4 ms·

As a Muslim American, I am absolutely in awe, and simply shocked that something like this has come up at all. If this trend continues, I will definitely leave t

by Cyph0n 10y ago

As a Muslim American, I am absolutely in awe, and simply shocked that something like this has come up at all. If this trend continues, I will definitely leave the US as soon as I finish up my degree. Last week, my state Georgia tried to pass a bill that would effectively ban wearing the hijab (headscarf) in public. Thankfully, there was a huge amount of backlash and the bill was withdrawn.

dominotw 10y ago
I am a Muslim too. I faced more everyday discrimination and derision in my native India than I ever faced here in the United States. Sure is an occasional bigot who calls me a terrorist and asks me to go back , but that is nothing compared to state-sponsored ethnic cleansing pogrom in Gujarat only a couple of years ago. I have friends here from the middle east who claim the same and know shia vs sunni vs whatever animosity is much worse that a registry could ever be. You just need to look at post war Iraq where fundamental US mistake was underestimating how much these people hate each other and everyone else. I remember when I was a kid people wouldn't rent a place to us because we were muslims, something that is still widely practiced in India. Vast majority of Americans are not bigots and as a society they have enacted anti-discriminatory laws that are heavily enforced at all levels of society. You have legal recourse here if you are discriminated against, something that's unimaginable in India.
- Cyph0n 10y ago
  I am aware of the atrocities that are committed against Muslim/Sunni/Shia/Ahmadi/etc. minorities all over the world and in no way do I condone such policies. I am truly sorry for what you had to go through, brother/sister. There is always someone who had it worse, I guess. And yes, I completely agree; it's much better in the US right now. But if this "plan" goes through, what do you think will happen next? Do you really think that they'll stop there and call it a day? Probably not.
aikah 10y ago
> If this trend continues, I will definitely leave the US as soon as I finish up my degree. To go where? because you think things are better abroad?
- Cyph0n 10y ago
  A place that doesn't have a Muslim registry? My current goal is Sweden, if I can find a suitable research position in my field after I graduate. Worst case scenario, I can go back to my home country Tunisia. I'm proud that Tunisia is making progress towards becoming the Middle East's first post-Arab Spring success story. For now, I'm happy in the US. It's a great country and I'm proud to be an American :)
  - dominotw 10y ago
    Wait.. you want to go back to a country where women cannot travel without their husband's permission because some state tried to pass a law against head scarves. I am guessing you are a man?
    - Cyph0n 10y ago
      You're very skilled at drawing hasty conclusions, it seems! I said that I will probably leave the US if the trend of anti-Islam policies continues, not solely because of the proposed headscarf ban. And nowhere did I state that Tunisia is perfect. It still is a fledgling democracy after all, and there is much left to do to get there. But this doesn't mean I wouldn't live there if I had no other option.
      - dominotw 10y ago
        >I will probably leave the US if the trend of anti-Islam policies continues, not solely because of the proposed headscarf ban. Sorry didn't mean it to be a 'gotcha' comment. I am just surprised that you would even propose Tunisia. US would have to propose and pass hundreds of absurd laws against women/Muslims to get anywhere close to Tunisia. Do you really believe US is going down the path which would lead to banning Muslim women from public sphere. Would you still go back to Tunisia if you were a woman? You act so surprised at proposed head scarf ban( which did not pass even in red Georgia) yet you see nothing wrong with Tunisians trying to ban Islamic political parties[1]. http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2016/09/07/Tunisia-calls-for-ban-on-radical-Islamist-party-.html http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2016/09/07/...
hackuser 10y ago
FWIW, most other Americans support you and share your shock and outrage. Clinton won a majority, remember, despite being targeted by domestic and foreign security agencies, as well as by the Murdoch/Fox empire and the rest of the right-wing demonization machine. Obama is very popular. (EDIT: That's not meant to be partisan; it's just clear data that many people oppose religious hatred - many Republicans do too.) I hope people get organized now. I hope bad things don't happen, but only by being organized can people act to protect their rights. As a simple example, look at the NRA.
- charlesism 10y ago
  > FWIW, most other Americans support you > and share your shock and outrage. It's nice to have faith in humanity and everything, but "half" is more accurate than "most"
  - hackuser 10y ago
    As far as I know, your comment is wrong. Many Republicans have openly repudiated Trump and racial/ethnic/religious discrimination. If you mean that Trump won nearly half the vote, remember that Trump is extraordinarily unpopular - IIRC around two-thirds of Americans strongly dislike him - and not every one who likes him will support all his policies. Also, about 40% of Americans don't vote. Finally, I strongly believe the great majority would do the right thing, believe in the golden rule, and object to hurting others. They need to be manipulated into supporting oppression through fear and propaganda and through dehumanizing the victims.

by Cyph0n 10y ago

dominotw 10y ago

I am a Muslim too. I faced more everyday discrimination and derision in my native India than I ever faced here in the United States. Sure is an occasional bigot who calls me a terrorist and asks me to go back , but that is nothing compared to state-sponsored ethnic cleansing pogrom in Gujarat only a couple of years ago. I have friends here from the middle east who claim the same and know shia vs sunni vs whatever animosity is much worse that a registry could ever be. You just need to look at post war Iraq where fundamental US mistake was underestimating how much these people hate each other and everyone else. I remember when I was a kid people wouldn't rent a place to us because we were muslims, something that is still widely practiced in India. Vast majority of Americans are not bigots and as a society they have enacted anti-discriminatory laws that are heavily enforced at all levels of society. You have legal recourse here if you are discriminated against, something that's unimaginable in India.

Cyph0n 10y ago
I am aware of the atrocities that are committed against Muslim/Sunni/Shia/Ahmadi/etc. minorities all over the world and in no way do I condone such policies. I am truly sorry for what you had to go through, brother/sister. There is always someone who had it worse, I guess. And yes, I completely agree; it's much better in the US right now. But if this "plan" goes through, what do you think will happen next? Do you really think that they'll stop there and call it a day? Probably not.

aikah 10y ago

> If this trend continues, I will definitely leave the US as soon as I finish up my degree. To go where? because you think things are better abroad?

Cyph0n 10y ago
A place that doesn't have a Muslim registry? My current goal is Sweden, if I can find a suitable research position in my field after I graduate. Worst case scenario, I can go back to my home country Tunisia. I'm proud that Tunisia is making progress towards becoming the Middle East's first post-Arab Spring success story. For now, I'm happy in the US. It's a great country and I'm proud to be an American :)
- dominotw 10y ago
  Wait.. you want to go back to a country where women cannot travel without their husband's permission because some state tried to pass a law against head scarves. I am guessing you are a man?
  - Cyph0n 10y ago
    You're very skilled at drawing hasty conclusions, it seems! I said that I will probably leave the US if the trend of anti-Islam policies continues, not solely because of the proposed headscarf ban. And nowhere did I state that Tunisia is perfect. It still is a fledgling democracy after all, and there is much left to do to get there. But this doesn't mean I wouldn't live there if I had no other option.
    - dominotw 10y ago
      >I will probably leave the US if the trend of anti-Islam policies continues, not solely because of the proposed headscarf ban. Sorry didn't mean it to be a 'gotcha' comment. I am just surprised that you would even propose Tunisia. US would have to propose and pass hundreds of absurd laws against women/Muslims to get anywhere close to Tunisia. Do you really believe US is going down the path which would lead to banning Muslim women from public sphere. Would you still go back to Tunisia if you were a woman? You act so surprised at proposed head scarf ban( which did not pass even in red Georgia) yet you see nothing wrong with Tunisians trying to ban Islamic political parties[1]. http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2016/09/07/Tunisia-calls-for-ban-on-radical-Islamist-party-.html http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2016/09/07/...

hackuser 10y ago

FWIW, most other Americans support you and share your shock and outrage. Clinton won a majority, remember, despite being targeted by domestic and foreign security agencies, as well as by the Murdoch/Fox empire and the rest of the right-wing demonization machine. Obama is very popular. (EDIT: That's not meant to be partisan; it's just clear data that many people oppose religious hatred - many Republicans do too.) I hope people get organized now. I hope bad things don't happen, but only by being organized can people act to protect their rights. As a simple example, look at the NRA.

charlesism 10y ago
> FWIW, most other Americans support you > and share your shock and outrage. It's nice to have faith in humanity and everything, but "half" is more accurate than "most"
- hackuser 10y ago
  As far as I know, your comment is wrong. Many Republicans have openly repudiated Trump and racial/ethnic/religious discrimination. If you mean that Trump won nearly half the vote, remember that Trump is extraordinarily unpopular - IIRC around two-thirds of Americans strongly dislike him - and not every one who likes him will support all his policies. Also, about 40% of Americans don't vote. Finally, I strongly believe the great majority would do the right thing, believe in the golden rule, and object to hurting others. They need to be manipulated into supporting oppression through fear and propaganda and through dehumanizing the victims.