looking Muslimish” at a protest against the NY Islamic center is surrounded, harrassed and nearly assaulted.

Watch: http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/08/23/black-man-who-looked-vaguely-muslimish-accosted-at-ny-anti-islam-protest/


I think that a devout Muslim who supports the Park 51 project would be perfectly safe at one of these events as long as he or she were lily-white. But if you’re brownish, or your appearance falls anywhere outside of the mainstream, I’d give these mobs wide berth.

Recall this incident from a similar protest in June:

At one point, a portion of the crowd menacingly surrounded two Egyptian men who were speaking Arabic and were thought to be Muslims.

“Go home,” several shouted from the crowd.

“Get out,” others shouted.

In fact, the two men – Joseph Nassralla and Karam El Masry — were not Muslims at all. They turned out to be Egyptian Coptic Christians who work for a California-based Christian satellite TV station called “The Way.” Both said they had come to protest the mosque.

“I’m a Christian,” Nassralla shouted to the crowd, his eyes bulging and beads of sweat rolling down his face.

But it was no use. The protesters had become so angry at what they thought were Muslims that New York City police officers had to rush in and pull Nassralla and El Masry to safety.

These people are profoundly misinformed about Islam. Their views of the Other have been distorted by cheap demagogues like those I highlight on the front page today. They are a classically irrational, angry mob whipped into a frenzy with images of a dark alien presence — a fifth column, a cancer — eating away at America from within.

This is how Kristallnacht was possible, folks, make no mistake about it. ..............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/08/23/black-man-who-looked-vaguely-muslimish-accosted-at-ny-anti-islam-protest/