Intrangency Thy Name is Mussbaum

Submitted by John McFadden (United States), Jun 1, 2017 at 12:46

Most of those opposed to what apears to them to be unfair, even discriminatory treatment of Muslims argue that the vast majority of them are decent, hardworking men and women - the sort you would like to have as neighbors - who don't deserve to be regarded as terrorists.

The proper response is, "They don't matter."

Her replies to your emails indicate that she is unaware of (or ignores) the pictures of streets jammed with thousands of decent, hard-working exuberant Palestinians celebrating the attacks on America's World Trade Center.

Ms. Nussbaum's approximal experience with Muslims are her students and members of the faculty. She has little or no familiarity with those same decent, hardworking Muslim men and women who, live in the "outside" world immersed in a culture profoundly offensive to their beliefs.

She either doesn't understand or (more likely) ignores the possibility that her neighbor's frustration, triggered by some event regarded by non-Muslims as trivial, will swell to anger and explode in unpredictable violence.

The great tragedy is that those of us who do understand can't convince her, or worse, can't reach her students.

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