It's said the US has been spared much of the unrest between Muslims and non-Muslims that they've seen in Europe because, unlike there, we've done a relatively good job of welcoming and assimilating Muslims into our society. (FYI, 65% of the 2.35 million American Muslims are foreign born.) They feel they have a vested interest in our country and our economy, and enjoy the same unlimited chance for success that everyone else has. But I sense that is changing in a big way.
In recent years Muslims seem very proud of the attention they've been getting on the world stage. In my area (D/FW) for example, our 43 Mosques are very well attended. I see many more Muslim women wearing head scarves, and even burkas, on the street. Muslim families are proudly giving their children names that leave no doubt their religion. They seem to be wearing their religion "loud and proud".
Meanwhile, non-Muslim Americans have been becoming more and more aware of and even resistant to their Muslim neighbors after the rise of international terrorism, which seems to be overwhelmingly orchestrated by radical Islam. And it's not just confined to places like Lebanon or Palestine or North Africa. Now it's becoming almost common in the UK and France, Sweden and Denmark and Germany, too, to people who "look like us". And our politicians have noticed, too, and are milking it for all they can....think Trump, Cruz, and friends.
Now we've had a full-blown radical Islamist attack in OUR country. We've made the big league. The suspicion of American Muslims is high, and frankly, it's not without cause. While only a tiny minority are thought to be true violent jihadists, polls say there are a surprising number of jihadist "sympathizers" and "supporters". Would they call the FBI and speak up if they knew of an impending terrorist attack, or would they sit back and watch it happen? And since you can't just look and tell which are which, people seem to be walking wide of ALL Muslims. (So much for assimilation!)
The natural reaction of Muslims is to "circle the wagons". It's rapidly becoming an "us vs them" situation, and this is where Islamic radicalizers (if that's a word) will find increasingly receptive converts. A bad situation is noticeably beginning to accelerate. Look for more San Bernardino's.
Wanna see a feeding frenzy? Go to a gun show today. And they aren't being attended just by Bubbas, either. There are lots of people there who look JUST like me. *wink* The more talk there is of "gun control", the faster guns fly off the shelves. I can only imagine how many guns are being sold under the radar! We've come to feel our government has let us down and can no longer protect us, and with every new "incident", that feeling will intensify.
Where/when/how will it "hit the fan"? Beats me, but don 't be surprised when it does. Interesting times we live in, for sure.
S
