Conservatives haven’t always attempted to exploit anti-Muslim bigotry for political reasons. As I mentioned in an earlier post, George W Bush (again, to his everlasting credit) often cautioned against painting Muslims with a terrorist brush, not only because he realized it wasn’t true, but because he correctly reasoned starting a religious war with racial overtones played right into the hands of Al-Quaeda’s plans. Its exactly what the terrorists wanted–Helter Skelter. He also was well aware that we needed Muslim allies in this war, and that Muslims were also victims of extremism and could be enlisted to help fight it.

However, today, the American President is repeatedly and violently criticized from the Right for not continuously pointing out that the extremism is Muslim, all Muslim, and nothing but Muslim. Of course; Muslim extremists such as ISIS, with their talk of infidels and Crusaders, are not above playing this card. They WANT a religious war, and one which features glorious Islam triumphant over Christians and Jews (the old People of the Book that Islam used to preach tolerance towards). Of course, this radical Muslim fundamentalism is mostly political, a symptom of doctrinal differences between Sunni and Shia, but also one that reflects ethnic (Persian, Turkish, Arab, Kurdish) divisions, arbitrary contemporary political borders created by European imperialists and tribal conflicts that probably predate monotheism. But its always easier to get the peasantry to fight if they believe god is on their side, and no one elses. It also gives you a bullet proof excuse to maim and kill people you don’t like.

This is too facile an argument to have escaped the notice of our own demagogues and bigots, eager to redirect the hatred normally commanded by our own Jew-baiting elements and rural fundamentalists and channel them towards another Semitic ethnicity. Jews, after all, are now a part of the fundamentalist Protestant world view, they play a vital role in their apocalyptic fantasies as spelled out in Revelations. Just think, a generation ago, Jews couldn’t join the country club, now evangelicals take field trips to Jerusalem, visit kibbutzes, and babble on about rebuilding the Temple and finding the Red Heifer. Jews for Jesus! Radical Protestant fundamentalism is mostly political too, that’s why it breaks down so neatly along partisan lines drawn along domestic economic policy. Its more about taxes than it is theology.

The Muslims have their own Apocalypse, of course, an end time scenario where the forces of Allah will triumph over the infidel and send their stinkin’ asses straight to hell where they can be tortured for eternity for the crime of being on the wrong side. Now I don’t know too much about the Islamic version of the Apocalypse, but I was born and raised in the Deep South, and I’m thoroughly familiar with the Christian one. And if you think about it. Both End Times have to share a lot in common.

The ignorant hoi polloi fanatics both sides preach to are the foot soldiers in a larger political game and cultural conflict playing out separately in each religion, for similar reasons. To get their peasants off their ass and ready to fight, to kill and be killed, (either metaphorically or for real) requires a sanction from the almighty, a get out of jail free card from god himself. Sure, its all a bit more extreme in the middle east than it is rural North America, but those folks are a tribal people, still stuck in medieval thought. But if you step back a bit and throw your eyes out of focus they start to look hauntingly similar. On both sides, there is a bottomless well of hate and despair ready to be drawn on, endlessly. I can still remember crosses being burned in my neighborhood when I was a kid, Sundays after church. They’ve got militias, we’ve got militias. And both sides have all the guns they need. They differ only in degree, not in kind.

These pathetic, misguided people all feel the need to be part of something larger than themselves, part of a narrative where they are on the side of righteousness bravely battling against a despicable foe–where god is on their side and victory is guaranteed. It makes them feel worthwhile, less like victims, and distracts them from who their real tormentors are. Scapegoats are, after all, a time honored custom in the Holy Land.

Forgive them, Lord. They know not what they do.