"Radio Hoax Exposes Anti-Muslim Sentiment in U.S.".. But What Of Egypt?

Just sharing this with y'all and withholding comment for now (two tests tomorrow) BUT interesting how Americans got all up in arms when the whole "religion on ID card" thing got brought up.. and how that's exactly what happens in Egypt.

 

(Point being, in America, that sort of branding is "Hitlerian" and in Egypt, it's just "the way things are." HOW does the ID card thing help at all? What if you're born a Satanist or something? Would they write "Shetaneya" or something on there? (How dyou even say "Satanist" in Arabic? "Elly beyelbesso eswed?" Hah.) Or what if you're born a Muslim and are actually a closet Baptist or something? All this does is propagate discrimination based on something you're born into and may or may not practice.)

 

(Just in case you're under the impression that this isn't anywhere near "withholding comment" may I remind you that the last time I commented on someone else's article, I ended up penning about 2,500 words!)

 

Ok, you can read the snippet now.. (the sender forgot to include the link from whence the article originated! Apologies, but just type in "Jerry Klein" and you'll find something about it..)

 

Radio Hoax Exposes Anti-Muslim Sentiment in U.S.

 

By Bernd Debusmann, Reuters

 

WASHINGTON (Dec. 1) -- When radio host Jerry Klein suggested that all Muslims in the United States should be identified with a crescent-shape tattoo or a distinctive arm band, the phone lines jammed instantly.

The first caller to the station in Washington said that Klein must be "off his rocker." The second congratulated him and added: "Not only do you tattoo them in the middle of their forehead but you ship them out of this country ... they are here to kill us."

Another said that tattoos, armbands and other identifying markers such as crescent marks on driver's licenses, passports and birth certificates did not go far enough. "What good is identifying them?" he asked. "You have to set up encampments like during World War Two with the Japanese and Germans."

At the end of the one-hour show, rich with arguments on why visual identification of "the threat in our midst" would alleviate the public's fears, Klein revealed that he had staged a hoax. It drew out reactions that are not uncommon in post-9/11 America.

"I can't believe any of you are sick enough to have agreed for one second with anything I said," he told his audience on the AM station 630 WMAL, which covers Washington, Northern Virginia and Maryland.

"For me to suggest to tattoo marks on people's bodies, have them wear armbands, put a crescent moon on their driver's license on their passport or birth certificate is disgusting. It's beyond disgusting.

"Because basically what you just did was show me how the German people allowed what happened to the Jews to happen ... We need to separate them, we need to tattoo their arms, we need to make them wear the yellow Star of David, we need to put them in concentration camps, we basically just need to kill them all because they are dangerous."

The show aired on November 26, the Sunday after the Thanksgiving holiday, and Klein said in an interview afterwards he had been surprised by the response.

"The switchboard went from empty to totally jammed within minutes," said Klein. "There were plenty of callers angry with me, but there were plenty who agreed."

Those in agreement are not a fringe minority.

Gallup poll this summer of more than 1,000 Americans showed that 39 percent were in favor of requiring Muslims in the United States, including American citizens, to carry special identification.