Did anyone else find this appalling?
Instead, they expressed a profoundly distorted view of this country – a view that sees white racism as endemic, and that elevates what is wrong with America above all that we know is right with America; a view that sees the conflicts in the Middle East as rooted primarily in the actions of stalwart allies like Israel, instead of emanating from the perverse and hateful ideologies of radical Islam.
This is precisely the type of thoughtless political positioning and Islamophobic rhetoric I thought Barack was above. Why not just start using "Islamofacism."
How is it fair to juxtapose a state with a religion? To say Israel then say "radical Islam" ignores the reality of the conflict, which is one characterized by contesting secular-nationalist movements, not a question of a rouge, belligerent faith. Anyone who has studied the Middle East knows it does a disservice to the people of the region to discuss the conflict in question in the context of faith, especially when selectively condemnation of one faith. There is a multiplicity of faiths and it doesn't make sense to view the non-Israeli society as an Islamic one, particularly a "radical one." This is damaging to the group in question and it's a false statement.
He is deliberately trying to distance himself from Islam by using the unabashedly Islamophobic rhetoric Bush and his contingent of neoconservatives use to marginalize Muslims and instill fear. In general, I understand that it's not possible to discuss the vast array of issues in the Middle East in just one sentence, but this particular sentence is awful. It's an unfair portrayal of the conflict and an inaccurate description of the people.
He should not have used the term radical, reactionary is a better and more accurate term to describe his message. The view he describes is not Islam and I would prefer that he discuss the existence of this ideology as an outgrowth of policy, socio-political conditions, and other more substantive contributions that continue to create or generate support for terrorist networks.
In this argument he almost implies that one side is justified and the other is not. I just think that it is fundamentally wrong and dangerous to pronounce that certain people (in this case the Israelis) are victims of Islam's wrath, but that the Palestinians are just religious fanatics with no real struggle. So much for diplomacy! The truth is that both sides have erred and neither is free from criticism.
Amidst the ongoing Muslim smear, I was honestly hurt that Obama spent the overwhelming majority of time debunking his links to Islam, as if there is something worthy of denouncing and rejecting connections to Islam. He could have dismissed these links while using the leverage and support he maintains to counter popular views on Muslims. But this quote today is a bit much. For someone who has who attempts to unify the country, this is divisive rhetoric. It's particularly hurtful because he enjoys significant support from Muslim-Americans--a population of six million plus in this country.
I love this man, but he has got to do more to resist and prevent himself from lapsing into such shortsighted tactics and poor choice of words. An otherwise brilliant speech (there were parts that gave me chills), but this statement is worth criticizing.
Apologies for any typos or incoherent sentences in this tirade. I'm on break, pissed off and trying to type as fast as I can!!!