Discrimination in the United States Widens Focus
Hate Rhetoric in America Shifts to Target Religion and Choice
Nov 14, 2008
On November 7th 2008 the New York Times published an article that outlined a disturbing aspect to the historic presidential campaigns. According to the article, muslim supporters of president-elect Obama were shuttled away from cameras and many felt as if showing their support would actually hurt the Democrat's campaign. In fact, throughout the election, the connection between Obama and Islam was kept alive by political pundits; often in a negative context.
The only widely publicized comment against this new face of discrimination came from former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who asked: "What if he is? Is there something wrong with being muslim in this country?"
Discrimination in America
While racism is by no means extinct, the Civil Rights Movement put into motion in the sixties by men like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. took a giant step forward with the election of the United State's first African-American president. This was a move that signaled a very real progression towards racial equality that has seen little real progress in American politics until now.
However, as social norms attemps to move beyond skin color, issues of lilfestyles and ideology have become the focus of American discrimination. The Southern Poverty Law Center has started to recognize anti-gay churches and anti-semetic organizations as hate groups equally as dangerous as the white supremist gangs that for so long saturated their quarterly Intelligence Report and all gaining in popularity.
Another concerning chapter to this growing strain of discrimination being the increasingly negative association American citizens make between the Islamic faith and terrorism. This has evolved to the point that President-elect Obama living in Indonesia marks him as dangerously "Anti-American" simply due to the high muslim majority prevalent in the country.
The Cause of our Discern
The root of this shift towards ideology over race is undoubtedly linked to the U.S. occupation of two religiously charged nations in a region whose politics are heavily influenced by theology. As the United States, a nation heavily influenced by Christian theology, has inserted itself geographically in a region heavily influenced by Islamic and Jewish theology, it was only a matter of time before religious rhetoric began to root itself in the American citizen's minds.
However, the rhetoric is fueled by the negative images provided by the media and primarily limited to the acts of violence occuring in the Middle East, creating an "us versus them" attitude inspired by fear and misunderstanding. Fundamentalists, seeing this opportunity, have moved to exploit this attention with increased attacks (declared acts of religious piety) further validating many American's negative associations with religious ideologies.
The discrimination against lifestyles, particularly the gay community, are directly associated to this sudden welling of theological rhetoric in a nation that professes secular justice and politics. Christian churches, trumpeting a threat to their religion as domestic and foreign, exploit this culture of discriminatory fear, in order politically push their lifestyle as the norm.
A Future for Secular Politics?
Colin Powell's question was a well timed challenge to the world: are we going to grant civil rights in one hand while pressing them down in another? It is also a reminder that even with the progress made, there is still work to be done. Even more importantly, it was a legitimate question to the nation: will the United States allow itself to be a place where religion stops the right of a citizen to serve their country?
