For folks not from the north side of Dallas, I think a few clues might help explain our original poster's angst.
1. There are a lot of middle eastern, south asian, and oriental recent immigrants in the north Texas area, especially Richardson, Garland, Plano areas.
I've lived in the North Texas area since 1995. Yes, there are lots of foreign- looking people and recent immigrants. Foreigners and other people who do not look like "us" can be scary. Human beings tend to fear the unknown, and tend to hate what they fear. This instinctive fear of scary foreigners can be overcome.
2. A great many of those are muslim immigrants who are clearly not interested in assimilating into American culture. How could someone tell? Well, there are subtle hints such as making thier women wear burkas & sit in the back seat of the car, even if they are the only two in the car. Go to the public library and you'll find those burka-clad women devouring our books.
Are Jews who wear yarmulkes "clearly not interested in assimilating into American culture."? Are Americans who happen to be Sikhs "clearly not interested in assimilating into American culture." because they wear their turbans? Are devout Christian women who do not wear the prevailing pop-culture summer uniform of tube top, low riders, and tatoo in the small of the back "clearly not interested in assimilating into American culture."? Just because someone dresses or worships differently from you does not mean they are not Americans or uninterested in becoming part of the American culture. You apparently have little understanding of the Muslims living around you. All of the Muslim women my wife and I know wear the hijab because they want to please God, not their husbands. In fact, I know of 2 women who wear the head cover DESPITE their (allegedly oppressive muslim) husband's objections. The only ones I know that sit in the back seat are there because they prefer to sit next to their child who is back there in the infant seat in case the baby needs anything.
3. This is the center of much terrorist funding & support activity. Several local businesses & charities have been shut down and the principals indicted & convicted for aiding terrorist organizations.
We can mouth platitudes about how the terrorist supporters are in the minority, they are not representative, etc. That is most likely correct. We also do not know the proportion of those who actively support terrorist organizations or are sympathetic. It may be terrifically small. We can, however, determine the proportion that is not willing to speak out against their terrorist-supporting neighbors: purt' near all. Their motivation may be fear of retaliation or sympathy, but the end result is the same: the terrorists & their supporters have a sea to swim in which precludes our ferreting them out and increased the suspicion of their neighbors.
Well, I know about almost all the cases you must be referring to. When you get down into them, they are politically motivated. I know many of the folks convicted in these cases, and I believe the convictions are miscarriages of justice. Oh, but of course we all know that the Fed.gov and it's vigilant agencies (like our beloved BATFE) NEVER railroad innocent people to score political points
I know many Muslims in the community that alarms you so much, and I don't know any that "actively support terrorist organizations or are sympathetic" or "are "terrorist-supporting neighbors" I DO know many that volunteered to become translators for the police and FBI, even a few that signed on. Every Muslim organization in the area has publicly condemned 9/11 and terrorism. The Mosque in Richardson (one of the largest in the country) has invited the FBI to speak in the Mosque, and they have held many open houses to reach out to the wider community. Every Muslim I know and to whom I've spoken about this issue has said that if they had legitimate suspicion that someone they knew was a terrorist, they'd report it to the authorities. Many have said they would report despite the fear that they would almost certainly then be arrested by overzealous feds on the assumption that if they were reporting something, they must be involved somehow. This is not an unwarranted fear, it has happened.
How do I know any of this? Well, let me introduce myself. I am an American. My family has been here since 1749. I have ancestors who have fought in the Revolutionary war, the Whisky Rebellion (the losing side), the Civil War (both sides) WWI, WWII, Veitnam, and Gulf war I. I am a USAF veteran. I love Smith & Wesson revolvers, and collect them (as many as my meager budget allows). My politics are Libertarian. I love my country, and I think the Democrats and Republicans are busy crushing the last vestiges of the Constitution. I am also a Muslim. I'm white with blond hair, so you wouldn't know by looking at me, but I am. My wife is an Arab, also libertarian politically, and a proud American since 1996. She wears hijab. We pray 5 times a day, fast Ramadan, and otherwise live like Muslims. We are also Americans. Just like many other Muslims we know. We love this country, although we aren't fond of our government, and vote Libertarian in the hopes that someday, America will return to the values that made her great. Not much hope, I know, but if you vote for Republicans or Democrats, you will only get more of the same. And we all know the definition of insanity right? Doing the same thing but expecting a different result.
If some Muslims seem to be brooding or stand-offish, it may be because of the hostility they have met with from ignorant people who think Muslim or Arab is synonymous with Terrorist. Even before 9/11, so-called Americans frequently harrassed and threatened Muslims for being different. Women particularly. After 9/11, it got worse. 5 "good, white Christian boys" threatened to stab my daughter to death for being Muslim. A man in Dallas shot 3 store clerks for just "looking" Muslim, and when arrested, had guns, ammo, and written plans to attack the Mosque during Friday prayers, kill the Richardson cops directing traffic outside, then go in and kill as many as he could. Many avoid you and separate themselves from fear, not malice.
ok, Rant off.
