[Bella]

The annual report of the US State Department on human rights.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/ameri ... /201031118

The annual report of US State Department on human rights has warned of increasing concern that discrimination against Muslims was on the rise in Europe.

The human rights report for 2009 cited Switzerland's ban on the construction of minarets on mosques enacted in November, as well as continued bans or restrictions on head scarves and burqa worn by Muslims in France, Germany and the Netherlands.

The report said: "Discrimination against Muslims in Europe has been an increasing concern."

Germany and the Netherlands have prohibitions against teachers wearing head scarves or burqa while on the job, and France bans the wearing of the religious garb in public, the report said.

Western culture

The report particularly focused on problems in the Netherlands, where Muslims number about 850,000, saying that Muslims face societal resentment based on the belief that Islam is not compatible with Western values.

The report blamed right-wing politicians for playing a role in fuelling the resentment.

It said: "Major incidents of violence against Muslims were rare, but minor incidents, including intimidation, brawls, vandalism, and graffiti with abusive language, were common."

It added that the department's annual human rights report is mandated by Congress to allow MPs to factor the issue into decisions on allocated aid to foreign countries.

Among other countries, the report most critically faulted human rights practises in Belarus, China, Cuba, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Syria and Russia.

China and Iran

The report criticised China for crackdowns on Uighurs and in Tibet, as well as increased restrictions to the internet and other forms of information and news.

Assistant Secretary of State Michael Posner said: "The Chinese government's human rights records remain poor and worsening in some areas, including increased cultural and religious repression of ethnic minorities ... and increased detention and harassment of activists and public-interest lawyers."

The State Department also focused on Iran and the repression of demonstrators who took to the streets following June's presidential election. Dozens of people were killed and thousands were detained, some facing prosecution.

Posner said: "An already poor human rights situation (in Iran) rapidly deteriorated after the June elections. It is a place where we are continuing to see severe repression of dissent and are continuing to pay great attention."

Civilian casualties

The report also cited the increased toll conflicts in some countries inflicted on the civilian population in 2009, including in Afghanistan, Sudan, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

There remain "significant human rights challenges" in Pakistan, the report said of the important US ally in the war on terrorism. The report said there were extrajudicial killings, torture, and disappearances.

The State Department cited reports the military carried out up to 400 killings during counterinsurgency operations against the Taliban in North West Frontier Province and the Swat Valley.

[Wolfman]

US: Europe biased against Muslims

Wow, pot calling the kettle black.

[Nets]

^ Muslims are far better integrated here than they are in Europe.

[politburo player]

Wow, pot calling the kettle black.

We are lucky that the Hispanics who dominate the immigrant scene here in the U.S. are all a bunch of good hearted, hard working Catholics. I'll tell ya, if the mass of humanity coming across the U.S. Southern border was anything but good Catholic boys, the U.S. would have nothing to do with it!

If they were angry Muslims like in Europe, the U.S. would be the poster child for political un-correctness...

[Wolfman]

Muslims are far better integrated here than they are in Europe.

True, but the US has still been extremely intolerant for unreasonable reasons. There are some acceptable reasons to be intolerant, but alot of Americans are just being ignorant.

[Todd D.]

US Citizens may be intolerant, but not on the institutional level we've seen in countries like France or Germany. Plus, discrimination in the US tends to be very...what's the word....spoken? Like, you'll get people who don't want to associate with Muslims, or are racist idiots and are proud of that fact, but you don't see the riots, brawls, violence, or anything listed in the OP.

[Wolfman]

Go to the airport with an Arab and you can see the institutional racism

[Todd D.]

I actually work with a Muslim and we travel on business regularly. At least in the Dallas, Phoenix, and Albuquerque airports, I haven't seen it.

Plus, even if there was an unspoken "Watch Arabs closer" directive in airport security, does that really compare to banning Burqas in public, or banning the construction of minarets?

[QatzelOk]

I actually work with a Muslim and we travel on business regularly. At least in the Dallas, Phoenix, and Albuquerque airports, I haven't seen it.

That's great.

Maybe there's no no-fly list after all. I haven't seen it myself.

[Todd D.]

Unless the no-fly list has an entry that just says "All Muslims", this is not the same thing.

[Wolfman]

Plus, even if there was an unspoken "Watch Arabs closer" directive in airport security, does that really compare to banning Burqas in public, or banning the construction of minarets?

He probably doesn't get messed with because you're there. Put some people between the two of you next you fly. If anyone will get pulled aside for 'special screening' it's going to be him. Also, idiotic racial harassment, is idiotic racial harassment.

[Aekos]

This just in - "Middle East biased against Christians"

Christians in Egypt, Iraq and Pakistan have a little more to worry about than Muslims in Europe

[Plaro]

The annual report of US State Department on human rights has warned of increasing concern that discrimination against Muslims was on the rise in Europe.

Fuck human rights institutions, arrogant hypocrites, who are they to discriminate what is humanly correct (right) and what is not.

[Texpat]

You don't have to agree with the findings. You don't have to read the report. However, whether you like it or not, it is meaningful to a lot of people including world leaders.

[Plaro]

You don't have to agree with the findings. You don't have to read the report. However, whether you like it or not, it is meaningful to a lot of people including world leaders.

What the heck are you talking about?

[Todd D.]

Also, idiotic racial harassment, is idiotic racial harassment.

False. There are obviously levels of discrimination, else you could claim that institutional racism is as bad in America now as they were in 1950, which is obviously silly.

As a Christian, if I were faced with the unenviable choice between being temporarily hassled at an airport or the government banning the free expression of my faith, I would obviously choose the former. I think most would agree that while it isn't necessarily right, it's preferrable to the latter.

[Ombrageux]

Europe and America mistreat Muslims in different ways. In Europe, it is a domestic issue of race relations. In America, it is chiefly political, related to the GWOT, and mainly concerns foreign Muslims (who can often be European or Canadian).

[killim]

As a Christian, if I were faced with the unenviable choice between being temporarily hassled at an airport or the government banning the free expression of my faith, I would obviously choose the former. I think most would agree that while it isn't necessarily right, it's preferrable to the latter.

The headscarf as a religious symbol is banned in countries like France, because they are strictly laical. Which means that other (e.g. christian, hinduistic etc.) symbols aren't allowed too if you are in public service, because the state has to be completely neutral. This isn't a problem for the christian community, because they had some centuries to adapt to the rules after they killed eachother over religious reasons in really really bad wars that stood not back against the crusades and involved ethnic cleansing and genozid. Thats the reason why such sharp laws for a neutral administration were set up and they infact protect the religious minorities.

[Todd D.]

The French ban on the Islamic veil is not exclusive to those in public service, as I understand it, but to all schools. That means students, as well, does it not?

Besides, restricting religious freedom, especially in areas as passive as clothing, can in no way be considered "protection" of the religious. That's straight up doublethink right there; It's goofy on the face of it, as is the ricockulous excuse that it's "neutral".

[Jackal]

This is excellent. I hope the West's intolerance of Islam continues to rise.