Protests Against Muslim-Americans Reminiscence of Japanese-Americans During World War II |

Today’s Examiner article is about the similarities of recent local protests in Temecula, CA against a proposed mosque being built and the racism demonstrated against Japanese-Americans during WWII. In the article, a local pastor is quoted as saying “There is a concern with all the rumors you hear about sleeper cells and all that. Are we supposed to be complacent just because these people say it’s a religion of peace? Many others have said the same thing.”

Who are the many others he is referring to? His additional comments in the article hint at underlying fear about a people he knows little about. It’s scary when we consider how as a country we’ve already been down this road. In the article, I write:

“When we allow fear to blind our decisions, objections, and actions, we forget what we have learned from our own history whether it’s our personal history or the history of the nation. In order for us to expect others to respect our individual rights, we have to be willing to accept the rights of others as well. It should be clear in the mind of the majority that they would want their rights to be upheld even as the minority. If history has taught us anything, the world is an ever-changing place and those in perceived positions of power today could be placed in a minority position in the future.”