Islamophobia alert: Martin Peretz, editor of The New Republic magazine, expressed something very unfortunate about Muslims recently (actually, he wrote more than one shameful something), and now he’s contrite about it, sort of.

Peretz took to The New Republic’s website Monday to discuss what he said and what he is and isn’t sorry about, noting that even though he basically suggested that Muslims shouldn’t have First Amendment rights, he’s still very concerned about “the dangers of Islamism” and wishes “certain politicians” would be more alert to same. –KA

Martin Peretz in The New Republic (via Gawker):

The embarrassing sentence is: “I wonder whether I need honor these people and pretend they are worthy of the privileges of the First Amendment, which I have in my gut the sense that they will abuse.” I wrote that, but I do not believe that. I do not think that any group or class of persons in the United States should be denied the protections of the First Amendment, not now, not ever. When I insist upon a sober recognition of the threats to our security, domestic threats included, I do not mean to suggest that the Constitution and its order of rights should in any way be abrogated. I would abhor such a prospect. I do not wish upon Muslim Americans the sorts of calumnies that were endured by Italian Americans in connection with Sacco and Vanzetti and Jewish Americans in connection with communism.

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#first amendment#free speech#islam#muslim#the new republic