If you haven't seen it yet have a look at the video below and we'll talk afterwards.
Now there are 2 viewpoints here, one is that all of Islam are being tarred with the same brush and discriminated against based on the actions of a very small number of radicals and the other is that liberal minded, free thinking individuals who should speak out are afraid to do so for fear of being branded racists. That Bill Maher is the beacon of light in a sea of darkness, standing up for the poor white man and criticising Islam on behalf of the rest of us who are all too afraid to do so ourselves.
What is your view on this? Ask yourself the question and your answer will let you know whether you are racist or not.
The fact is, no-one has ever suggested that all Catholics like to wear sheets on their heads and tie black people to the back of tow trucks but the KKK do claim to be a religious, Christian organisation. The Westboro Baptist Church operate their particular brand of intolerance and bigotry in the name of God but no-one claims that all Christians are radical fundamentalists. So why is it acceptable to suggest that all Muslims are murderers and radicals? Why in the wake of 9/11 were Sikhs being targeted for "looking a bit Muslim" and why are hate groups such as Britain First and BNP growing in popularity in the UK? The answer is simple. People who hold these beliefs were already bigots but in the face of difficult times it is deemed ever so slightly more socially acceptable to voice them.
The Reichstag Fire of 1933 led to the Reichstag Fire Decree, effectively stripping the German people of civil liberties and allowing the authorities the power to arrest and detain anyone felt to be an enemy of the Nazis, it subsequently led to The Enabling Act which allowed the then Chancellor Hitler the power to enact laws without having to go through due process, it was a temporary act which, unless renewed, would last four years. It was democratically voted for and passed. In difficult times the people were happy to give up their rights and protection as they felt that desperate times call for desperate measures. For more details of what happened next see: World War 2.
After 9/11 the US Government passed The Patriot Act which allowed them to detain indefinitely anyone they deemed to be a risk to national security without trial, evidence or, once again, due process. Guantanamo Bay was the public face of this law with its jolly orange overalls and barbed wire fences. Can you imagine a camp where innocent people are locked away without trial or any opportunity to be heard?
And now in the UK we have Theresa May talking about "new powers" to gag extremists, to stop non-violent protests, to monitor social media and "clamp down" on hate speech and David Cameron is proposing to do away with our "much hated" Human Rights. And people are still voting for them!!
As I say above, people have a tendency to cast due process aside in difficult times, it's happened before and it will happen again but it NEVER ends well. The people you hand this power to are never willing to give it back and temporary always leads to permanent. In the aftermath of the financial crash a few years ago we saw a rise in the popularity of BNP with 1 MEP being elected and 33 local councillors at one stage, UKIP are currently doing the rounds and presenting a more user friendly, palatable brand of racism and they are looking strong at the next general election. When times are tough and people are suffering, whether it be from fear of terror or discomfort as a direct result of austerity measures, they need to find someone to blame. They need a scapegoat to make them feel better and when they find a common enemy it galvanises them, makes them feel like they have power to change the things that they cannot, to improve their circumstances and get back that which they have lost. This is why the Tories demonise the poor to make you think they are stealing your tax to pay for their lavish, free council houses, this is why UKIP make you fear that Poles are coming for your job and your house and this is why a very small handful of evil murderers and thugs are used to make you fear all Muslims. This information always comes to you via someone with an agenda. They already hold these views but its more acceptable if they can surround themselves with a crowd, it's more acceptable if they can convince you that such views are fine. They are not.
The reality is that a mere 5% of the population of England and Wales are Muslim, 15% of the population are immigrants and only 3% of social security is spent on the unemployed. And if you are surprised by those figures I don't blame you, you wont see them reported in the press. Why? Because the press thrive on making people scared. The recent Scottish Independence Referendum has shown us how effective fear can be in maintaining the status quo. They tell people who the enemy is and what they should be afraid of then convince them that you have all the answers. When the terrible thing doesn't come to pass you can say "look, I told you I'd keep you safe".
Yes, there are terrorists and there is evil in the world and Yes we shouldn't just sit by and allow it to go unpunished and uncriticised. But as Ben Affleck says above, criticise and condemn the people who are doing these things, not the group that they belong to, whether it be Muslim, Iraqi or Male! Do not group them together by race or colour or religion, a murderer is a murderer regardless of which church he or she attends. I shall leave you with the words of a far more talented writer than I, Mr Aaron Sorkin.
