August 31, 2006
Muslim Miss England: Stereotyping Causes Terrorism
I think that crown she's wearing is putting a wee bit too much pressure on her poor little brain. According to 19-year old Hammasa Kohistani, who became the first Muslim Miss England last year:
"The attitude towards Muslims has got worse over the year. Also the Muslims' attitude to British people has got worse. (Note how British Muslims don't consider themselves British? -- ed.)
"Even moderate Muslims are turning to terrorism to prove themselves. They think they might as well support it because they are stereotyped anyway. It will take a long time for communities to start mixing in more.
"People may feel I am just a sugar coating on the situation. I am a symbol to show it's not really that bad."
But at the same time, she said, "there is this hostility, which comes "mainly from the Government."
The Prime Minister told MPs last month that moderate Muslims were not doing enough to tackle extremists in their own community.
Miss Kohistani said: "Tony Blair addressed Muslims in particular, telling them that they need to sort out the problem within. That was a huge stereotype of the Islamic community. Even the more moderate Muslims have been stereotyped negatively and feel they have to take actions to prove themselves."
So the recent acceleration of terrorist attacks perpetrated by Muslims is in retaliation to being stereotyped. I see. Has it not occurred to Miss Kohistani that blowing oneself up in a crowd of "non-believers" in order to achieve paradise in the name of Allah has been and always will be a problem within the Muslim community?
And why would "moderate Muslims" take to violence and terrorism to prove themselves if they don't like being stereotyped as terrorists? That's like Barbra Streisand having her nose redone to an even larger size to prove that she doesn't like being stereotyped as someone with a large, unattractive nose.
I suppose the denouncements from Muslim community leaders and the death threats Kohstani received upon winning the pageant are also stereotypical behavior that is the fault of the British government. There's nothing like being able to point the finger of fault at someone else to ease nasty tensions.
It seems to me Kohstani is more concerned about appeasing radicals who might be targeting her for harm than truly analyzing the matter. In this, she is proving herself to be more European than she might like.
Sucking up to those who say, "Off with her head!"
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