Why do MSM use an expression, Muslim-American (with or without hyphen), as if it’s an ethnic background or something? We don’t hear about Protestant-Americans or Catholic-Americans or even Orthodox-Americans or Mormon-Americans (though arguably many Mormons, like most Jews, are an ethnic group, not just — or even necessarily — religious).
I think maybe they’re trying to be sensitive, if unknowledgeable. Remember when NJ Gov. Jim McGreevey came out of the closet as “a gay American”? I dunno….
The fact is, American Muslims may be immigrants, or born here. They may be Arab-Americans, Iranian/Persian-Americans, Afghan-Americans, Pakistani-Americans, Turkish-Americans, Kosovar-Americans, Albanian-Americans, Indo-Americans, Bangladeshi-Americans, Indonesian-Americans, Malaysian-Americans, even African-Americans … again, born here, or immigrants. And lots more.
The plot thickens. Arab-Americans may be Muslim, Orthodox Christian, Roman Catholic, Eastern Catholic, Protestant, atheist, Syriac Christian, Sufi, etc. (listed only in the order they occurred to me, without any prejudice … except in favor of the Orthodox!).
It’s like a-whole-nother world!!! And most of us are clueless….
