Racism is a universal trait ... not sure you can pin this one on Islam. I think, however, you can say that Islam encourages bigotry and violation of universal human rights. You can also clearly state that many leaders of Muslim nations are clearly racist.

It is that the perpetrators aren't Jews that makes it OK, but rather that the victims are not Arabs. There is a certain chauvanism in Arab culture whereby non-Arab Muslims are not as valued as Arab Muslims - just ask the Kurds. For that matter, how much outrage was there in the Middle East over the monstrous treatment of Bosnian or Albanian Muslims by their Serb neighbors? Not much (the odd exception to this is Afghanistan, of course. I would welcome an explanation for the difference from anybody who can offer it).

One can see a strong streak of racism against black Africans in the culture of the Arabian Peninsula. According to one source I read, black slaves inported to the peninsula in prior epochs were castrated to prevent reproduction, and the children of any black concubines were killed.

This racism can be detected in literature, even as magnificent a work as the Arabian Nights, where one will note that stories of unfaithful wives often feature black slaves ("blackamoors") as the philandering wives' lovers.

Of course, the quoted piece notes this as well:

"Ah, but those were non-Arab Muslims."

"About the biggest idiots out there are all the black who join Islam in prison. You want respect? Become a Jew."

So true-- black Jews are treated AWESOMELY, at least in my region of the country (the American Deep South), welcomed with open arms and celebrated by their temples.

Same with where I grew up, Melissa G. Apparently, there's some rule in Judaism that once somebody converts, they're supposed to be treated as if they've been Jewish forever.

Also, Israel has taken in quite a few of these black Muslims from Darfur. And when I was growing up, I worked on a project for my temple (this godless harlot went to temple back then) to raise money to help the Falashas, the black Jews of Ethiopia.

chevy chase:

Today, the United Nations passed a resolution equating Zionism with racism. Sammy Davis Jr. said "Finally, I can hate myself!"

Amy, we've got an old family friend, a black woman from a small town in Tennessee, who married a Jewish dude and converted. Her family freaked, but his family and temple and community threw her a HUGE PARTY! LOL.

I have a great friend whose temple helped a lot of Falashas immigrate to Alabama (of all places). They all seemed reeeeeeeeeeeally happy to be here, and worked their asses off to get and hold jobs.