Muslim Groups: Americans Have Evolved On Prejudice

According to Muslim organizations, the backlash they expected against Muslims after the Boston marathon bombings simply hasn’t materialized.  

Ibrahim Hooper of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), stated there has been no increase in harassment of Muslims. Wajahat Ali, a  co-author of “Fear, Inc.,” a report by the Center for American Progress on anti-Muslim groups in the United States, celebrated, “There seems to be a much more mature, sophisticated response to this tragedy than in the past 12 years. We really do see a palpable shift.”

Various explanations have been offered for this apparent change in behavior by the groups. One explanation is that the Boston Bombers were white and from Russia, not dark-skinned and from the Middle East. Another is that many Americans called for eschewing collective blame. A third was claimed by the Muslim leaders themselves, who credit their efforts to build ties with Americans since 9/11.

Efforts at reducing anti-Muslim feelings ran from the the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center forming medical teams to help with the wounded to Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley intoning, “The crimes of the two young men must not be the justification for prejudice against Muslims and against immigrants.”