Johnny Piper, the mayor of Clarksville, TN, recently forwarded an anti-Muslim email urging all “patriotic Americans” to protest a U.S. Postal Service stamp that commemorates an Islamic holiday. Piper’s email falsely claims that the creation of the Eid stamp was ordered by President Obama. In fact, the stamp was first issued in 2001, during the Bush administration. It was reissued in 2002, 2006, 2007 and 2008. Nevertheless, Piper is defending his email:“I don’t see any reason why it would be inappropriate,” Piper said.
He said he forwarded the e-mail to provide “information” that others could make up their own minds about.
“I was surprised at a stamp being developed, and would have thought others would be, too,” he said. He added that he did not know what the stamp was commemorating.
Funny how hate works. The e-mail makes the false assumption that a stamp commemorating a Muslim holiday would be initiated by President Obama, harkening back to the “Obama is a secret Muslim” lies from last year’s campaign. And the e-mail also makes the false assumption that anything “Muslim” would also be un-patriotic, as if it’s not possible for a Muslim American to be patriotic.
I’m just sick of this ignorant crap. Snopes debunks the Eid stamp e-mail and notes:
The EID stamp is also not the first or only governmental or commercial recognition of these Islamic holidays in the U.S. The American greeting card manufacturer Hallmark produces a variety of holiday cards celebrating Eid al-Fitr, and the President of the United States, George W. Bush, extended official greetings, issued messages, participated in commemorations of both Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha (even after the September 11 attacks), and promoted the EID stamp via the White House web site.
The American right wing has gone insane. You really have to hate the current president an awful lot to circulate a hate e-mail blaming him for something that your hero George W. Bush actually did -- and which you never even noticed at the time.
I would love to know the source of these kinds of e-mails. And I would love to know why anyone believes anonymous e-mails that arrive in their in box.
The fact that Johnny Piper sees absolutely nothing wrong with circulating an e-mail like this without even checking a resource like Snopes.com makes him look like an ignorant hick. This definitely is not the image we'd like to present to the world as big manufacturers like Hemlock semi-conductor move into the region.
