Vigil in Santiago, Chile.
In the midst of an outpouring of solidarity, love, and shared grief around the world over the loss of so many lives in Orlando, Florida, there runs a river of poisonous hate through the United States. Images and hate-filled tweets will be behind the fold, because no one should have to see those unless they choose to do so. First up, and I know this will surprise no one at all, the Westboro clan had to jump right in, with an attempt to be as crass and disgusting as possible. I’d say they succeeded, but what makes me sick is the sense of glee they give off. Second is the story of a Florida Imam who offered condolences and praise for emergency workers was met with a great deal of bigotry and hate.
Trigger Warning: extreme hate, bigotry, and sheer ugliness behind the fold.
Is there a line the Westboro Baptist Church won’t cross? Not yet, apparently.
The anti-LGBT church responded to the Orlando shootings in a series of tweets and shared a link to a parody song it created called “Shooters Keep Comin’ Around.” It is a parody of a popular song called “Pompeii” by the English indie rock band Bastille.
[…]
The Westboro Baptist Church changed the lyrics from the original song in its parody version into:
“I ain’t gonna be an optimist / You were caught up and lost in rage and more crisis / Marry fags as the blood flowing around you / And the shooters keep coming around in the cities that you love / Much blood flowing in the streets bringing God’s wrath from above /And then he blinds your eyes…”
The song was linked in one of multiple tweets the anti-LGBT group wrote in response to the shootings Sunday. “God Sent the Shooter to Orlando Fag Club,” Westboro tweeted.
In another tweet, the congregation wrote, “Adds a whole new meaning to fag chant, ‘We’re #1, we’re #1!’ in response to a tweet from CNN that reads “50 dead in the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.”
The Advocate has the full story.
Muhammad Musri (left) with Orlando Police Chief John Mina and Mayor Buddy Dyer at scene of shooting — Facebook
A Florida Imam who went on CNN Sunday morning to express condolences to the victims and families of the horrific shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando is now on the receiving end of threats and attacks on social media.
At a press conference, Muhammad Musri, the President of the Islamic Society of Central Florida, disavowed contact with 29-year-old Omar Mateen and praised emergency workers.
“No one could have predicted this. It’s like lightening. It can strike anywhere,” he stated. “They did a marvelous job and we are glad the situation is under control. This shooter is not connected with other people, so citizens should continue to feel safe.”
On Twitter and Facebook, Musri wrote: “On behalf of American Muslims, I want to express our outrage and shock of the mass shooting in DT Orlando, FL. Our thoughts and prayers are with victims & their families.”
Respondents on Twitter did not share the sentiment, with one commenter telling him, “Leave the USA.”
There’s more at Raw Story. I don’t have the heart to write more.
Kristin Becker has an excellent column about the whole thing:
This is the trickle-down hate effect. Many of this country’s lawmakers have spent the last year spending our tax dollars to push anti-LGBTQ legislation through their respective state governments. One after another, laws aimed to de-humanize the LGBTQ community were brought forth under the guise of “religious freedom.” There will be many right-wing Christians who will jump to the front and say, “The shooter was Muslim!”
The man who pulled the trigger might have identified as Muslim, and a perversion of Islam even so, but Christian rhetoric really killed 50 people on Sunday — the fruit of the last two years of conservative vitriol lays on an Orlando dance floor this morning, covered in innocent blood.
And people say christians aren’t to blame for the climate of intolerance towards the LGBTQIA community. Holy shit, Westboro.
I’ve been sort of posting this all over, on religion and homophobia and not limiting one’s criticism to islam alone. Westboro seems to be a prime example -- the shooter may not have been christian, but they sure as hell support his actions.
I’m just terrified about the day my parents tell me something happened to them while they were out shopping.
What so many of our fellow so called “progressives” don’t understand is that it is far more important to give a voice and visibility to people like that imam than it is to people academically criticizing Islam. That simply isn’t going to achieve results.
Also, what the fuck do these Christian assholes want? First you say how come Muslims don’t speak up when these attacks happen. Then when a Muslim does speak up, they harass and threaten him.
rq:
I just added a bit more to this post, from a column by Kristin Becker, who makes much the same point as you. Your link doesn’t work, by the way.
Saad:
There is no way to satisfy them, and they aren’t listening. They are so gorged on the ‘war on terra’ there isn’t room for anything else, and if they could see themselves, they’d realize they are itching to indulge in vicious violence themselves.
Saad:
Oh, and Afuckingmen to this. There are so many theists who are trying to do the right thing, such as Muhammad Musri, but either there’s shouting down from bigots, or people who barely acknowledge such efforts before they go on to crow about being right, or how Islam really, truly is worse than Christianity, yada, yada, yada. Those people? Not helping.
Oops, borked the link, here it is again. I hope.
The Raw Story article is spot on. The one I linked draws an analogy between the Polytechnique shootings leading to awareness of misogyny, and this Orlando shooting leading to awareness of homophobia. It’s a mite hopeful of results, but definitely with a good point to make.
Saad
And then when the next incident happens, they wonder why Muslims won’t speak up. Hmmmmm. It’s not like they’re creating a climate where Muslims feel safe in speaking up… but oh hey they should be totally ready to subject themselves to hate and violence, and it’s totally their fault for not speaking up! I wish those people would be less inclined to speak up at times like these. :(
The point is being made, it’s just a question of whether people are listening or not.
Chad Griffin, president of the HRC, appeared along with Mara Keisling, Executive Director, National Center for Transgender Equality, Janet Murguía, President and CEO, National Council of La Raza (NCLR), Cornell Brooks, President, NAACP and Sharon Lettman-Hicks, Executive Director, National Black Justice Coalition to denounce the violence and demand the incident be labeled as a hate crime.
From: http://www.rawstory.com/2016/06/lgbt-naacp-and-immigration-activists-powerful-statement-you-attack-one-of-us-you-attack-us-all/
from Kristen Becker’s post:
I am a cis hetero white man, a member of the most privileged demographic in the US. But when I read this, my brain screamed “YES”. Bigotry makes me angry. The bigoted pushback against equality for all is maddening. I want this country to be better, to live up to the principles of the Constitution. The real Constitution, not the David Barton twisted beyond recognition version that too many christians espouse. I hope the tragic events do not fall into obscurity but cause more people to reject the bigotry and promote equality. (Have I mentioned that I tend towards optimism?)
From John Scalzi’s Whatever:
Thoughts and Prayers
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Cicely @ 9:
Thanks for that.
rq@6
I’m pessimistic that it’ll lead to much change at all. Maybe it’s just the misogynists voices being amplified online, but anti-feminist and misogyny seem to be growing. The Polytechnique shooting started a conversation, but we still got Elliot Rodger, George Sodini, and Charles Roberts IV.
This latest mass murder isn’t going to put a stop to “religious freedom” legislation or bathroom bills. The more sensitive homophobes may wait a few days or even a couple of weeks, but they’ll be back soon enough talking about how LGBT rights are destroying society and will be the downfall of all that is good.
Tabby Lavalamp @ 11:
And, they won’t miss a single beat in how evil Islam is, how utterly bad refugees are, and we’re right back to “we need a war on terruh!” and “walls, walls, walls”.
Don’t see much mention of the man arrested yesterday who was traveling to a Pride event with guns and explosives. Last report I saw said he wasn’t a muslim, so that doesn’t fit the narrative some are pushing.
Tabby
I would like to agree more with the article, but in the real world, I would agree with you, that the article is being overly optimistic.
Saad (#2) --
Ignorant and rabid ideologues think that “catch 22” means how many should be arrested and deported.