Advanced economies always have business cycles of growth and decline. The US will be back to solid growth by the end of the next year.
No. There are many Americans who disagree with American foreign policy as well. Islamists are easy to spot: they openly state that they are Islamist. They are proud of their ideology and its program. Who are some examples of Islamists? Qazi Hussein, Mahmoud Ahmednijad, Ayman Al-Zahwari, Mullah Omar, whoever is the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Khalid Mishal, etc.
Islamists’ beef with America goes far beyond foreign policy. There opposition is mainly ideological for America is the best example of liberal, democratic, secular values. If the issue were merely foreign policy why were there no “Death to Russia” marches in the Middle East/Pakistan-Afghanistan? Were Soviet flags burned? Did anyone fly planes into Moscow State University? Did many Muslims obsess about the USSR? For 40 years the USSR as also a superpower. However, unlike America it occupied Muslim majority areas (as well as non-Russian areas such as the Ukraine and Belarus) in the Soviet empire. Muslims complained often about US support for Israel during the 70’s and 80’s because Israel occupies Palestinian ares. Well, where was the outrage regarding the USSR? The USSR itself ruled 50 million Muslims and occupied 5 Muslim majority republics. The Soviets saved Israel in 1948 (through Czechslovkia) while the US did nothing. It was Israel’s chief ally during Israel’s early years while the US was aloof from it. Was the Soviet Union hated in the Muslim world for this? No.
The Iraq war is often cited as a reason for some Muslims hating America but that happened in 2003. What was the Muslim, and especially Islamist, beef with America for the previous half century? “Support” for dictators? Well, the Soviets did the same thing and few hated the Soviets. Let’s look at Pakistan as a case study. Pakistan has had two dictators in the past 30 years. Who were its biggest allies? The US–and Saudi Arabia. Yet no country is revered more by Pakistanis than Saudi Arabia. China also “supported” Zia and Musharaaf. Pakistanis still like China. Moreover, what exactly is this “support”? The US gives Jordan $400 million a year. Is that enough to purchase Jordan? Get real. The US gives $0 to Saudi Arabia. Yet we are told the US “controls” Saudi Arabia, a nation which exports hatred of “kafirs” around the world–including even in America?
I know dozens of people who practice Islam, including both of my parents. Regarding Christianity, about half of Christians in America go to church regularly and in the area surrounding my medium sized town we have nearly 100 churches. It is another Islamist myth that the “kafir” does not practice his or her religion.
I am not worried about the slippery slope in this case. Islam and Mormonism allow polygamy, Rastafarians and a small Native American sect use marijuana for religious rituals. Yet we have had no problem banning polygamy and the consumption of marijuana in America–even when religion was cited in court cases to defend these practices. The principle here is this: you are free to believe whatever you want and practice your religion but when your actions hurt the public interest they are not allowed. Niqab is a public safety risk, not just regarding terrorism but regarding run-of-the-mill crimes such as burglaries. If someone walks into a bank and robs it and is wearing a niqab/burka how in the world do you identify and track down the culprit?