IlmFeed
During the Democratic National Convention, former US president Bill Clinton made the following statement during a speech urging Americans to support his wife and presidential nominee Hillary Clinton:
“If you’re a Muslim and you love America and freedom and you hate terror, stay here and help us win and make a future together. We want you.”
That statement did not go down too well especially amongst Muslims who felt it made them out to be not part of American society.
Dawud reminded Bill that Muslims were in America since its very foundation and that Muslim slaves were used to ‘build America’:
Bill Clinton has nerve saying American Muslims can stay in here if we do such & such. My Muslim ancestors got here before 1776. Take a hike.
— Dawud Walid (@DawudWalid) July 27, 2016
Muslims helped build America from day one as enslaved Africans.George Washington had some Muslims slaves too. We've always been abused here.
— Dawud Walid (@DawudWalid) July 27, 2016
A Twitter user, who is not a Muslim echoed that statement:
Muslims are already the "us," — they've always been here. As American as baseball, apple pie, and you, @billclinton https://t.co/YRdQ7x8pza
— Knifey Spoonie (@WayTooLateTV) July 27, 2016
Cathina who is a Native American Muslim called on Bill to apologize for his ‘offensive’ remarks:
@billclinton asking you to apologize to American Muslims for your poor choice of words! I am Native American Muslim and highly offended!
— Cathina Hourani (@CathinaHourani) July 27, 2016
Graham thought such statements legitimizes suspicion of Muslims:
Bill Clinton's '*If* you're a Muslim and hate terror' line seemed completely out of touch—legitimizes notion that Muslims should be suspect
— Graham Liddell (@grahamliddell) July 27, 2016
Andy accused Bill of using Trump-like rhetoric:
Feeling icky about @billclinton riff on inclusion about Muslims "If you love America & hate terror!" Who loves terror?! Very Trumpish.
— Andy Shallal (@andyshallal) July 27, 2016
Sana was tired of politicians defining Muslims with violence:
US Muslims, especially, are given one choice: 'you're either violent or you're fighting violence'. Violence defines us either way. #DNCinPHL
— Hot Take Monger (@SanaSaeed) July 27, 2016
Yousef and Ismat asked what would have happened if he said the same thing singling out other communities:
If you're a Muslim and you hate terror, WTF? Imagine if he said, If you're black and you hate crime…
— (((YousefMunayyer))) (@YousefMunayyer) July 27, 2016
Because no one ever says, "If you're a white man & love America & freedom and hate mass shooters, stay here & help us win. We want you."
— Ismat Sarah Mangla (@ismat) July 27, 2016
It is important that politicians and public figures stop using the ‘us and them’ rhetoric when they speak about Muslims. Doing do only causes divisions and drives people apart rather than bring them together.
