[TV tonight] ABC tests public reaction to anti-Muslim bias

This should be an interesting one...


Tonight: ABC Tests Public Reaction to Anti-Muslim Bias

...What if you witnessed "Islamophobia" in action and saw someone being victimized because of someone else's prejudices? What would you do?

ABC's production crew outfitted a bustling roadside bakery north of Waco, Texas, with hidden cameras and two actors. One played a female customer wearing a traditional Muslim head scarf, or hijab. The other acted as a sales clerk who refused to serve her and spouted common anti-Muslim and anti-Arab slurs.

The polarity of reactions was shocking, from support to seething disapproval. Never did we expect customers to be so passionate or candid.

Watch the premiere of "Primetime: What Would You Do?" tonight at 10 p.m. EST on ABC.

 

Are you accusing the fine residents of Waco, Texas, of being a bunch of flaming rednecks? Seriously though, no one has seen the show as of yet so I am not sure how you already know what the 'reaction' will be like. I expect a mixed bag, I don't think it will be as bad as you're anticipating.

Besides, Waco, TX, is probably a good barometer for the American 'heartland'...

 

Small town America, is what I meant. You know, those towns with a lot of church-going people who care about 'family values' and tend to be more conservative than liberal. Sort of like "7th Heaven", basically...

 

They say overall, 13 protested her treatment, 6 approved of it, and the majority (22 people) just took the passive approach and acted like nothing happened; in essence, the majority minded their own business.

 

It's stupid to even compare. Saudi is not an 'open' society and doesn't even grant many essential rights to their own citizens, men and women.

As for the U.S. being the most tolerant country in the world, I tend to agree, although Canada has something to say about that; some studies do bear this out, on a number of fronts (Canada and Britain are the two other states that are in the same ballpark).

 

Towards Muslims, may be. But how does that explain all the xenophobia directed toward Jews or Blacks or -- the big one these days -- Hispanics?

Some justify terrorism, you justify racism...it's a dangerous way of looking at things. It's like saying, "Whites are much more likely to tolerate Blacks if they committed less crimes."

All that Danish cheese is getting to your head...