Texans' Republicans astounding hostility toward Muslim Texans making headlines

by Ben Reilly Fri Jun 13, 2014 9:37 pm

From a recent column by Heba Said, a student journalist at the University of Texas and writer for The Shorthorn:

My heart palpitated with the unnerved feeling I had just from the thought of attending a Republican convention as a veiled Muslim woman.

It is not news that Republicans don’t seem to like Muslims. As close as the city of Keller, and as recently as last week, Trustee Jo Lynn Haussmann wrote on her Facebook page “SOUTH LAKE - Do you realize because SO FEW voters took the time and responsibility to VOTE in the municipal elections - YOU NOW HAVE A ‘MUSLIM’ on the City Council!!! What A SHAME!!!!!”

The comments have since been deleted and referred to Southlake councilman Shahid Shafi.

With influences such as Pamela Gellar and Pat Robertson, it is no wonder that Republicans are so easily associated with Anti-Islam sentiments, the instigation of Islamophobia and outright hatred toward Muslims.

After two days at the convention, the only emotions I could describe were anger and disappointment.

I attended the convention as a reporter hoping to tell readers about the panel discussions I attended, but I discovered a cult-like hatred that is simply disgusting.

As I walked through the halls, people stopped in their tracks and frowned and shook their heads at me. Panelists threw the word “Islamist” around as if it were perfectly OK, and one man even asked if I felt alone at a meeting. I was referred to as “you people” and “y’all Muslims” more times than I can count. The worst part was the way delegates looked at me, as if I were something to fear when I approached them.

The Muslim voter was disregarded completely in discussions on how to tackle politically engaging religious minority groups. So as a reporter, I asked, how the Republican party plans to reach out to the eighth largest Muslim population in the United States. The sheer lack of regard for that population was appalling.

After discussing with one candidate whether there were Muslim outreach plans, I almost didn’t feel like I was allowed to be American, as if what he said stripped me from my American identity. He asked me where I was from. When I responded, “Texas,” he asked me where I was really from, as if there were no way it could possibly be from Texas.

Ted Cruz attended the event and took photos with his supporters. As I waited for him to return from a phone call so that I could grab some photos to tweet out, a police officer nearby came up to me and said hello. I responded hello. A normal interaction, I guess. Shortly after, I found five police officers behind me, hands on holsters watching me intently.

http://www.theshorthorn.com/opinion/my-experience-at-the-gop-convention/article_f1108532-f020-11e3-9490-001a4bcf6878.html

by Guest Fri Jun 13, 2014 10:21 pm

FGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by Ben Reilly Fri Jun 13, 2014 11:55 pm

Sassy wrote:FGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is how stupid some of our conservative friends are getting. They seem to have never heard of Islam until the 9/11 attacks, even while living and working around Muslims their entire lives. We had Muslims who fought in the American Revolution; there have been Muslim Americans since before it was its own country.

We've had some scary stuff here in the U.S. Southwest. We've had buildings exploded, killing hundreds:

Texans' Republicans astounding hostility toward Muslim Texans making headlines Oklahoma_city_01

Texans' Republicans astounding hostility toward Muslim Texans making headlines Oklahoma_city_01

We've had an airplane used as a weapon:

Texans' Republicans astounding hostility toward Muslim Texans making headlines AustinBuildingAerialAlbertoMartinez

Texans' Republicans astounding hostility toward Muslim Texans making headlines AustinBuildingAerialAlbertoMartinez

People patrolling the streets with long guns:

Texans' Republicans astounding hostility toward Muslim Texans making headlines Open-carry-texas

Texans' Republicans astounding hostility toward Muslim Texans making headlines Open-carry-texas

Self-styled militias pointing guns at American citizens just to threaten them:

Texans' Republicans astounding hostility toward Muslim Texans making headlines 528x480xBLM-snipers-outside-of-Bundy-Ranch.jpg.pagespeed.ic.XLsmgH6J0G

Texans' Republicans astounding hostility toward Muslim Texans making headlines 528x480xBLM-snipers-outside-of-Bundy-Ranch.jpg.pagespeed.ic.XLsmgH6J0G

... and all these people were not Muslims, but white Gawd-fearin' American rednecks! Evil or Very Mad

by Guest Sat Jun 14, 2014 12:00 am

If you didn't laugh, you'd cry!

by Ben Reilly Sat Jun 14, 2014 5:06 am

Such tough guys we have among our conservatives too, being afraid of a college girl for her manner of dress! Then again, I understand that's a pretty common thing among conservatives ...

by Ben Reilly Sat Jun 14, 2014 5:11 am

I tried to find an image of her but apparently Heba Said is like Mary Jones in the Arabic world, so there were a lot of results. This is the best bet I can find:

Texans' Republicans astounding hostility toward Muslim Texans making headlines Heba-Said

Texans' Republicans astounding hostility toward Muslim Texans making headlines Heba-Said

"Rather intimidating isn't it Tommy?" lol!

by Original Quill Sat Jun 14, 2014 6:14 am

Hmmm...I have relatives living in Southlake.

by Guest Sat Jun 14, 2014 8:49 am

Ben_Reilly wrote:I tried to find an image of her but apparently Heba Said is like Mary Jones in the Arabic world, so there were a lot of results. This is the best bet I can find:

"Rather intimidating isn't it Tommy?"

No bias there then... in spite of all the news of muslims beheading hundreds in their pursuit of a caliphate in Iraq, their mass rapes etc... the picture you post showing a 'typical muslim' is of an innocent girl in a veil! While at the same time your picture typifying Americans is of rednecks with rifles. Shame on you.

by Guest Sat Jun 14, 2014 12:50 pm

Oh right, so because people are doing revolting things in another country Ben is not supposed to point out that a section of the public in Texas are terrorising Texan citizens. It's a group that have split off from NRA and think they should be able to walk around with unconcealed weapons, pointing them at who they like, and their number is growing.

And you think what happened to that woman was ok?

by Original Quill Sat Jun 14, 2014 4:55 pm

Tesstacious wrote:
Ben_Reilly wrote:I tried to find an image of her but apparently Heba Said is like Mary Jones in the Arabic world, so there were a lot of results. This is the best bet I can find:

"Rather intimidating isn't it Tommy?"

No bias there then... in spite of all the news of muslims beheading hundreds in their pursuit of a caliphate in Iraq, their mass rapes etc... the picture you post showing a 'typical muslim' is of an innocent girl in a veil! While at the same time your picture typifying Americans is of rednecks with rifles. Shame on you.

Yes, it is interesting Tess that you seem to view media as one huge PR exercise. Isn't it quite possible that media is supposed to be biased in the focus--in the sense that they are singling out something? News stories are supposed to be about the unusual--anomalies--in the regular fabric of life. That is why they are reported. The bias is the focus on the anomaly. If everything were sliced white bread or vanilla ice cream, there would be no story, would there?

Here, the story is that a bigoted group of people, living in a bigoted place in the nation, is attempting to deny the rights of certain people because race and/or creed. If the media didn't single out the bigotry, how would we know about it?

You want it all to be like the Miss America Pageant...everything is beautiful, everyone is gorgeous, nothing to report here, Nigel. Back to you.

by Original Quill Sat Jun 14, 2014 5:12 pm

However, it is notable that the RW is generally most perturbed about the media and it's function to point out corrupt or disagreeable things. That appears to be because most corrupt or disagreeable things take place on the RW fringe, and it is inconvenient (to the RW) to have that pointed out.

So it is understandable.

by Ben Reilly Sat Jun 14, 2014 5:38 pm

Tesstacious wrote:
Ben_Reilly wrote:I tried to find an image of her but apparently Heba Said is like Mary Jones in the Arabic world, so there were a lot of results. This is the best bet I can find:

"Rather intimidating isn't it Tommy?"

No bias there then... in spite of all the news of muslims beheading hundreds in their pursuit of a caliphate in Iraq, their mass rapes etc... the picture you post showing a 'typical muslim' is of an innocent girl in a veil! While at the same time your picture typifying Americans is of rednecks with rifles. Shame on you.

Tess, I was looking for an image of the Heba Said in the story and there are a lot of women named Heba Said, so I chose this one because it was actually published with a story about Heba Said on another website.

And my pictures of Americans weren't meant to typify them, but to show the kinds of people who carry out terrorism in the U.S. Southwest. The facts are the facts -- they're white and often devout Christians, they're not Muslims.

by Ben Reilly Sat Jun 14, 2014 5:40 pm

Oh, just confirmed it -- the photo I posted is indeed of the Heba Said who wrote the column.

by Guest Sat Jun 14, 2014 10:25 pm

Ben_Reilly wrote:Oh, just confirmed it -- the photo I posted is indeed of the Heba Said who wrote the column.

Good Grief, she's terrifying Rolling Eyes

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Texans' Republicans astounding hostility toward Muslim Texans making headlines

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Re: Texans' Republicans astounding hostility toward Muslim Texans making headlines

Re: Texans' Republicans astounding hostility toward Muslim Texans making headlines

Re: Texans' Republicans astounding hostility toward Muslim Texans making headlines

Re: Texans' Republicans astounding hostility toward Muslim Texans making headlines

Re: Texans' Republicans astounding hostility toward Muslim Texans making headlines

Re: Texans' Republicans astounding hostility toward Muslim Texans making headlines

Re: Texans' Republicans astounding hostility toward Muslim Texans making headlines

Re: Texans' Republicans astounding hostility toward Muslim Texans making headlines

Re: Texans' Republicans astounding hostility toward Muslim Texans making headlines

Re: Texans' Republicans astounding hostility toward Muslim Texans making headlines