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American Muslims and the NYPD Trust Deficit

I’m quoted over on Patheos’ piece on the topic. American Muslims and the NYPD Trust Deficit. Do you feel comfortable living your life as a Muslim in America?   I do. I am firm enough in my faith and happy enough to be an American that I know what the NYPD is doing is wrong. They will not take my faith in either God or country. The NYPD may not believe in the constitution, the bill of rights, or civil liberties, but that doesn’t mean they are right.

A Very Small Man

Many people are clearly and understandably incensed by Vice President Cheney’s on-going media campaign advocating state-sponsored torture and his making what appear to be all sorts of false claims about how effective his torture policies were. But though it’s maddening and offensive, I’m more on the side of being heartened or at least glad to see the exposure he’s getting — not so much because it’s politically damaging to the Republicans, which is probably true, but because he’s (as is his puppet daughter) showing and can’t help but show more and more about who he is. [From A Very Small…

Specter Embraces Pipes Islamophobia

Umm…Even real liberals can be Islamophobes, and in fact many are. Uncritical rights talk frames Islam as the enemy. When you are a politically convenient liberal, right-wing and liberal fears collapse into one great, big black hole of Specter. Matt Duss notes a Washington Independent report that Arlen Specter will deliver the opening address to a right-wing anti-Muslim conference hosted by Daniel Pipes Middle East Forum: A coalition of conservative legal groups will host a “Libel Lawfare: Silencing Criticism of Radical Islam,” a conference on how “Islamist lawfare” is imperiling free speech in America. Confirmed speakers include neoconservative foreign policy…