Friday, December 16, 2011

Cowards and Bigots





Will Gov. Rick Snyder stand idly by while Michigan citizens are demonized by a Florida group of right-wing radicals?
All-American Muslim, the TLC show depicting the lives of five Muslim families from Dearborn, provides an opportunity for viewers around the country to learn more about a culture and religion that is too often misunderstood. But Lowe’s home improvement chain and Kayak, a travel site, pulled their ads from the show under pressure from a right-wing fringe group, the Florida Family Association. Now we’re fighting back. Rick may be a Republican, but he was elected to represent the people of Michigan - all of us.
Dearborn, which helped pioneer the auto industry, has been home to waves of multi-generational Irish, Polish, Ukrainian and other diverse peoples and is now home to a proud community of American families that practice the Muslim faith. They are doctors, teachers, police officers, fire fighters, autoworkers - they are Americans. Over 5,000 Muslims and Arab-Americans fought on both sides of the Civil War. Over 15,000 Arab-Americans fought in World War II against Hitler and Japan. After 9/11, Muslims led Marines and other soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Muslim families are an American story - a Michigan story - that is at once unique and also a reflection of our state’s traditional heritage of diversity.   
This latest hateful, anti-Muslim attack is part of an ongoing effort by a select handful of activists who work to create and promote misinformation about Muslims. According to an investigative report by the Center for American Progress, a small group of conservative foundations and wealthy donors are the lifeblood of the Islamophobia network in America. 
P.S. Please forward the petition to a few friends who would appreciate the opportunity to have their voices heard and have them take action using the link below:

No comments: