Here's my politically incorrect statement: If the scarves make your life more difficult, take them off.

I mean, if that's the basis of his argument, it's not going to get far. He would do better to explain the things he is doing to improve the image of Muslims, which ought to include helping us to find and prosecute the Islamo-fascists.

I don't think the FBI's statements were outrageous and I'm glad they're keeping tabs on the bad guys. Go get 'em! That said, this screed in support of racial profiling is sickening. And the comment here that muslims should take off their headscarves is the worse sort of un-American bile (sadly consistent with the spirit of the original comment, it seems).

Basically, you (deadman) want to shred the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, forget First Amendment and attack equal protection? Oh, but not for yourself of course. Just for other people...

I guess it's not surprising since 44 percent of the public now shares your support for curtailing muslim Americans civil rights.

http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/Dec04/Muslim.Poll.bpf.html

We need to oppose this rising tide of bigotry, which goes against the Constitution and the values our soldiers are dying to defend. We don't need to excuse it, let alone feed it.

We can support the war on terror and strongly defend the constitution and the bill of rights. It's possible to be self-critical, and to urge Arab-Americans and muslims to reject violent, evangelical Islamism. Get over this either/or simplistic thinking.

I do not see a "rising tide of bigotry," but I do see a rising tide of hysteria on both sides of this issue.

There is no bright line defining the civil liberties of relgious minorities, and if we cannot learn to act with reasonable civility toward each other we will spend more time at each others throats than dealing with the enemy.

A certain amount of suspicion of Muslims and Middle Easteners on the part of non-Muslims is an unavoidable consequence of 9/11. Matt is right about that, and Muslims are just going to have to develop a certain amount of patience with it. At the same time, non-Muslims who go out of their way to demean or antagonize Muslims are merely alienating fellow countrymen whose support we will dearly need in the fight against Islamist extremism.

Mr. Rekdal:

You are entirely too reasonable. Don't you know it's the hysterics that sell?

Let me guess. You ain't in the sellin' business, are you?

James

Well, whiner, you certianly picked an appropriate name for yourself.

I'm not quite sure where I said anything about throwing out the Bill or Rights, etc.

I haven't suggested that anyone FORCE anybody to take off their scarves. I haven't advocated violence against people wearing scarves.

I simply said that if you are uncomfortable wearing one in public, take it off.

For example, I'm a lot more comfortable being naked, but I'd feel kind of strange walking around like that, so I wear pants and shirt even on hot days when I'd prefer to just be butt naked.

The complaints of Muslims in the US are along the lines of, "It makes us feel uncomfortable that people don't trust us." I don't think it's fair that all Muslims are lumped into the Islamo-fascist category by some people, but it is natural to be cautious.

If you have been bitten by a snake, you will be weary of all other snakes, even the snakes that aren't poisoness. It's just a natural reaction and the best way to solve it is to get all the poisoness islamo-fascists out of the picture. The rest will heal itself in due course.

But, if the argument is: "Our feelings are being hurt so stop chasing after islamo-fascists," which often, between the lines, that's what some say ... screw it. Some feelings are going to get hurt, happens all the time.

In fact, our government does that sort of thing all the time to might some "higher goal." Take the kids getting bused around town. I don't hear anyone on the School Board talking about how crappy that is for the kids getting bused.

When you are ready to apply your concern for people's feeling evenly, I'll be there to back you up. Until then, the islamo-fascists are never safe.

Tom, I agree with most of that, but the poll results speak for themselves. 44 percent think basic American freedoms like due process and the freedom of religion apply only to themselves, not to Arabs or Muslims-Americans. In a democracy, that's a dangerous trend.

Deadman doesn't seem to get that his original comment about headscarves falls into the same category. Telling American muslims to quit wearing symbols of their religion if it gets them in trouble is like telling Martin Luther King to stop praying because it's getting him into trouble. It's not that it's politically incorrect —that might be funny. It's that the comment goes against the core value this country was founded on: freedom, including religious freedom.

Too many people seem to think the US is at war with all arabs and muslims, not just the bad guys. And like you say, that's not helping the war effort.

For example, did you read about the James Yee investigation, which was just covered in the Seattle times:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/nation-world/jamesyee/

Or check out the latest snafu here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6897129

This goes beyond the war effort though, to our core values as Americans. I'm not an arab or a muslim (and I assume you're not), but if I were, these trends would worry me. 44 percent. That's a big number. What if it goes over 50 percent? Sure, constitutional rights protect the minority againt the majority, but you never know where things are headed...

Like I said, you choose a good handle.