Sunday, March 18, 2018
‘God Bless You’ Listed among Anti-Muslim ‘Microaggressions’
The list, compiled by a group of college librarians in Boston, also counts ‘Merry Christmas’ as an offensive phrase.
According to an “Anti-Oppression Library Guide” written by a group of librarians at Simmons College in Boston, “saying ‘God bless you’ after someone sneezes” is a microaggression against Muslim people.
“Islamomisic Microaggressions are commonplace verbal or behavioral indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicates [sic] hostile, derogatory, or negative slights in relation to the beliefs and religious practices of Muslims,” the guide explains. “They are structurally based and invoke oppressive systems of religious/Chrisitan [sic] hierarchy.”
The guide explains that “Islamomisia” is another word for “Islamophobia,” which “is a systematized discrimination or antagonism directed against Muslim people due to their religion, or perceived religious, national, or ethnic identity associated with Islam.”
“Like anti-Semitism, Islamomisia describes mentalities and actions that demean an entire class of people,” it explains.
According to the guide, “saying ‘God bless you’ after someone sneezes conveys one’s perception that everyone is Christian or believes in God,” which is offensive because it “convey[s] people’s presumption that their religion is the standard.”
This is ridiculous for so many reasons that I don’t even know where to start. First of all, the phrase “God bless you” makes absolutely no specific reference to Christianity, let alone any kind of slight against the Islamic faith in particular. It’s not an assault on Islam; it doesn’t even mention Islam.
If anything, “God bless you” could perhaps be said to be offensive to people who don’t believe in a God of any kind, but honestly I don’t think that’s true, either. Why? Because I don’t think it assumes anything; it’s just a phrase.
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5 comments:
Gee, does the phrase "Get Over It" sound like a microaggression, too? It is they who have come to our country, not vice versa. They need to blend with us, not the other way around. I'm reminded of one of my Dad's best friends. My Dad repaired watches and clocks as a hobby and he and his friend would talk for hours a couple days a week. He was Jewish and we were (are) Christian. Every year in December he would wish us a Merry Christmas and we would wish he and his family a Happy Hanukkah. Why? Because that's what people who care about each other do!
Bill R. - Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah are fine but Islam is just angry forever it seems. Our God is loving, their god is indifferent and demanding. Much like they must have got hold of the angry fellow who didn't get what he wanted.
I do not care what Muslims find to be offensive.
Never bless a germ spreader !
Muslims are simply TOO fragile to deal with anything resembling the real world. If they are "offended" by the cultural norms of the country they are visiting or residing in, then I suggest they simply leave, rather than offend the rest of us with their soft demeanor.
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