How to Respond to Our All-American Muslim Neighbors
Lowe's national retail chain, following a conservative Christian group's call for businesses to boycott advertising on a new TLC reality show about Muslims, pulled its advertisements from All-American Muslim. The Florida Family Association (FFA) claims the series, which follows five families in and around Dearborn, Michigan, is nothing more than propaganda masking a radical Islamic agenda. Though the FFA suggests over 60 other advertisers have also pulled their ad dollars, these reports have not yet been confirmed. In any case, Lowe's has borne the brunt of media criticism for pulling their ads from the show.
The FFA's odd beef with All-American Muslim is that the Muslims being featured are not radical enough. One is a high-school football coach. One is expecting her first child. Another goes shopping for the traditional hijab after abandoning it following September 11. With the exception of shopping list items, these folks feel pretty similar to most middle-class Americans. But not according to FFA, which says "the show profiles only Muslims that appear to be ordinary folks while excluding many Islamic believers whose agenda poses a clear and present danger to the liberties and traditional values that the majority of Americans cherish."
FFA's twisty logic is subtle, so don't miss it. By using the phrase "appear to be," FFA is not willing to admit that these Muslim Americans might actually be ordinary folks. Rather, to support the imaginary agenda—and to promote their own—the organization maintains the story that somehow, TLC producers are tricking us by presenting those who "appear" to be ordinary.
The group is right about one thing: Someone is masking reality to promote a radical social agenda. I just don't think it's the families in Michigan. In fact, when I tune in on Sunday night to meet these families from the safety of my living room, I fully expect that the elusive liberties and values cherished by the majority of Americans are also cherished by these American families. We'll see.
Meanwhile, I suspect that FFA founder David Caton won't be tuning in. Recently appearing on ABC News's World News, Caton insisted, "This program creates an image that's harmful, education-wise, to the beliefs, structure and memories of millions of Americans who will look at this and say, 'Well, all Muslims are like that,' when it's not accurate."
If Caton's statement is confusing, you're not alone. As a reality barometer, ask yourself if it would be more or less true to invert Caton's statement, asserting, "This program creates an image that's not harmful, to the beliefs, structure and memories of millions of Americans." Would it more true or less true to say, "Not all Muslims are radical extremists"? Sadly, Caton has distorted truth to suit his group's ends.
Stay Sexy or Else? Well, Please Forgive These Mommy Hips
Desperate for Their MRS. Degrees
'The Office' Shows Even TV Romance Isn't Picture-Perfect
The Double Shock of Unexpected Pregnancy
RSS
Twitter
Facebook
Pinterest
Comments
Displaying 1–10 of 34 comments
See all comments
Ben
very interesting topic, in europe I think there is more muslim families than the states, I think the states respect all faiths.
Ben
very interesting topic, in europe I think there is more muslim families than the states, I think the states respect all faiths.
Christopher
Actually, every Muslim I've met have been almost exactly like the people in that show. And I live in New York City and know plenty Muslims.
Tim
Joanne, I'm not sure what you mean by a Tim using a lot of posting sites, but I'm the one who has posted here. I hope no one is adopting my name to do anything improper! If you want to see a sample of my writing, you can go to Jennay Rae Armstrong's blog here: http://www.jennyraearmstrong.com/2011/12/02/how-does-god-really-feel-about-interracial-marriages-or-what-year-is-it-people/ Cheers, Tim
Joanne
Interesting discussion, except that some posts (including mine) are not showing up, and some people may be posting in disguise(e.g. a "Tim" is using E. Harris' posting name, while not leaving his own. In fact, "Tim" may be using multiple different posting sites. I looked for and could not find either E.Harris or Susan and could not find their original posts. If this is really a dialogue, give us all the privilege of actually reading real posts from original authors in the comments. Otherwise, why should we bother to come here? Thanks
Velma Mitchell
"Do not trust even the seemingly mildest Moslem. They are really out to get you." Such paranoia has not been my experience coming from Sierra Leone, West Africa where Muslims are far more numerous than Christians, and where both have, by and large, lived amicably together for centuries. Churches continue to thrive and evangelistic outreach happens all the time. Even during the horrendous "Blood Diamond" rebel war of the '90s, Christians and Muslims suffered together at the hands of drug crazed demon possessed insurgents intent on looting the country of all its natural resources. What did Christians do then? They fasted, prayed and worked together with their Muslim neighbors to help defend themselves and their nation. To this day, the Gospel of Jesus Christ continues to live and breathe surrounded by the practice of Islam in Sierra Leone. Of course unique histories make for different situations in the present. However, this only goes to show that as Christians, we simply cannot make blanket statements about the evil of all Muslims for they, like Christians, may have different interpretations of their faith.
Philip Hudson
This article and the responses are interestion. But nothing can obliterate the fact that Moslems intend to take over the world and to destroy all opposition. A friend of mine went to a mosque regularly as research for a term paper in a university. The members were friendly and seemed genuine. When, however, the iman preached it was the standard Moslem cant that they were not only the only people who should exist but that when they get even a small foothold in a country they must begin demanding their own laws and when they become numerous enough their religion and culture are forced on everybody else. Do not trust even the seemingly mildest Moslem. The are really out to get you.
E Harris
E Harris wrote: "... the management at Lowe's is wise for discerning an overall WAR on christianity." Tim wrote: "Nope. I think the management at Lowe's discerned an overall affect on their bottom line, revenues. If they thought that catering to a particular religious group (whether Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Jewish, or any other) would help them sell more housepaint and ceiling fans, they'd cater to that group regardless of any supposed "overall WAR on Christianity." I agree Tim. Lowe's has a bottom line - and no doubt took that into account before they took a public stand. But the reaction to Lowe's pulling their advertising was a militant reaction. State senators vowing to try to MAKE Lowe's re-instate advertising dollars on a show that Lowe's doesn't approve of. Not to mention a lot of over-reaction from CAIR (the Council for American-Islamic Relations)...which gets it's money from who exactly? It IS an ideological war. And historically... Islam has not linked arms with Christianity. America is overwhelmingly Christian (sorta) so that's why Lowe's wasn't taking a big risk by standing against a few loud (pro-muslim) voices...who over-reacted, and are generating attention to Lowe's by THEIR over-reaction! Lowe's recently came out with a commercial stating: "Shine On, America." It had a bunch of people pushing a giant electrified globe of lights around & panning out to show American cities all networked & lit up. I think Lowe's knows where to take it's stand. Not with the anti-energy-production crowd...and not with the crowd that wants to wrap its arms around american muslims and simultaneously rebuke their tolerant neighbors! At the rate that we are going (intellectually) we are setting ourselves up to be an occupied country. We have no respect for America or what COMPRISES America...unless they have heavy foreign attachments and enjoy rebuking Americans!
E Harris
Susan, I'm a fellow conservative...and my experience with muslims has been the opposite! Maybe that's because, I approach things differently or something. But I've had enormously useful, encouraging, and edifying conversations with muslims (a young man, and a young woman). Real muslims, not 'the nation of islam' types. The two muslims that I'm referring to were analytical, like myself. They enjoyed talking about logic, philosophy, and how specific concepts and words from the Bible or Qur'an affected how we view things. They enjoyed the debate - and liked to debate & discuss things that are typically taboo in our secularized atheistical public culture. Along with taking an economic stand against promoting Islam... we need to have honest, heartfelt conversations with them. But this is more true (I think) between the men... For some reason, Islam remains a very patriarchal culture, and a rule bound, book-bound culture. In that regard, it is much like conservative christianity is (or should be)...only it's TOO word-bound and patriarchal. There's no Spirit, and there's no "Son" as in "son of God". So their form of monotheism is relatively heartless (though they don't know it, because they're comparing it with atheism). So we have some common cultural "feel" or understanding that acts as a facilitator for conversation.
Monnie
AMEN Susan!!! I couldn't have said it better myself. The road is a narrow one and many are on the wide one as we are seeing more and more Christians move off the foundation of Christ and into the world around them. I am so tired of being called a "hater" because I value and do my best to uphold Gods word. I dont care what anyone calls me. I only care what Christ does. Margot, you are being deceived my sister and you will see it eventually, when it is too late to change anything. Read His word. There you will find the Truth.
*