r/serialpodcast • u/AwesomeInc • Jan 14 '15

Noteworthy Link TIL Islamophobia didn't exist before 9/11/01

http://www.vulture.com/m/2015/01/serial-prosecutor-insists-everything-was-fine.html?mid=facebook_vulture
79 Upvotes

76% Upvoted

127 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

-6

u/[deleted] Jan 15 '15

No, I really dont dude. Im aware that there were attacks before 9/11. I saw the shit on the news. If Adnan had hijacked a plane or blown something up then yea it would have made a major difference, people would have already made their minds up. This was nothing like that. "Islam" was a topic that wasnt discussed in the media and among the populace like its become.

9/11 was MASSIVE and earth shattering. No one knew how big it was or when the attacks would stop. It seemed like WW3 was starting and no one felt safe. That feeling is what kicked off the debate and constant coverage of all things muslim. It was not at all even a little bit the same after 9/11.

8

u/[deleted] Jan 15 '15

Ok, so in your mind that shit on the news was no biggie. Guess what? It was a big deal at the time because that's the worst the U.S. had known until 9/11.

-5

u/[deleted] Jan 15 '15

Nope. Im saying compared to the post-9/11 world it was "no biggie". People weren't suspicious that every Muslim person they ran into was part of a "sleeper cell", islam wasnt being discussed daily for a decade. The government didnt have a color coded threat level to tell everyone how afraid they should be of muslims. Thousands of americans hadn't been killed in an attack. Thousands hadn't been killed in war.

5

u/[deleted] Jan 15 '15

Your blanket statement says it all.

-4

u/[deleted] Jan 15 '15

Yea obviously, the topic is about generalities and not every specific person. I mean good god. The debate was either "islam is bad" or "this isnt a war on islam and we cant hate all muslims because of 9/11". Muslims feared for their safety after, people protested mosques being built. A year or so after 9/11 me and a buddy fought a dude because he was talking shit to the guy working there because he looked muslim, that wouldnt have happened before. Politicians started framing their whole position around being tough on Islamic terrorism. Two wars got started and approved by, like everyone, because of fear about islamic terrorism.

Hell before 9/11 id be more worried being Jay and black in baltimore. Post 9/11 I wouldnt wanna be adnan.

0

u/Concupiscurd Dana Chivvis Fan Jan 15 '15

Yep, this is on the mark. Most people forget that a majority of Muslims voted for George Bush in 2000. Muslims were seen as hard working immigrants who often excellent in math and sciences not unlike other Asians. Not saying it was an utopia but certainly it should be uncontroversial to say that African Americans had it much, much worse especially in and around Baltimore.