.

Then let's make it clear

Some moron posting a video or some morons chanting nonsense or some moron asking a ridiculous question is not what you mention in your title and in your blog. I can give you myriads of despicable personal attacks against McCain or even more so against Palin, her looks, her family and her personal beliefs by much worse morons of the other camp, including many here in this website. There has however never been any attempt by McCain, Palin or their official campaign to use Obama's family ties or arabic middle names at all. Not to my knowledge at least. You have evidence to the contrary, present them. Otherwise, please just stop the nonsense.

Nazanine & her sister

You folks choose baseless rethoric  instead of substance. Me & Ali P are still waiting for You to answer the question posed to all on my Samuraii tale comment. Is it phobia or natural reaction?. Time is ticking...

 Ali P;

This is typical "replacing logic with rethoric" . taking Imam Obama phrase outa context on another blog (which was meant to point out gulibility of some ommatists not to understand his real motives)  and bringing it here to demean my argument, is just the kinda decietfull mentality , I,m talking about to dodge the question..kinda like her bro KB who made demeaning personal attacks on me calling it a comment . And her sis moderator deleted my responce. Go figure !!

Cheers pal!! 

No Zion

We're not clear, and we won't be since I've reduced this to the most basic terms possible, but you continue to take issue. That's why I posted the video of the man giggling about bringing the monkey called "Little Hussein". That's why people were disturbed by the uniformed policeman who repeatedly chanted Hussein - to which McCain/Palin did not respond with any concern.

I'm just here to blog about making fun of Obama's name as a way to influence votes. That's why I shared my personal story about growing up here. If you have a problem with that, I hope you can resolve it on your own from here on out. Best wishes.

It is not about a name

Please stop this rubbish. Neither Palin nor McCain have ever even hinted of Obama's middle name. McCain even stopped a question by a moron in the middle about such a tie, and clearly expressed his anger and that he was against such reactions several times.

The issue is his full baggage of involvement with unrepentant ex-murdeere terrorists, fascist preachers, Islamist appeasers, links to huge election fraud and Anti-american moonbats.
You are free to disagree, but you are not free to lie, deliberately warp the actual issue that has been raised, to bring on straw men and use double speak to win cheap points. Are we clear?

In conclusion, don't vote based on a name

Because it sets a bad precedent.

In the future many Iranian Husseins, Mohammads or even females know might run for office, apply for a job or other instance in which the same discrimination and false suspicions can apply.

If you don't like the term Islamophobia to describe what people are doing in the McCain/Palin campaign that's odd, but it's fine here. I can accept a disagreement, but I hope we can agree that basing a vote on a name is ridiculous.

Ali P.

Samsam's story was completely out of place. We're talking about people afraid of a middle name! A middle name that is shared by so many, and some of them very nice people. He uses Obama's middle name to connect him to Imam Hossein and his so-called ommatists and frankly I am tired of the nonsense.

This type of justification is BS. It's the reaction of scared people in a panic. Mob mentality is natural reaction of people; is it justified?

The natural reaction of people in Iran was not to listen to the wise words of Dr Bakhtiar too, because of the excitement and the fear of Savak and Shah's brutal retaliation if he ever took power again: was that reaction right and justified?

so your answer would be:  natural reaction is normal, but not acceptable as a justification

To justify hate using fear is for the simple-minded. Human beings should evolve beyond that sooner rather than later. 

IRANdokht

What have we here? A cute little attempt at damage control, eh?

Nice try, but the malice behind it still didn't go away as well as you wished.
Unfortunately you are not well informed about the roots of anti-semitism. The Bible does not condone interests, this was a much later rabbinic exegesis. It was necessary because Jews were banned by Christians from owning any land or engaging in any kind of profession beside money managements. It was matter of survival for Jews. So you see my dear, you arguments are not correct. You are putting the cart in front of the horse. An already existing anti-semtitism was the cause of such a ban and the need for such an attempt for survival. It goes down a vicious loop afterwards of course, and any reaction from Jews is used as a stronger excuse for the bias and the hatred. As for the charge of deicide, this is also another example of an already existing bias against a people searching to find an excuse. According to the New Testament the Romans killed Jesus, who was a Jew, and whose death was already necessary by a divine plan. So an internal quarrel between different fractions of Jews, the Tzadukite priesthood, the pharisee movement and other more end-time oriented messianic sects was warped deliberately by later Gentile already anti-semitic Christians to be employed as a vicious charge against all Jews.
It is ultimately a question of xenophobia, need for absolute power, ideology and control.

In any case, even by your ill informed ideas about the causes of anti-semitism, my point still remains valid. All those you mentioned were instances of bias, hatred and ill-intent against a group of people because of what they are thought to have done, or be inclined to do due to their nature. None of it is related to the Biblical teachings of Judaism as a religion. Killing a Christ wannabe is not a teaching of Judaism but a one time historical event. The Christians actually accept the jewish Tanach as valid divine laws that are deemed unncessary after the coming of Jesus. Not evil in any way. It is the people, the Jews who are deemed evil. Exactly as I argued. Antisemitism is not dislike of Judaism as a religion, but dislike of Jews as a people.

Now you claim in your second edited posting that you don't share this and find it wrong and abhorrent. If we are to believe you, then there is a little contradiction we face that goes to the heart of the matter. The Koran, and many other teachings of the religion of Islam, not just muslim historical deeds or cultural attitudes, essential Islamic teaching from it source teaches stuff like this:

[5.82] Certainly you will find the most violent of people in enmity for those who believe (to be) the Jews and those who are polytheists...

There are many more such enmity in the koran itself, not against the Teachings of Moses, say, but against a people, the Jews. What are we to do now? "Islamophobia" deems any attack on Islam as racist and evil. You agree with it, that's why you keep insisting on using this term, instead of those I proposed that deal with ethnicity, or similar terms that can and should be used instead [Is that what's behind those previous revealing outbursts you are trying to edit out now?]
The word is coined and used in all context to precisely do this. "Making fun of muslim(read: arabic) names or assuming someone is a terrorist..." is wrong and is fully covered under correct terms like those I suggested. Arabophobia. Middleeasternophobia. Anti-Iranism and so on. So why use "Islamo"phobia?
Because my dear, then you can whine about any revelation of such teachinsg? because you can threaten and then hide behind a cover of constant whining against few cartoons published in a Danish newspaper, or condemn a Dutch film made about treatment of women in Islam. Not blond white western women, mind you, but muslim women in Middle East and elsewhere who are under such religious tyranny. If you use the term "Islamophobia" you can attack all such criticisms and expressions of free speech by taking advantage of the liberal humane trait against ethnic bias and against racism. This, my dear, is a despicable attempt and no amount of whitewashing is ever going to cover the hypocritical ugliness in it. To deliberately misuse and divert a legitimate concern on ethnic bias and prejudice to buy protection and legitimacy for a set of inhuman teachings of a specific ideology.

samsam

Just like you accused KB to have used "we" when s/he didn't,  here you go accusing me of it too! seriously, will you get a grip?

I think it's about time you grew up and learned how to reply to a comment without resorting to childish methods of labeling, name-calling and false accusation. yeah.... and while you're at it,  stop throwing temper tantrums too.

IRANdokht

Dokht..please preach to Your Khahars & Baradars

 on Your own level who get their shallow Political/Social studies & lessons from late night shows or tv series such as "24". I have tried to stay away from ur nonsensical fiery lobbyiest/reformist rethoric,  addressed to me in the past. But it seems You have found it upon yourself to always speak on behalf of "We" or the nation, just like the rest of appologists khahars and baradars. I don,t blame You for Your bias & populist shallow logic on issues but pls, stop your kindergartten lecture . Save it for ur elitist waneh be crowd.

Cheers!!!

Examine other religions too

By samsam111's logic, we should be suspicious and phobic of all people of all creeds, religions, races and eye colors. Colonialism and slavery, among other wicked acts have been perpetrated in the name of Christianity. I'm not reading to live that way. It's not healthy and it gives someone a false sense of security.

Irandokht, thank you for your support and sense here.

Bystander, you're directing your anger toward the wrong person. I'm citing anti-semitism history, not my personal beliefs, and I'm not defending any religion - I'm interested in an election that is free of judging someone based on his name - that is it. Whatever that discrimination is founded it, it is meant to sway votes for the wrong reasons.

To: IRANdokht

You seem to be addressing samsam, but I read your whole comment, and didn't see your answer to his question.

" Is it phobia or natural reaction?"

I'd like to know your answer.

:-)

Ali P.

little logic is not good enough

Please consider opening your mind a little more: repeating this story to prove a valueless point, you have done yourself disservice.

Your story is justifying racial profiling, discriminatory actions, fear, hate and prejudice.

By comparing the current political situation with the brutal murders committed your imaginary Japanese men, you are commending the fact that people are being judged as "scary" due to their names!!! of course you are one who's been calling Obama Imam hossein too, which is very telling of the level of your understanding and logic.

You need to open your mind to reach a higher level of understanding, otherwise you'll bury yourself under a pile of BS like the Japanese story above and I am afraid the longer it takes the more difficult the recovery would be.

IRANdokht

My little logic , Japanese Samurai with a sword

I once made this little tale to some phobia theorist to poit out their flaws.;

A Samuraii dressed Japanese goes on the streets of New York and decapitate a few innocent bystanders. Arrested, The police calls him mentaly deranged. Next day 2 more Japanese with Samuraii dress use sword to behead 5 more people in streets of Washington DC & Chicago. People start getting edgy, Police calls it coincident & arrest the new culprits....Next day 11 more people are beheaded including 5 innocent kids by 4 Samuraii dressed Japanese , with sword and again arrested, but folks now getting very scared . The carnage continues , and in a few weeks a few hundred innocent folks are beheaded by different Samuraii dressed Japanese swordsmen in malls, trains, streets or stadiums. Now folks are terrified and ask their loved ones to stay away from Oriental looking folks at all times because every one is a potential anonymous Samuraii. So what,s the wisdom of this story...!! Is it phobia or natural reaction?...

Anti-semitism has everything to do religion. Its roots prove it.

Anti-semitism has its roots in the religion. Jews as money lenders in early modern Europe is a perfect example. The Hebrew bible allowed for money lending, as long as the transactions did not involve a brother (understood as a Jew). Christians weren't allowed to be money lenders (until much later, when economy demanded it) and thus they defined that business as suited Jews because their religion was said to lack morality and honesty - overall wicked. (never mind they wanted Barabas over Christ, but this was also an argument for Jewish wickedness).

Of course these are ridiculous ways of thinking (and dangerous statements), but they are no more so than when people say that Barack Obama will soldiers die at the hands of Al Qaeada because of his middle name or his father's background.

Modern anti-semitism is more diverse in its scope, but so is Islamophobia since it was first used in the ME Journal, and therefore the warning has evolved into a wider application - living breathing people who make false assumptions and spew hate. Making fun of Muslim names or assuming someone is a terrorist because of that name is textbook Islamophobia.

Without a study of the semantics, I wish people could agree that either kind of discrimination is wrong and ill-founded.

I'm sorry for re-posting this, but I needed to expand and edit the previous entry and the edit feature wasn't available.

OMG, Nazanin??!!

I read your blog and had some points to say, then I had to do something , came back and read your back and forth with Zion.
I have to clarify that I am not a Jew, or Shahi!! but your last comment to Zion has changed my mind about your true intentions as a Muslim just wanting to defend your people.
My friend you lose credibility as the writer of the blog when you spit out such a venom against Jews for killing Christ!!!
I do not like that either, but I think it is time to forgive them, since your compatriots has killed many Iranians in Iran.
As a result, you have no credibility in my mind to have an unbiased dialog with.
Just remember, your worst enemy is you, and other ignorant people who tarnish the name of Islam.
What you see happening , is just a reaction . It is time to face the reality, We can not act violently and expect to be treated with kindness, let's not run from the consequence of our actions.

Well said Nazanin

Without any further deciphering or semantics, I wish people could agree that either kind of discrimination is wrong and ill-founded.

Thank you!  That's the whole point: any kind of discrimination is wrong.

People seem to only be offended by hate and prejudice when they are the target of it, but not even realize when they are giving the same treatment to others. 

IRANdokht

Anti-semitism has everything to do religion. It's roots prove it

Anti-semitism has its roots in the religion. Jews as money lenders is a perfect example. The Hebrew bible allowed for money lending, as long as the transactions did not involve a fellow brother (understood as a Jew). Christians weren't allowed to be money lenders and thus they found that business suited Jews because their religion was lacked morality and honesty, never mind they wanted Barabas over Christ. Modern anti-semitism is more diverse in its scope, but so is Islamophobia, and therefore the term which was used to warn against it, has widened in application. Making fun of Muslim names or assuming someone is a terrorist because of that name is textbook Islamophobia.

Without a study of the semantics, I wish people could agree that either kind of discrimination is wrong and ill-founded. But then, we might actually have a fair election, and McCain himself knows after what happened to him in South Carolina, it's tough to expect that.

Here we go again

I think I have explained the difference between anti-semitism and "Islamophobia" at least ten times already. No problem. I'll try again here.
Anti-semitism has nothing to do with a religion or set of beliefs. It is against a group of people, the Jews, their ethnicity and their entire culture. Criticizing judaism, the set of religious beliefs, the Torah, Bible.., disliking it, even fearing it does not constitute anti-semitism.

"Islamophobia" is a label against exactly that. Disliking or fearing a set of beliefs, and ideology. There is nothing wrong in that, but the term is being deliberately used as if it constitutes a racist bias. You said it yourself. A term used in debates about the Koran should not have been hijacked to be used as a racial slur. How you were handled in US schools has nothing to do with minute details of Koranic debates now, has it? Neither does the politics of US presidential elections, does it?
Then why misuse the term?

I know this kind of nonsense is typical of what the likes of Said have deliberately done to poison not just the language, but the entire academic atmosphere. It is despicable and is frankly nothing to be proud of.

I would have no problem with using terms like Irano-phobia, anti-iranism, even Arabo-phobia or Middleeastreno-phobia in such cases. They all relate to bias against ethnic and cultural entities that is wrong and must be opposed. Cultural and ethnic identities are not ideologies or specific set of beliefs. Islam is.

Thanks Naz

Great point

I see the author of this

I see the author of this blog is afraid to expose the Islamist's code of conduct in contributing to Islamophobia??

Why are you afraid of discussing Islamophobia and whether Islamist's behvior actually is responsible for this???

Your censorship does not benefit your side. Muslims are their worst enemy.

"Regarding the shah"

  I used to think, the Western educated Shah, though somewhat spiritual, exaggerated his Islamic beliefs,to increase his popularity, just like any politician does, going around kissing babies, even when they are not really into baby kissing.

  Then I read about the psychology of death and religion.

  Just about anyone who comes close to death- theist, or atheist-at least in his mind, asks for God's help. If they die, they die and we never hear from them. But if they survive, there is a huge chance, you can't shut them up when they explain it by saying "somebody was watching out for me"(implying they were special!).

   "There are no atheists in the foxhole", as they say in the Army. Now, add the fact that you came extremely close to death - as the Shah did more than once - with some Islamic teaching in his childhood, and anyone would- as he did- think there is a supernatural force out there, protecting them.
  Christians have conversations with Jesus and credit him with their rehabilitations if they fell ill, and Shiite Muslims constantly see Imam Hossein and others in their dreams, telling them what to do.

  I do not doubt their stories. They actually see these things."Seeing is believing" is the old saying; the new saying is "I see it, because I believe it!"

Ali P.

Zion: Anti-Semitism & Islamophobia

Would you say the same about anti-Semitism? I wonder if you would defend anti-Semitism and dismiss it as "whining". That'd be the day....

Imagine this man, holding a monkey or other stuff animal, calling it "LITTLE EHUD."

"Islamophobia" was first used in 1976 in the International Journal of Middle East Studies to address debates about the Koran in order to warn against Islamophobia in those debates. It had nothing to do with politics.

It was used again in 1985 by Edward Said in his essay "Cultural Critique" to discuss Renan and Proust as examples of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism in literature.

The already worn out straw man

The term "Islamophobia" is a nonsensical straw man invented by Islamists to use the common multicultural inclination of modern liberal states to buy censorship rights for a medieval ideology and to shut up dissidents. Islam is an ideology, a religion. There is nothing wrong with people disagreeing with it, speaking against it or even being afraid of it. It is not an ethnicity, and the feeble attempt to pass it on along other unacceptable race based phobias is an already worn out act of deception.

Stop whining. You use the term "Islamophonia" then logically you are arguing for nothing but ideological censorship and preferential treatment of a set of dogmas. Cut the crap, demand it outright and get the answer you deserve.

Regarding the shah

In his memoir published after death, the shah claimed that Imam Ali saved him from death and assassination. He offers a vivid account of a vision in which Ali lifted his head from the stones where he hit his head during a riding fall.

MR shah invoked Islamic allegory to explain his survival yet he is still highly regarded as a patriot by the people Q mentions. If someone else, especially a person with anti-monarchist sentiments had done the same, they'd likely be ridiculed.

Curiously, Farah glossed over the details of the account in her 2004 memoir, writing only "he saw the benevolent hand of God behind the repeated failure of threats to his life," and "after being unconscious for a short time, he got up, strangely unharmed. There again, he said that he felt he had been saved by his faith." She also cites that Reza Shah "summoned a cleric and asked him to pray for his son's recovery" during a forty day fever at age ten. "'The next day, the fever dropped,' my husband told me 'and I recovered quickly."

So Q, he deserves a pass on having the name Mohammad Reza. Because judging by these accounts and the detailed one about a bullet entering his cheek, exiting his nostril, while still keeping his eye on the shooter, it is clear that the man was like Batman, practically invincible. No doubt that many mullahs in Iran BS a lot, but I wonder if people ever bought those stories?

نازنین

اصطلاح "به سیم آخر زدن" رو شنیدید؟

قدیم تر‌ها وقتی‌ برای مجلسی مطرب دعوت میکردند، آخر شب که نوازنده‌ها خسته و مست بودند دیگه به مجلس و مهمون‌ها اهمیتی نمیدادند، میدونستن آخرین آهنگ هاست، مهمون هام در حال رفتن هستند و دیگه کسی‌ گوش نمیده و بعد ش هم  کسی‌ اونا رو نمی‌‌بینه،  اینه که بقول خودشون به سیم آخر میزدند، یعنی‌ دیگه به درست نواختن توجهی‌ نداشتن..... یا به عبارتی ما که داریم میریم هر چی‌ بادا باد .

Muslim Student attacked at College, held at gun point

//muslimmatters.org/2008/10/12/muslim-student...

Nazanin, thanks for sharing your story. Islamophobia is a fact of life in the US, and many of us have had first hand experience with this kind of racism and prejudice. Your voice is much needed and appreciated.

Your ignorant ex-boyfriend is also, sadly, a familiar story. Right here on this site, people have been called "arab zadeh" and "taazi" just for having Muslim names!!! Where's the logic in that? This from the blind worshippers of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi??? Ignorance and idiocy has never been scarce among Iranians, and from personal experience, it's mostly with Iranians living in the west.

Sobering and enlightening commentary.

Thank you for this personal and powerful reflection on the current crisis in the United States. Most Americans do experience the ugly and frightening turn of this election's rhetoric in the same context as people who have lived in closed societies or in societies where the political infrastructure has not been sound for over a century. You do a great service to remind us of the dangers associated with hatred, anger and fear entering into electoral discourse.  Consider last year's elections in Kenya or this year's in Zimbabwe. When these elements combine it is a volatile mix and things can go very badly very quickly. These factors alone can lead to division, violence and death on an unexpectedly large scale, as in Kenya last year. However, in the context of a world-wide economic crisis and ideological struggle the result can be a situation similar the one seen in pre-World War II Germany. That is unacceptable. We cannot allow that to happen here.

Again, thank you for your sobering and enlightening commentary and for your call to Senator McCain to condemn the behavior of his supporters. We need more pieces like this one.

Humanitarian Racism?

So their hatred is rooted in their humanitarianism. Actually, this doesn't have anything to do with American politics at all, but if the debate was about stoning and beheading, I doubt EITHER candidate would defend those practices, (although McCain's vote against the torture ban makes me wonder).

There is a difference between denouncing poor human rights and disrespecting an entire faith.

Distinction between prej& Discrimination

Nazanine: Prejudice vs discrimination. I should have made a distinction between prejudice and discrimination.

Prejudice being only an opinion, if it doesn't lead to a discriminatory act, does not constitute litigious action, however, discrimination does because there are laws on the books which are spelled out in detail and if you have a good lawyer you can even win millions of dollars in a law suit.lol

crim·i·na·tion (d-skrm-nshn
n.
1. The act of discriminating.
2. The ability or power to see or make fine distinctions; discernment.
prej·u·dice (prj-ds)
n.
1.
a. An adverse judgment or opinion formed beforehand or without knowledge or examination of the facts.

Dicriminatory acts not just attitudes in Iran are the norms and law of the land; khodi vs. nakhodi, bahia vs.muslims, christian vs muslims, etc.

Yeah, I am Islamophobic!

I may need to see a good therapist for this, but I have a phobia against whipping, stoning, chopping hands, cutting off heads,treating women like property, and other crapp and barbaric rules and customs this obnoxious religion is offering to the world.

(Where do I sign up for that?)