Anyone who reads this blog is probably aware of the outburst of Islamophobia in the USA recently, with intemperate denunciations of plans to build a Muslim community center a few blocks from the WTC site in Manhattan, threats to burn the Quran (exactly why I am not sure) and rabble-rousing about how (American!) Muslims might not deserve the full measure of 1st amendment protections. Alarming and in some instances rather hysterical. It's like the return of Millard Fillmore, in whose time it was the Irish who might not deserve the 1st amendment, because they were the wrong kind of Christian.But bad as the active promotion of this stuff, by agitators obscure and prominent alike, may be, all may not as it seems. Let me tell you what I saw this September 11.
I was invited to take part in an SCA medieval re-creation in Northern Illinois. Despite the distance I decided to go. Despite some early rain, the weather was mostly beautiful and there were probably 400 people there, dressed in a variety of medieval-style clothing and some very sharp-looking armor. Among this crowd were some people playing the part of medieval Muslims, including a handful of ordinary black and white Americans wearing niqabs.
And no one said boo.
On September 11.
That evening I was at dinner with another participant, talking about a favorite SCA subject, one's upcoming artistic projects. The lady in question expressed a more-than-idle desire to extend her knowledge of medieval culture by learning a foreign language.
Arabic.
About this point I began to feel that there must be two different USAs, on two different planets, one considerably less hysterical than the other.
Thank heaven.
I will remember this when the big-name agitators start thumping their drums, or start promoting some lunatic preacher or politician because they are steadfast against unAmerican Islam.
BTW, I did indeed see a remembrance ceremony of the 9-11 attacks, too. The participants were very dignified and appropriate and had nothing to do with denouncing any religious tradition.
Image: an attendee at the event in question.
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