1. Bill Narvey said:

Ms. Bridges-Samuels advises Americans to be cautious of arrogance in their thoughts and words regarding the the Muslim race riots going on in France, citing America's own experience with Black peoples initiating race riots.

Apart from the fact that most Blacks who rioted were the most disadvantaged and poor, like the rioting Muslims in France, the experiences of Blacks and Muslims are quite different as is the reasons for the riots.

There is the expression, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do".

In America, discrimination of Black people made it very difficult for Blacks to enjoy all the advantages of white America or have all the opportunities for success and that led to greater than average Black poverty and involvement in crime. There was great anger in the Black community because of that discrimination they encountered which made it very difficult to be fully and equally integrated into American society which is what they wanted.

It was foolish however to lay all the blame on white America for Black failures in that regard. It was only with Black leaders and communities taking responsibility for themselves and their own failings and there indeed were such failings, that real gains have been made in bettering white - black relations in the U.S. and with that Blacks have an ever greater chance at an equal shot at the brass rings of success. It is a work in progress, but White and Black America are together on this and headed in the right direction.

In France however, the Muslim rioters have resisted integration into Western society, preferring to hold fast to their own Islamic culture and values, much of which as they understand and express views on their own religion and culture, are at odds with Judeo Christian principles and values. Not only do these Muslims resist integrating with French society, they seek to change French society to be more like them.

It is not arrogance however that Americans feel towards France and other European nations now having serious problems with their Muslim communities, it is schadenfreude they are feeling. It is natural for all the various reasons Ms. Bridges-Samuels has addressed in her previous articles. The caution however should be to have your moment perverse pleasure, but recognize it is not at all productive and so sympathize with France and try to help them sort out their problems if French pride will allow them to take help and advice.

Ms. Bridges-Samuels seems uncharacteristically effusive in speaking of Muslims she knows who are patriotic. Perhaps she is suffering from a touch of political correctness. She is however right to mention that many Muslims are no doubt patriotic American citizens for we all need to be reminded of that fact.

In mentioning the positives, however it is unhelpful to draw attention away from the negatives regarding Muslims in America which are far more troubling than the good feelings the positives might give rise to.

The focus should never be off the great many American Muslims who speak out with hatred against America and Israel and who surreptitiously work against American interests including being engaged in fundraising for terrorists and promotion of radical Islam within their communities.

The focus should also be on why the vast silent majority of American Muslims do not speak out against those angry hatefilled American Muslim voices who seek to incite their communities to join with them and bring harm to the U.S. from within and without.

No doubt many of the vast silent American Muslim majority quietly embrace radical Islam and support it with donations or in other manners. One hopes of course that most of the silent majority of American Muslims embrace America over radical Islam. There of course are no scientific studies to show one way or another.

America needs to find out whether their hopes that most American Muslims do not embrace radical Islam are correct. If so, America must start trying to reach the silent majority of patriotic American Muslims and get them to stand up for America against those American Muslims who stand against America.

If however, America finds that most of the silent Muslim majority do embrace radical Islam, America will then know it has a much bigger problem than it imagined and that it had better start taking effective measures to deal with that problem before the problem becomes overwhelming.

2. BobW said:

If a large enough group of Muslims start to work at the State Department, this could serve as a damper and tone down the antisemitic rhetoric of the WASPs. Whatever degree of hatred the Muslims harbor, it is less than the Eastern Establishment State Department.

Kol tuv,
BobW

3. rocky said:

There is a mighty flaw running through the whole article:

Muslims are not a race. Muslims are not an ethnic group.

Muslims are people who, regardless of race or background, follow the doctrine of Islam.

What happens in France are not race riots, it is a well-orchestrated intifada coordinated by mobile phones by youth following the religion of peace.

It is important to have clear ideas before qualifying a situation, otherwise it gets muddled.

4. Jovan-Marya Weismiller, T.O.Carm said:

With all due respect, these are NOT race riots, because Muslims are not a race. The author has fallen into the trap set by the «anti-Islamophobes» because they want any anti Muslim statement to be seen as racism. Muslims are a mutli-racial religion/ideology/weltanschauung.