Why are millions of Americans suddenly caught up in a torrent of fear and fury over Islam so strong that both the president and the commanding general of U.S. forces in Afghanistan have warned of deadly consequences? What motivates the outpouring of rancor against Muslims, especially in the conservative media? How did they escape until now?
The answer is that until the advent of the Obama presidency, Republicans had no reason to scapegoat Muslims or demonize Islam -- and indeed, they could not have inflamed those prejudices without damaging their own leaders, especially George W. Bush.
Evidence of the blatantly partisan character of the current anti-Muslim campaign can be found everywhere -- on Fox News Channel, cable channel of the GOP; in the latest excrescence of Newt Gingrich and David Bossie; and in the roster of speakers at Saturday's "no mosque" rally, which featured a video message from John Bolton, the Bush administration’s former ambassador to the United Nations.
Joe Conason in Salon
For me, the "no mosque" situation came alive with the writing of Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer back in May. The Cordoba House Mosque referred to the Cordoban rule in Spain, which was the westernmost land of the Muslim Caliphate during the Middle Ages. Thius mirrored the gut reaction of the 71% of Americans who saw it as emblematic of an eventual Islamic takeover.
The US media and politicians have adapted the mosque controversy to promote their agenda. This increases the Muslim opportunity for a coup d'etat.
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