By Jonathan D. Melegrito
Contributing Editor
In all my 40 years here, I’ve never experienced the kind of weather that’s wreaking havoc on Washington : a monstrous blizzard that dumped nearly five feet of snow in February, a scorching heat wave, a deadly drought, an earthquake, ferocious back-to-back thunderstorms and damaging flash floods – all within seven months. And the year’s not over yet. We’re bracing for what will come next.
Meanwhile, weary residents have to contend with downed trees, power outages and flooded basements. We yearn for respite from Mother Nature’s wrath, negotiate with her if necessary.
But tranquility may not come anytime soon. There’s something else that’s even more alarming, threatening. It’s what Matthew Yglesia’s calls “a surge in xenophobia.” A fellow at the Center for American Progress, Yglesias notes that political temperatures are rising because the “us-vs-them controversies are proliferating” and politicians are “stoking a groundswell of public hostility towards outsiders.” He cites as examples the political fury over the building of an Islamic cultural center near the site of the World Trade Center in New York, the call for hearings to overturn the 14th Amendment in order to strip citizenship for babies born to undocumented immigrants, and the increasing attacks on immigrants, who are the new scapegoats when the economy goes bad. And these attacks will continue to mount until things get better.
As Yglesia’s explains: “This hostility is a consequence of the economic downturn. When personal incomes stop growing, people become less broadminded, and suspicion of foreigners and other ethnic group grows. The loss of a job, or the worry that one might be lost, raises anxiety. This often plays out as increased suspicion of people who look different or come from different places.”
The hate-filled rhetoric against outsiders and their families is growing more harsh and shrill with each passing day. Under pressure by these conservative forces, the feds have upped the rate of deportations. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), an agency in the Department of Homeland Security, reports that in 2006, the US deported 288,834 persons who entered the country without proper papers. The number dramatically increased in 2007 to 343,041, and in 2008 to 356,739.
Given the economic climate, even if the Democrats manage to control the House and Senate, it is unlikely for Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform.
Meanwhile, politicians continue to stoke a groundswell of public hostility towards outsiders. In Virginia, candidates for the state legislature are calling for more crackdowns on undocumented immigrants. Other states are also considering anti-immigrant legislation similar to one passed by Arizona recently.
Indeed, xenophobia is playing well, politically. And politicians have no shame in pandering to hysteria and fear.
The controversy over the Mosque at Ground Zero is very instructive because it is precisely “the fear of the other” that’s fueling all the hatred against Muslims. Julie Clawson, author of “Everyday Justice: The Global Impact of Our Daily Choices,” says that “this fear of the other prevents us from seeing the world clearly. Our belief in our own rightness clouds how we see the other.” She goes on to say that we judge Muslims by the actions of a few of its members, and that the fear and hatred sparked by the events of 9/11 still inform the average American’s opinion of Muslims.
President Obama was right when he publicly explained that “Al-Qaida’s cause is not Islam … These are not religious leaders … they’re terrorists … In fact, al-Qaida has killed more Muslims than people of any other religion … and that list of victims includes innocent Muslims who were killed on 9/11.”
By stating that Muslims have a constitutional right to build a mosque near Ground Zero, President Obama has reminded us that respecting diversity is a core American value. As writer Zahra Khan puts it, “This value allows everyone in our nation to live peacefully together, while respecting each person’s individuality. In essence, we are not supposed to become a melting pot, but rather a potpourri, in which diverse elements retain their characteristics to collectively produce the scent of liberty.”
In case you missed this news item: “Rima Fakih’s path from Lebanon to Las Vegas where she was crowned Miss USA is not unlike other immigrant success stories, but she stands out because of one notable first: she is very likely the first Miss USA who is Muslim. At at time when many Americans view Muslims with suspicion and hostility, Fakih, 24, sees herself as a testament to America’s promise as a land of opportunity. While she insists religion does not define her, the erstwhile Miss Michigan also recognizes that she can challenge stereotypes of the cloaked and dour Muslim woman.”
Immigration is profoundly changing the contours of this country, dotting America’s landscape with synagogues, temples and, yes, mosques. Hundreds of thousands of people of diverse cultural and religious identities stream into this land every year. Due in large measure to these immigrants, their sons and daughters and their grandchildren, the US has become the richest nation on earth. But its real treasures are not its bombs or banks but its people who come from different places, bringing with them the faith of their fathers and the songs of their mothers, further enriching this country with their beauty, brawn and brains.
We wish for a different kind of weather – not the extremes fueled by hatred and fear – but for the kind that leads us to common ground, that allows us – regardless of race and religion – to live together in peace.
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