There's always some kernels of truth to racism.
The "logic" is more akin to "If A = 1 and B = 2 then A + B = fish" though.
The kernel, in an over compressed nutshell.
Moslem immigrants, by and large, do not assimilate into the culture of the nation they've emigrated to.
Moslem immigrants are not quiet about this.
Islam is responsible for a lot of death in recent times.
That's just about it for truth.
Another truth we avoid talking about, because of the accusation of racism, is citizens of the host nation and members of that culture are offended and angered at the lack of assimilation and the arrogant refusal to do so.
They're not good guests and we're sick of being good hosts. We're also at a loss as to what to do about it, because we ARE good hosts and don't want to be too rude about it (again because of those bigotry accusations).
The racists, on the other hand, don't care how rude they are about it, don't care if you don't like them and know exactly what to do about it.
That some of them did in New Zealand shouldn't have been a surprise.
Something else that won't be a surprise, because it happens a lot in history, is the ham-fisted government response is going to cause otherwise rational people to side with the racist because the government and media will actively sweep under the rug any discussion about the kernel of truth that set the racists to murdering.
Moslems come pre-othered, and their refusal to join the society they're living in makes it much easier to single out and be nasty to. This will be aided by the fact that an alarming number of them are just the kind of asshole you feel good about being nasty to. Thanks Representative Omar! you're making the racist's point for them.
I would like to point out that assimilation takes time. We have only had large-scale Muslim immigration within my own lifetime. And although I'm a few years older than you, I'm not quite that old.
ReplyDeleteAssimilation also takes effort. An effort on the part of both parties. An effort which isn't being made by the immigrants and is forbidden of the hosts because "bigoted islamophobia".
DeleteWe've got the same problem with folks coming up from Latin America too. They don't wanna be Americans and we can't do anything to goad or entice them that even hints at negative reinforcement.