When We Accuse Muslims in Politics of Having Extremist Ties
Below is a (imho) truly despicable example of deceit that well serves as an example of what is wrong. Even if one wants to somehow argue the validity of concern about Huma, many other examples exist. Let’s go ahead and flip the coin. This is not really about Islamophobia as a poilitical tool, it simply includes it in a major way.
What are the consequences of false accusations in politics at all? Nil. The only effective filter we have is polling and voting. There simply is no immediate check in force here. No law or regulation to intervene. Sure we have Factcheck and Snopes and the like. Need we start our news reads there each day? This blog enjoys a rich history of outing fakery. Memos, photos etc. Big HT to our Kind Host Charles.
Todays example, HT Huffpo
Earlier this week, news headlines began popping up regarding Hillary Clinton’s top campaign aide Huma Abedin. This time they weren’t about her marriage to former representative Anthony Weiner (D-NY) who resigned after a Twitter sexting scandal. The headlines were concerning whether Abedin had ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and “worked at a radical Muslim journal for dozens of years.” While sources fact-checked these statements and determined their falsity, politicians who support Donald Trump have used this “extremist connection” rhetoric against Abedin. Sean Duffy (R-WI) during a CNN interview on Thursday insisted that Human Abedin had ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. Trump supporters have used these statements as a way to undermine Clinton’s campaign by slandering one of her top advisors.
Similarly, when London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan was running for office, his opponent Zac Goldsmith accused Khan of having ties with extremists in Britain. While this did not cost Khan the election, it did tap into anti-Muslim feelings amongst voters and further exacerbated Islamophobic opinions
This growing practice of politicians accusing Muslim political figures of having links to extremist groups begs the question: What are the consequences of falsely accusing our top Muslims in politics of having connections to extremist organizations?
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