Wednesday, September 22, 2010

The New Niggers.


They came first for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for me
and by that time no one was left to speak up.

     Well, I'm going to speak up. Muslims are the new niggers. They have become the "feared" the "scary", the "other". You know you have made it into the ranks of the oppressed when they start burning religious items and placing them on your doorstep as happened in East Lansing, Michigan. In a despicable case of the cowardly imitating the idiotic. Someone decided to commit a copycat hate crime. They burned a Quran, and laid pieces of the desecrated holy book at the doors of a local Islamic Center. 
     The perpetrator turned himself in, after a $10,000 reward was offered for information regardign the hate crime.  Today Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III announced that he will not issue charges in connection with the burning of a Quran outside the Islamic Center, and I quote the good prosecutor. 

"After reviewing the police report, I have decided there is no criminal offense that I can charge under Michigan law," Dunnings said in the statement.
     I disagree; it is clear to me that Michigan's hate laws are meant to prosecute intimidation, and harassment, while leaving for the 1st amendment to operate. This was not a 1st amendment issue, the perpetrator left the burnt Quran on the property of the Islamic center, this is a clear message of intimidation. It should be vigorously prosecuted. Dunning told the Detroit Free Press
"We don't have a hate crime. There was no threat of physical intimidation because he (the perpetrator)was the only one there (at the mosque) at the time,"
     So, if a group Klansman burn a cross on my front yard, and I'm not home, according to Stuart Dunning there was no intimidation going on. If a group of neo-Nazis burn a swastika and put it in front of a Jewish temple, no problem? Not prosecuting these hate crimes is going to have two effects. Number one, it will encourage copycats, because it says: we won’t prosecute you; we won’t even slap you on the wrist.  Number two, it tells the Muslim community “protect yourselves”, because we won’t do it for you. Is that the type of America we live in now?
     Now for the million dollar question. Where is the show of solidarity from the black community? If anyone should be attuned to the implications of burning holy objects and placing them on property it should be African-Americans. Where is the outcry from the local NAACP, the Black Student Union, and the black church? Do we not have a stake in this outcome? Do we not see the road ahead, and where this can and will lead? It was not so long ago when our grandparents, aunt and uncles faced this type of discrimination. Have we fallen so far into the American dream, that we no longer remember the nightmares? Or are we so ecstatic, that they have found new niggers, that we have become afraid to speak up, happy that the spotlight no longer shines exclusively on us. Well, I stand in solidarity, because it is the right thing to do, this is the right time to do it, and when someone does decide to come for me….I hope someone, anyone has the fortitude to speak up. 

7 comments:

  1. Way to miss the point that A) many Muslims are also black and thus part of the black community you say has abandoned them and B) the recent uptick of anti-Muslim sentiment in the U.S. has not made things better for non-Muslim blacks at all. We are still oppressed by the same institutionalized racism, sexism, homophobia and poverty as before.

    Hatred is not a zero sum game.

    Additionally, the NAACP, if you check their website, or listen to some of the interviews Jessie Jackson gave when he was trying to keep that wingnut from burning the Koran, has spoken against the racism and xenophobia coming from the Republicans and the Tea Partiers. Also, much of that anti-Muslim sentiment has been spewed at Pres. Obama who, last I checked, was a practicing Christian who happens to be black.

    So basically this article is fail all around.

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  2. Thank you for the feedback, I also like how you gave references for your points. You are also correct that there are many Muslims of African and African-American descent who are being effected by this recent wave of anti Muslim hysteria.
    I would think though, that being black in america one has developed a certain sense of how to navigate these waters, there is a shared cultural memory of discrimination that we have to learn and glean from, that I don't think Muslims of middle eastern descent have, as of yet. We've been in this country for 400+ years, we've picked up a trick or two.


    You are also quite correct that the recent up-tick in Muslim sentiment has not made things better for U.S. blacks, I agree with you wholeheartedy, yet that does not mean that some blacks may feel that national focus elsewhere benefits them. I am not suggesting that this is a comprehensive feeling, just small rumblings I have heard in different arenas of "black life".

    While you are correct there have been national leaders within the black community that have spoken again the recent wave of anti-Muslim hysteria. There has not been a large concentrated show of solidarity, and I would like for us to start considering why that is.
    Additionally there has been virtually no coordinated response from the black community in the greater Lansing area concerning this particular act. I would think that African-Americans would be more in tune to the need to have allies in the face of unwarranted discrimination, and I believe that this is an opportunity for us as a people to rise up in solidarity with people who are traveling similar paths that we have journeyed.

    Great comments, I appreciate the feedback, steel sharpens steel, It is never a "fail" in my opinion when two people are able to sharpen each other. This blog is meant for criticism. If I can't defend my position..it must not be much of a position.

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  3. "You are also quite correct that the recent up-tick in Muslim sentiment has not made things better for U.S. blacks...I am not suggesting that this is a comprehensive feeling, just small rumblings I have heard in different arenas of "black life."

    So you decided to make a blog post full of sweeping generalizations that minimize the struggles of ALL black Americans based on "small rumblings?"

    "Additionally there has been virtually no coordinated response from the black community in the greater Lansing area concerning this particular act. I would think that African-Americans would be more in tune to the need to have allies..."

    What co-ordinated response has there been from the non-black Muslim community in Lansing to reach out to Af-Amer. people in that area? Or the LGBT community, or the Latin@ community, etc. and so on? While solidarity between marginalized people is necessary to obtain social justice for all, it can't all come from one direction, and I don't like the idea of making black people more responsible for community building simply because of our history. That places more burden than is fair to bear, and leads to us being singled out for more blame when we don't do so, and less credit for when we do.

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  4. I agree that I did make a blog post that made some generalizations, but it also addressed a pretty specific incident here in Lansing. The larger generalizations I made were the result of me using Lansing as a microcosm of what I see happening in the rest of America, but you are correct it is a generalization, I generally do not see large groups of African-Americans publics defending Muslims. But I disagree, with your second point. I do not see anywhere how I "minimized the struggle of ALL black Americans"...pointing out parallel struggles does not minimize our own.

    Finally, I think your last paragraph illustrated exactly the point I want to make.

    They came first for the Illegal Immigrants,
    and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Illegal Immigrant.
    Then they came for the Socialists,
    and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a socialist.
    Then they came for the Muslims,
    and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Muslims.
    Then they came for me
    and by that time no one was left to speak up.


    Change Pastor Martin Niemöller words around a bit, and the sentiment mirrors what is happening now. Do we not reach out because others have'n made the first move, is that the way to build coalitions? Is that the way to build allies?? Everyone waiting for everyone else to move first?
    That's not what Huey did...that's not what Malcolm did ...that's not what King did. Those are the leadership models that I subscribe to. You go out, find like minded people, who are dealing with the same issues you have, and you find common ground.

    you stated "and I don't like the idea of making black people more responsible for community building simply because of our history. That places more burden than is fair to bear, and leads to us being singled out for more blame when we don't do so, and less credit for when we do."

    We can disagree, but I think we do have a responsibility to act, particularly because we've walked this road. I don't care about what is fair, or how much credit we receive (or lack there of) for our actions, I care about results. And the result of us supporting Muslims in this time of social upheaval, is A: the chance to help speak out against evil, B: the chance to gain allies in the fight against injustice in America. I don't see how either of those points could be counter productive to our constant struggle to achieve equal status as fully accepted citizens in America.

    Martin Luther King Jr. said "History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people."


    I for one will not be appallingly silent.

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  5. "I do not see anywhere how I "minimized the struggle of ALL black Americans"...pointing out parallel struggles does not minimize our own."

    You didn't just point out parallels, you blatantly ignored the factual realities of everyday life for black people in America in favor of hyperbole. The title of this post is called "the New Niggers", which implies that the old niggers are a thing of the past. You straight up say "It was not so long ago when our grandparents, aunts and uncles faced this type of discrimination." when you later admitted ALL black people still face racism and discrimination TODAY and that anti-Muslim sentiment does not benefit black people. Spreading specious generalizations THAT YOU KNOW ARE FALSE is. fucking. minimizing.

    Also I never said to wait for everyone else to do something first, or that we shouldn't do anything, I'm objecting to the idea that by virtue of being black Americans we are MORE responsible for social justice than any other group in America, because by saying that you are making a uniquely marginalized group responsible for the actions of its oppressors towards other oppressed groups.

    When a white fundamentalist Christian pastor burns a Koran and a copycat follows suit and you ask, "What are black people doing about this?", you have immediately shifted responsiblity away from the pastor and copycat who burned the books, and from the government that should be condemning this as the anti-Muslim hate crime that it is, onto black people.

    You are also setting up a situation in which other marginalized groups are owed black support and organizing because hey, that's what blacks are there for right? They've done it before so why shouldn't we expect it now?

    That sort of logic is predicated on the idea that black people are ultimately here to serve others. Do you not see why that is fucked up?

    "I for one will not be appallingly silent"

    You, for one, are not the only person speaking against the xenephobia and racism being hurled at Muslim Americans. The NAACP and ACLU have both been actively working against and speaking out as well.

    Marginalized people should help one another because it ultimately furthers the cause of social justice, but no one is owed my support any more than I am owed their's, I am not more responsible for achieving social justice than any other marginalized person simply due to my history in America than they are due to their's and I do not have to allow my story or struggles to be erased or minimized (which is what you were doing)to further that cause any more than any other group should be. There are no "new niggers", "new queers", or new whatever while those of that group still struggle and you erase us when you state that.

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  6. Also I never said to wait for everyone else to do something first, or that we shouldn't do anything, I'm objecting to the idea that by virtue of being black Americans we are MORE responsible for social justice than any other group in America, because by saying that you are making a uniquely marginalized group responsible for the actions of its oppressors towards other oppressed groups.

    I think this is our key disagreement. And it may be we have to agree to disagree. I do believe that by us being black, and having dealt with these exact forms of discrimination it behooves us to help identify it, and nip it in the bud immediately whenever it rears it's head. For a variety of reasons...bedsides the fact that it is the moral thing to do, when they decide Muslims are no longer scary, or not as scary next election cycle they will come back to old faithful, the scary black folk (Rachel Maddow had an excellent piece on this). Coalition building, and forming allies is what the other side is doing, there is a fight for the soul of America, and the other side has staked their claim and gathered their allies. If not us..then WHO, and not NOW then When?

    Few minorities in the United States have had to battle as long, or as hard, or come from as low on the social scale as African-Americans, and yet here we are, does that not give us some sort of responsibility when these cycles start to repeat themselves to identify, and help destroy them, for self preservations sake if nothing else?

    That sort of logic is predicated on the idea that black people are ultimately here to serve others. Do you not see why that is fucked up?

    I don't see fighting injustice as serving others.... King said a threat to injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. If my neighbors house is on fire, and I don't put it out, whether he is home or not, the fire can easily spread to my house. Saving my neighbor, can be saving myself. That is my ultimate point.

    The NAACP and ACLU have both been actively working against and speaking out as well.

    The NAACP is not the people, and in my opinion may have jumped the shark long ago...(but thats another blog post all together)The ACLU said that while the burning is ugly its protected free speech, the same position they have on cross burning. But whether they stand up and speak or not, I still want to see the People stand up and make noise about this.

    There are no "new niggers", "new queers", or new whatever while those of that group still struggle and you erase us when you state that.

    Finally to the idea of New Niggers...I can see how that can be construed as saying that since Muslims are new , than the old must be a thing of the past. That was not the intention, but I can see how it can be construed, so let me clear that up. When I say Muslims are the New Niggers, that is to say in addition to. As in, if you get a new pair of shoes, that doesn't mean that you never wear any other pair. Just because the "system" has found new niggers, doesn't mean they never attack, or attempt to subjugate the old. That is a matter of me not communicating my ideas fully, and I take responsibility for that. But in still my overall point is the same. Pastor Martin Niemöller had a very good point, and we've seen how history treats those who ignore it.

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  7. You might be interested in this link written by four Muslims from NYC: http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/culture/3301/%E2%80%9Cyou%E2%80%99ve_never_met_a_muslim%E2%80%9D/

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