It's quite common to expect Americans to explain and defend their country's policies too. Must be a bit annoying, hence Canadian flags. Is that a myth, btw? But the same grouping of people.

Even if Islam doesn't mean anything to non-practicing muslims, they have been grouped together by the media. PRagmatically, they have to play the game of signal politics. A drag, to be sure, but helps defuse things.

Incidentally, during the Cartoon crisis, 'Democratic Muslims' was formed in Denmark, precisely to that end. They actually got criticised for 'wanting to split up muslims'. Funny in a sad way.

Interesting article L.

This bit was funny:

I had to do a lot of work to convince them that I saw them as people, rather than as Muslims.

Generally speaking, it should be assumed that European Muslims overwhelmingly oppose the attacks. They shouldn't have to go through "loyalty tests", and this, rather than denouncing terrorism, is what European (and generally Western) Muslims should be more vocal about.

Klaus, yes, it's true. many american college students make fools of themselves in europe while adorned with canadian flags. in many places, it's assumed that you're american if you have a canadian flag on your person.

personally, i prefer to be more low-profile than a flag.

Intessting article. I wrote a response to the article on my blog.

Saheen,

How very funny. I just read that same article and had an obection to that same line. Its like being colorblind. You cant be. It suggest that she cant deal with them being Muslim so she sees them as human beings. I wonder if Muslim and human are not mutually exclusive.

I agree 100%, while this might be remotly interesting due to the fact the Sears tower is being "targeted" The fact that the media jumped on it so early and called it a muslim terrorist group is outlandish. Interestingly enough however if you read early reports you will see that the F.B.I. stated no link to al-qaeda or any foreign terrorist group. I actually wrote about this myself including a link to one f the first known articles about this story which is extremely contrary to "facts" being touted now. You will find mine titled "child molesting jamaican terrorists".

Bikhair-

"Its like being colorblind. You cant be."

Or maybe *you* can't be. There is nothing in what she said that suggests that 'she cant deal with them being Muslim so she sees them as human beings.' If anything it's the other way round; her patients are the ones who are distressed that she id's them as muslims.

My own objection to the article is on this:

"Seek them out in the neighborhoods where they live and work — in the outdoor markets and butcher shops that sell halal meat, in the book stores that display literature on Islam and the West, in the boutiques that promote Islamic dress codes, in the Turkish restaurants and smoky Tunisian teahouses, in their schools and youth clubs"

Again it seems that most journalists writing on european muslims will go to these 'haunts' as if muslims can't be found anywhere else.

Hey guys,

Don't forget to type "cat" into the anti-spam field, even if you're on the Preview screen. Comments without this passphrase will end up in the Junk folder (where they may or may not be fished out 24h later).

Typekey commenters can disregard this note.

(BTW let me know if you experience any odd behaviour with the new comment feature)

If it makes you feel any better about the “Muslim terrorists plot to blow up the Sears Tower” angle (which it probably won’t, nor should it necessarily), a couple of years ago INS ran a sting operation in which they raided a number of businesses in the Sears Tower (mostly restaurants) and snatched a bunch of employees without lawful immigration status. Somehow I doubt any significant fraction of the employees arrested were Muslims…your average restaurant kitchen in Chicago would totally shut down if deprived of Mexicans.

Eerie-

I don't know if this is because of the new comments feature, but there have been now two comments about 'the goofy cult' which don't belong here.

There's been news today of a Mosque Advisory Body in the UK..
Based on initial PR I can see no harm in it, especially that it cannot be seen as a government-backed initiative since they turned it down earlier on.

Ali K,

I can almost see it now. The loonies are watching over the asylum. Muslims arent mature enough to watch themselves. Perhaps the British National Party can bring in some people to watch over the Mosques. When praying 5 times a day is seen as extreme, the Muslims may have to stop for the safety of Britain.

LOL.

Bikhair-

Again you are putting words in people's mouths. Did you even read the article? Where do you get that praying five times is seen as extreme? and the BNP? wtf do they have to do with anything?

As I said I can see no harm in it. It started as a grassroots effort under no pressure from either the government or the BNP. I don't even think mosques are compelled to join. If it doesn't succeed then we'll concede that muslims aren't mature enough to watch over themselves.

Did anyone hear about this conference in Europe? I didn't realize Qaradawi was head of the European Council for Fatwa and Research. He and Amr Khaled seem to be the Coke and Pepsi of the Muslim Authorities in Global Media Spheres these days.

http://english.alarabonline.org/print.asp?fname=2006\07\07-05\zculturez\971.htm

yuck, Qaradawi. What's he doing there anyway? Couldn't they have made a network of European muslim leaders instead.

I'm with klaus. Qaradawi has been trying for a long time to set himself up as the voice for muslim europe. All this talk about his exceptional 'moderateness' is his own PR no more.

Tariq Ramadan weighs in with a fairly broad and gneralized "manifesto" for European Muslims:
http://www.tariqramadan.com/imprimer.php3?id_article=743