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When I read his manifesto, I couldn't help but think of high-profile American politicians, such as the president of the United States who
said, "Islam hates us,"
referred to "people coming out of mosques with hatred and death in their eyes and on their minds," and
compared a caravan of migrants to an "invasion." Or Sen. Ted Cruz, who
called on "law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized." Or Sen. Marco Rubio who
said he was in favor of "closing down anyplace — whether it's a cafe, a diner, an internet site — anyplace where radicals are being inspired." Or Sen. Lindsey Graham who
declared: "If I have to monitor a mosque, I'll monitor a mosque." Or former Gov. Mike Huckabee who
described Muslims in the Middle East coming out of mosques on Fridays "like uncorked animals." Or even former President Bill Clinton, who
suggested at the Democratic National Convention in 2016 that Muslim-American citizenship was contingent on good behavior and proving loyalty: "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."
When I read the alleged shooter's manifesto, I couldn't help but recall how right-wing pundits have made so many similar statements — and paid no penalty. For example, author Ann Coulter who
has spoken openlyof "ragheads," "camel jockeys," and "jihad monkeys,"
declaimed three days after 9/11 that "we should invade their countries, kill their leaders, and convert them to Christianity." Or commentator Ben Shapiro, who
believes that a "majority" of the world's Muslim population is "radicalized" and has
claimed that "Arabs like to bomb crap and live in open sewage." Or Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who has
won the support of neo-Nazis by
repeatedly making not-so-coded references to the
white genocide conspiracy theory and has also
dismissed Iraqis as "semiliterate primitive monkeys." Or Brigitte Gabriel,
friend of the president, who
thinks that "a practicing Muslim who believes the word of the Quran to be the word of Allah, who abides by Islam, who goes to mosque and prays every Friday … cannot be a loyal citizen to the United States of America." Or Steve Bannon, former executive chair of Breitbart News and ex-adviser to the president, who has
declared, "Islam is not a religion of peace" but "a religion of submission," and warned that the U.S. could transform into the "Islamic States of America."
When I read the manifesto, I couldn't help but remember the names of some prominent liberals, too, such as atheist and scientist Sam Harris, who
dubbed Islam "the mother lode of bad ideas" and
announced that "we are not at war with 'terrorism.' We are at war with Islam." Or TV host Bill Maher who
called Islam "a mafia" and
accused "violent" Muslims of bringing "that desert stuff to our world."
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