Whipping up anti-Muslim sentiment seems to be a favorite pastime of certain practitioners of the art of punditry, particularly but not exclusively on the far right lately — but it carries some very real consequences, and not just the kind that make headlines. –KA

The Christian Science Monitor:

Many prominent Muslim-American leaders say they are alarmed by what they deem “anti-Muslim hysteria” that could lead to violence and hate crimes.

“I have been working on behalf of other Muslims for more than 30 years and I have never see it like this, not even after the 9/11 attacks,” says Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Washington.

Mr. Hooper blames the harshness of language toward Muslims not just on the heated protests over the Islamic center planned for a site 2-1/2 blocks from ground zero, but also on right-wing rabble rousing, continuing resentment over the election of Barack Obama, and the difficult economy.

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