re: #2 Dr Lizardo

I can’t help but wonder if the producers of this schlock were trying to provoke a reaction among American Muslims; you know, something so they could see, “See?! We told you all the Muslims are crazy!!” […]

I suspect Thanos was right indeed; we may well find the hands of Messrs Horowitz and Ahmanson behind all this. I can’t say I’d be shocked if Geller and Spencer played a role as well, even if indirectly.

If they’re teamed up with people like Geller, Spencer and Horowitz, then their hatred knows no bounds. This particular bunch seems more intent on stirring up trouble overseas—in Egypt specifically, the rest being a “bonus”.

There’s a LOT of bad blood between Copts & Muslims. I can attest to that personally having lived in Atlantic City & Jersey City and seen it with my own eyes. Jersey City in particular has a large Egyptian community, many of whom are Copts. Being an American female & convert to Islam, I was fairly regularly treated to stories from both sides—whether I was supposed to feel incredibly lucky & blessed, or in mortal danger due to my choice to convert to Islam, depended on who I was talking to. Obviously, not everyone felt the need to harp on that stuff, but enough did that it became tiresome.

That bad blood goes back centuries, which is why I think this particular group is probably more focused on paying back Egyptian Muslims. Horowitz & Co. are the ones focused on us (American Muslims), but I suspect they’ll assist anyone who wants to aggravate Muslims anywhere, just for shits & giggles.

As has been noted here before, the haters on both sides (jihadis/Islamists and counter-jihadis/Islamophobes) are much more alike than they are different. It’s sad, and it seems to be evolving in a very dangerous way now.

The Islamophobic counter-jihadis have been reaching out to the far right in Europe for a while now. Add in the Christian fundies (some of whom are U.S. politicians) teaming up with the Geller types (anti-mosque protests & lawsuits, anti-sharia legislation & creeping sharia fearmongering) and reaching out to far right/Kahanist types in Israel. Now add disaffected Arab Christians who see the Arab Spring as an opportunity for payback, then top it all off with the Muslim jihadis and…it doesn’t bode well for all the moderate people caught in the middle.

These people are ALL extremists and are ALL looking for a fight to the death from which they emerge victorious, righteously wielding the reins of power that God promised them because they are special.

The world is divided into people who think they are right. —Anonymous