Sitting through the horror show that was the Republican National Convention, you’d think that there was no other way, but up. The anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim and anti-black rhetoric that was overtly paraded out in speech after speech was expected, but shocking nonetheless. But while many have come to expect the onslaught of bigotry from the right, there have been some cringeworthy moments at this week’s Democratic National Convention as well.
What did Bill Clinton Just Say?
“If you’re a Muslim and you love America and freedom and you hate terror, stay here and help us win and make a future together, we want you.” – Bill Clinton
As the former President of the United States delivered this line, the DNC crowd roared with approval. For many, the statement may seem innocuous on its face. Strategically, the tenor of the convention has been all about juxtaposing the unhinged nature of Donald Trump against the “more trustworthy” and “stable” Hillary. In the wake of Trump’s consistently inflammatory rhetoric about Muslims, Bill Clinton’s comments were aimed at being a galvanizing force for the Left and those who are undecided. But for many in the Muslim community, those comments fell flat.
Let’s pause and break this statement down:
Hate Terror? – Why yes, in fact – Muslims do hate terror. That is because Muslims are the vast majority of terror victims worldwide. Ask the people of Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Libya, Turkey and many others how they feel.
Why is it every damn time we bring up Muslims it's in the context of terrorism? We r more than national security sound bites. #DemsInPhilly
— Linda Sarsour (@lsarsour) July 27, 2016
But that’s just part of the point. The only time you choose to mention Muslims in your speech is through the lens of terror. The Clinton campaign has consistently used this type of narrative throughout the debate process. This type of rhetoric paints the diverse, deeply-entrenched American Muslim community as one-dimensional and useful for only one thing, when it comes to life in America. Which brings me to my next point:
Stay here? – I don’t know how it was possible to hit so many wrong notes in a single sentence, but somehow Clinton was able to do it. Telling Muslims to “stay here” gives the impression that Islam is something “foreign” or “other” – when in reality, Islam has been in the fabric of this nation since its inception.
Bill Clinton has nerve saying American Muslims can stay in here if we do such & such. My Muslim ancestors got here before 1776. Take a hike.
— Dawud Walid (@DawudWalid) July 27, 2016
Even though Muslims make up a small minority in America, with estimates as high as 7 million people – it is fallacious to paint the community as consisting solely of immigrants. Historians have estimated that over 20% – and even as high as 30% of African slaves that were brought to American colonies were of Muslim descent. And while those who were enslaved were beaten and stripped of their religion over time, it is undeniable that Islam was a part of their lives.
Today, 1/3 of Muslims in this country are African American, which goes against consistent this narrative being pushed from both right and left, that Muslims are “foreign.”
When it comes to the immigrant community in America, this holds true as well. Muslim immigrants have been here in America in waves, ever since the late 1800’s. The very first mosque in America was built in North Dakota during the 1920’s.
“We want you.” – One has to ask the question: Who is “we”? Muslims are just as part of the fabric of the “we” that makes up America as anyone else. As outlined earlier, our roots go back as deep – if not sometimes deeper than those in the Clinton family. While he is trying to make a point of just how intolerant Trump and Co. are, his words have a tinge of Orientalism to them.
This wasn’t the first time Bill Clinton has gotten into hot water over what were perceived to be condescending remarks toward Muslims. At a forum he was speaking at earlier this year, he told an ambitious young Muslim “this is a pretty steep career lens for a Muslim woman.” To which, she replied: “Well actually, I don’t think it’s too steep for a Muslim woman.”
In that very same soundbite, he somehow managed to offend people from the black and Latino communities as well.
The moral of the story is: The minority community does not want to be talked at. Whether black, immigrant, Muslim – or all of the above, we realize that there are societal issues that we are dealing with. We realize that we are facing record levels of anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim sentiment. We realize that black men are being killed by law enforcement at an alarming rate, in comparison to everyone else. We realize that these issues need to be addressed and rectified now, and not be pushed aside.
But rather than using our communities as a prop and “talking at” us, it is important to get away from these tropes that we have become so accustomed to hearing. Also, it’s probably not a good idea to bring in a mayor who defended “Stop and Frisk” and unchecked blanket surveillance upon an entire community of Muslims. Yes, that’s right – things got even more awkward, as the DNC decided to bring in former NYC Mayor, Michael Bloomberg to address the crowd.
The Muslim community in New York City is still reeling from the effects of the NYPD’s blanket spying program that spanned beyond the city’s borders – throughout the entire Northeast. Businesses were spied upon, informants planted in mosques, students followed to conventions, and a community’s trust betrayed. Bloomberg was an ardent defender of this ongoing program that spanned a better part of a decade, even though it was revealed that “zero actionable intelligence” was gathered from spying on Muslims. It was no surprise then, that Muslim activists expressed strong objections to having the former mayor on a prime-time speaking docket. He’s not even a Democrat – but therein lies the strategy. The DNC is trying to court disgruntled Republicans to make the switch for this election, due to the extreme nature of Trump and his campaign. In the end, the request was for naught – and the mayor who alienated so many minority communities got his speaking gig.
You could say all of this ties in together. This election, for many out there boils down to “a lesser of two evils.” The DNC is presenting itself as a more tolerant, open option in comparison to what the RNC has to offer. They have, essentially done a good job of denouncing the overt bellicose and Islamophobic language that Trump has served up in previous months. If we look a little deeper, however – it seems as though there is still much work to do. Bill Clinton’s comments were just a glimpse of this looming beneath the surface. The Muslim community is a diverse, vibrant, and well-entrenched one. It is time to stop talking at us, to move beyond the stereotypical tropes out there, and listen to what we have to say.
I was struck dumb – but at the same time not at all surprised – when I heard this line.
The Clintons are totally and completely disconnected from reality; this is yet another demonstration of their immense sense of entitlement and concomitant ideological sloppiness. Law, morality, The Constitution, decency, and logic all fall apart in the face of Bill and Hillary’s quest for power: they get to decide who stays and who goes, who is American enough, who lives or dies. . . This is their attitude towards American citizens, vested with all their theoretical rights, just imagine how little regard they have for the brown and black people of foreign lands. Of course there’s no need to try your brain imagining, for they both have extensive records of callousness, aggression and murderous destruction abroad.
Contemplating Hillary Clinton’s return to the White House is a frightening thing. Jill Stein is our only hope – the worlds only hope really.
i didn’t here bill give that speech but while i count see the tone he used if i go by this article it sure sounds like it was a back-handed compliment, or an outright insult to american muslims.
“stay here”? are muslims in the us wanting to leave in large numbers? i doubt it.
anyway-it sounds like this part of the speech was not directed at muslims , american muslims at all. they were just the brunt of the point clinton was trying to push about how the dnc loves ‘everybody’
a nice counterpoint to this, at least imo, was the pakistani american-muslim father who whipped out his worn out , trusty old copy of the constitution to rightly claim his undeniable sacrifice and complete right as a citizen to smack trumpf over the head with a constitution he most likely paid some lucky to read for him-if he even did that. i’m not a muslim but if i were-i imagine that seeing the father and mother in such a proud and dignified light was startling -if only because the mood in the muslim community in the us must be pretty glum. i have to think that was a high point.
Old slick willie got off a 2-fer with his condescending, insulting remarks to Muslim Americans (1/3 being African American). They took off their masks at the DNC and no one should be surprised what’s been underneath all along. My favorite response to this offense is by Dawud Walid “Bill Clinton has nerve saying American Muslims can stay in here if we do such & such. My Muslim ancestors got here before 1776. Take a hike.” Priceless.
Hello Imraan Siddiqi. First, a brief, honest, and serious disclaimer/qualifier: I don’t consider myself a Hillary supporter, and I haven’t yet decided how I will vote. In fact, I find Hillary’s foreign policy, particularly her overblown, anti-Palestinian/Israel-First rhetoric and policy shameful at best. And, of course, wildly immoral/unethical/illegal at worst. However, I’m also a stickler for language…
Let’s pause and break this statement down: Hate Terror? – Why yes, in fact – Muslims do hate terror. That is because Muslims are the vast majority of terror victims worldwide… The only time you choose to mention Muslims in your speech is through the lens of terror.
It’s almost like you’re saying Bill means to imply that Muslims do not hate terror. But that’s plainly absurd so I’ll let that go. But implying that Bill C. said this because he “only mentions Muslims through the lens of terror” is major spin. Really? That’s what you think he meant? That’s forced. It’s plainly a response to Trump’s immigration nonsense and his racist Islamophobic rhetoric.
Stay here?… Telling Muslims to “stay here” gives the impression that Islam is something “foreign” or “other” – when in reality, Islam has been in the fabric of this nation since its inception.
You’re reading into this in a very forced, odd way. So you feel that when B. Clinton says “Stay here,” what he means is that Islam hasn’t been in the U.S. for a long time, or is “other/foreign?” No. I don’t think that’s what he means at all. Again, it’s obviously a response to Trump’s (and many racist, Islamophobic Americans) call for banning muslims and to his immigration policy. Folks who don’t like being unfairly demonized and who are in constant fear of incrimination and deportation may very well consider leaving the U.S. Clinton is obviously trying to tell Muslim Americans that he, and Hillary, don’t want them to leave due to the racist, Islamophobic rhetoric/attitudes Trump and other Americans use. And that Trump’s discriminatory anti-Muslim immigration policy will not be a part of Hillary’s agenda. Seeing Bill’s statement, instead, as meaning “Islam has not been part of America” or that he meant Islam is “foreign,” is a major spin. I think you’re seeing something that isn’t there.
“We want you.” – One has to ask the question: Who is “we”?
It’s obvious that Bill means “Americans,” or, at any rate, the Democratic Party and the majority of Americans who who happen to be reasonable/non-racists. And this, of course, includes Muslim Americans. Again, reading “We want you,” especially in the context of this speech/campaign, as anything other than Bill taking a swipe at Trump’s B.S. racist rhetoric/policy, is deep spin.
The moral of the story is: The minority community does not want to be talked at. Whether black, immigrant, Muslim – or all of the above, we realize that there are societal issues that we are dealing with. We realize that we are facing record levels of anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim sentiment. We realize that black men are being killed by law enforcement at an alarming rate, in comparison to everyone else. We realize that these issues need to be addressed and rectified now, and not be pushed aside.
So you realize that these issues need to be addressed… But just not by folks running for the presidency? Because if they speak out against Islamophobic rhetoric and policy they’re merely “talking at you?” Are you suggesting that bullshit Islamophobia should not be countered or mentioned by the Clintons? That for them to say nothing against it is a good, moral tactic? I would say that’s, quite literally, nonsense.
But rather than using our communities as a prop and “talking at” us, it is important to get away from these tropes that we have become so accustomed to hearing.
I would suggest that the idea that if someone from outside of your community (and remember that “community” can be interpreted broadly or narrowly) expresses their opinion on an issue affecting that community, that they are merely “talking at” you instead of simply expressing themselves and trying to contribute to some sort of conversation, is the trope we should be getting away from.
I’m opposed to any PLO rights. I’m also opposed to any boycott groups of Israel. I was a Democrat years ago. I even voted for Bill Clinton. Actually, both Clinton and Trump are Pro Arab rights. But Hillary Clinton is more for the rights of Arabs.
Clinton is only using triangulation political methods to get votes. As soon as elected, Hillary, will use selective left wing groups to bully Democrats into following their PLO agenda. See the example of Debbie Wassermann Schultz, my guess is she was scapegoated. It seems the lobbying groups and Dem groups that scapegoated her are pro PLO.
I’m not a politician; I get no money from the oil industry, or the military industrial complex. I could never support PLO rights, because as I became a citizen of Israel I had the opportunity to get off the tour bus; with their brainwashing (think Birthright trips)… I’m not a Orthodox Jew, though my great grandfather was the president of a Orthodox synagogue in the US.
I can assure all the pro PLO US supporters that are being encouraged to help the PLO and similar groups out of humanitarian reasons … you are being tricked. I checked just about every country that will not allow a Israeli passport holder to enter is a big financial supporter of the PLO etc. Those same groups are the same ones that scapegoated Debbie Wassermann Schultz, and countless other Jewish reporters that are anti-Trump.
As a pacifist anarchist I researched the PLO methods. The PLO organization methods are those of Nazi organizations by and large. I would never go to Judea or Samaria because I’m hated by both the right wing Zionist Orthodox Jews (settlers) and by the Arabs… because they think I’m a Jew because any Arab thinks I’m Jewish because my father is Jewish..even though the Jewish community generally considers me non-Jewish, because my mother is not Jewish. I know because when I got off the tour bus in Israel, and, I asked a Israeli Arab how they think about my Jewishness; he said, three times that I’m a Jew even though my mother is not Jewish.
I suggest that all left wing group members get off the tour bus. Your leaders are self serving.