‘This Is A Religious War’: Supporters of Iran Conflict Lean Into Islamophobia
Even George W Bush once declared that “Islam is peace”
Supporters of the US attack on Iran are embracing open Islamophobia and disdain for Islam in a way that backers of past Republican-led military intervention in the Middle East avoided.
That not only includes prominent Republicans, but also Sen John Fetterman, the Pennsylvania Democrat who increasingly has sided with views typical of the political right.
The US military began an assault against Iran last weekend in conjunction with Israeli forces.
Top Trump administration officials and other backers of the conflict — including Donald Trump himself — have expressed shifting rationales and justifications to have launched the war.
And even as public opinion polls clearly show that the American people disapprove of war with Iran, supporters of the war have let loose ugly rhetoric about Muslims and Islam, which is the religion of Iran.
This stands in contrast with the respect Republican President George W Bush showed Islam immediately after the September 11, 2001, attacks.
Among those lashing out in recent days was Sen Lindsey Graham (R-SC), one of Trump’s staunchest supporters and one of loudest backers of war with Iran.
“This is a religious war. Who wins it at the end of the day? Do the radical Islamic terrorists who want to kill all the Jews because God told them to, who want to kill me because I'm an infidel, who want to purify Islam to reject moderation and make everybody a Jihadist? This is a big deal,” he said.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, too, has pointedly made the conflict not even about policy — but faith.
He said Wednesday that Iranians hold a “misguided religion,” and there was “no way to appease them.”
Unfortunately, it’s not only Republicans spouting Islamophobic rhetoric.
Fetterman was approached by a journalist with Zeteo, the media outlet founded by Mehdi Hasan, who has long talked about Islam and been an outspoken opponent of Islamophobia.
“I wanna — I wanna offer condolences to your boss. I know he's all broke up about the ayatollah …” the senator said, referring to Iran’s supreme leader and cleric who was killed in the early hours of the war.
When the journalist sounded confused, Fetterman said, “I know who you work for.”
This sort of bigotry is a far cry from the unity Bush attempted right after 9/11, when he publicly admonished Americans not to give into such hate.
He visited the Islamic Center of Washington, DC, where he delivered remarks.
“The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That’s not what Islam is all about. Islam is peace. These terrorists don’t represent peace. They represent evil and war,” Bush said at the time.
“When we think of Islam we think of a faith that brings comfort to a billion people around the world. Billions of people find comfort and solace and peace. And that’s made brothers and sisters out of every race — out of every race,” he added.
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