Thursday thread: Shahed’s post at Beliefnet argues that muslim-Americans’ natural political home is the Progressive Left. However, I remain skeptical that the Left will ever be more than an ally of convenience; in my experience, progressive lefties are equally likely to impose their morality (or rather, their secularism) on others as conservatives are. It’s difficult to argue for preservation of our religious values when we are marching alongside Amy Richards and her ilk. The rhetoric of the progressives is one of tolerance and inclusion, but the reality is that they are not immune to xenophobia - it was Hillary Clinton who led the charge against Dubai Ports World. And we cannot ignore the simple truth that the Left has an innate hostility to religious expression, most particularly with respect to issues of personal choice like hijab.
(I made the case against a strong alliance with the Left in more detail at City of Brass)
