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Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Comments

Some Catholic Lady

I recently had someone insist I was an intolerant bigot and fearful of all Muslims because I see this as a provocation (or, at the very least, a complete lack of tact - even if you give them the total benefit of the doubt here). She insisted that "people like [me]" were afraid of all Muslims and think they're all terrorists. I kept insisting that this is part of a pattern of Muslims throughout history; when they conquer a new place, they set up mosques on or near a holy site. In America, because we are so post-Christian, people consider this place to be holy. I even gave examples of not just Cordova but the Temple Mount and the Hagia Sophia off the top of my head. I said that *because* of that kind of history, this was not going to build bridges. Even giving them the benefit of the doubt about building bridges, someone not going purely on emotion has to at least admit that it's bad PR. But she could not admit that there is any reason aside from bigotry and racism and hatred behind disagreeing about this mosque.

What she doesn't know (even after 12 years of online correspondence with me, not to mention personal emails and even Christmas cards annually), and what I *won't bring up with her*, is that my brother in law and his whole family are Iranian Muslims. But because I refuse to play the "I know this person" card (which I think is a total cop-out in an argument), she doesn't know just how foolish her statement is. And she's stated emphatically on her blog (without naming me) that she would not apologize for that comment; she tries making it seem fine because she won't apologize for sticking up for Catholic priests in general. But I maintain that I will not bring up my extended family because in a real debate it shouldn't make a difference. If one cannot argue the merits of their case without pulling out their friends' diversity, then they don't really have a point.

(Not even signing my usual name on my comments here, by the way.)

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