Publius' Forum

-By Warner Todd Huston

Last July a prankster in Maine rolled a severed, frozen pig's head through the doors of a storefront turned Muslim Mosque in the town of Lewiston. On Sept. 5th, The New York Times decided that this incident is a prime example of "simmering tensions in this overwhelmingly white, working-class city"-- they helpfully let us know that the census claims that "Maine is 96 percent white" -- over the changing ethnic flavor of the city.

Apparently, Lewiston is a hotbed of racism as far as the Times is concerned.

Naturally, there is not a single mention of just WHY people might be suspicious of Muslims in this day and age. The Times, though, feels it solely a racism without cause that forced Men to flee in fear and a child to feint. There was lots of fleeing and fainting. It was so bad that...

"Now, weeks later, Somali leaders say the incident has left a scar on their community of about 3,000 immigrants."

The Times imagines that this incident, this horrible scar, "reveals an undercurrent of suspicion and lack of understanding" about the Somali community's culture... again because Maine is "96 percent white".

And there you have it. Once again, only whites can be racist. It HAS to be why, according to the Times, as it is the only cause mentioned in the piece.

After reading this heartfelt report, I recalled how many times have we seen one of these little articles about other issues where the paper presents a point-counterpoint on the matter, even if lopsided and flawed. Whenever we see a political issue, for instance, we often see both the Republican and Democrat side of the issue. Whenever we see a story about Christian issues, we always see the anti-Christian side of the story mentioned, if about Jews we see the side of Jew haters and doubters presented.

So what do we see here? Do we get any perspective of just WHY folks might be suspicious or wary about Muslims in their midst?

No.

To recap, a pig's head was rolled into a Mosque and it causes the following comments from the community and the Times...

Now, weeks later, Somali leaders say the incident has left a scar on their community of about 3,000 immigrants.

While much of Lewiston has been welcoming, some Somalis here believe the head incident reveals an undercurrent of suspicion and lack of understanding about their culture. According to the Census Bureau, Maine is 96 percent white.

“We’re not saying all of Lewiston is part of this,” said Imam Nuh Iman, leader of the mosque, the Lewiston-Auburn Islamic Center. “But this is the biggest impact you can have on a mosque, in the time of praying, to put in a pig’s head. It could have been a goat’s head, or a cow’s head. But it was a pig’s head.”

“I think it’s a reflection of where we are right now. There’s a small group of people that will never accept this type of change in their community, ever,” said Mr. Nadeau, whose French-Canadian grandmother spoke only five words of English. “The second wave of non-English speakers to Lewiston is now the Somali population.”

“Most people feel welcome,” the imam said, “but after these incidents, not at all. Mainers have to understand that this is the new Maine.”

And, since there isn't any part of this story where any of the suspicions people might have about Muslims in a post 9/11 world is discussed, I'd like to offer a few snippets that might help explain why those rotten, racist White Mainers might be a bit worried about a Mosque in their midst...

-In August, Omeed Aziz Popal, an Afghani Muslim, deliberately drove into lots of people and murdered at least one, critically injuring many others and ending in front of the Jewish Community Center.


-In March, Mohammed Reza Taheri-Azar, an Iranian Muslim--inspired by Allah and hatred for America--purposely drove his Jeep into students at the University of North Carolina.

-In December, Ali R. Warrayat, a Palestinian Jordanian Muslim, drove his car into a Home Depot in Arizona, for the purpose of mass destruction of the store and those in it. He wanted to set the place ablaze. He was inspired by his anger toward America and his Koran in his trunk.

-Dr. Wameeth Fadhli, a Muslim medical doctor in Texas, who did a drive-by, "random" shooting of a bicyclist.

-A Muslim in Baltimore, Mujtaba Rabbani Jabbar, shooting and murdering a Jewish guy at a movie theater.

-A Pakistani Muslim, Naveed Haq, in Seattle shooting women at the Jewish Federation, murdering one.

(List courtesy of Debbieschlussel.com)

Where is the outrage at these incidents in the story as counter balance to a frozen pig's head being tossed into a storefront building doubling as a Mosque?

Outrage at a pig's head rolling about... nothing for MURDERS of ACTUAL people.

Nice juxtaposition, Times!