Forest for the Trees

islamoyankee

The Muslim American Society has been organizing people to boycott Fleet Bank for allegedly discriminating against Muslims. Based on the evidence they, MAS, have presented, I think it’s important to bring any impropriety out and to use not only criminal sanction, but also market sanction.

But…

I do think MAS is doing a good thing, but I think they are missing a larger project. I bank with Fleet and have a very “Muslim” name (along the lines of Muhammad, Ali, Husayn, Fatima, Khadija, etc.), and have had no problem whatsoever with Fleet, in fact quite the opposite. MAS has done some background research to indicate that Fleet has a pattern of discrimination against people of color; after establishing this pattern MAS pitches the concern as a religious one, rather than a racial one.

I understand their constituency is organized around religion, but by not organizing along racial lines as well, they miss a larger political tool, both in terms of applying pressure to Fleet and making Muslims and Muslim organizations part of a greater community. Their current approach keeps Muslims in an immigrants’ ghetto. The other point that seems to be missed is that Fleet’s proven pattern of discrimination, and alleged, is that it seems to be directed at immigrants, and immigrants’ rights coalitions are incredibly powerful right now.

Much like CAIR, I don’t always agree with MAS, but this is an important right they are going after, I’m just not sure they are doing it in such a way as to benefit US Muslims in the long-term.

Related Posts

Even the Dutch Talking Smack Now

So let’s see, we have the guts to torture these people, shown them our power and how “strong” we are, but we are too weak to have them in our country. TPM Reader BB, a “proud citizen of the Netherlands,” says it’s time the U.S. man up and stop NIMBYing the Gitmo detainees: … Let’s take those war criminals (of which dozens have been tried and sentenced) from the Balkan conflict as an example. Here is a group that still has lots of support (Serbs primarily) all across Europe. They are in cells in the Hague which is driving distance…

Muslim condemnations of London bombing… [updated]

I had hoped to create a list of Muslim organizations and individuals condemning the London bombing, because every time something like this happens, there are voices that say violence is an intrinsic part of the Islamic tradition, and claim that because no Muslims have denounced the violence, it must be true. However, Muslims are constantly denouncing violence, but we are speaking from soap boxes. The fringe of humanity (these terrorists are the fringe of humanity, not just Islam) will always be louder. While gathering my material, several other sites have compiled these condemnations, including non-English material. I am linking to…

Machsom Watch

Another take on the debate in Israeli society over the checkpoints. I can see the Fox (network) show now: Grandmas fighting Grandmas. I can also see the Fox (cable) exposé: Israel’s fifth column – your Grandmother.