NBA Hall-of-Famer Dave Cowens responds to recent controversies concerning Muslims in America, including the ‘Ground Zero Mosque,’ Juan Williams’ statements on Fox News, and Bill O’Reilly’s appearance on ‘The View.’
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[NBA Hall-of-Famer Dave Cowens is a big fan of the Good Men Project Magazine. Recently, we asked Cowens to give us his take on the Juan Williams controversy. Here’s what he wrote.]
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Mr. Juan Williams’ comments on “The O’Reilly Factor” make him no less of a good man, but he should have anticipated his firing.
I have been in the public eye for all of my adult life; I understand the way public figures are treated by the press and by society at large. Once you are a deemed a public figure, you are held to a different standard. Insignificant statements are blown up and used by others to justify their agendas. Hence, the ridiculous circumstances involving Juan Williams. My guess is that NPR had a notion to separate themselves from Mr. Williams long before he made those statements about his trepidation when traveling. Indeed, Williams echoed the sentiments of many Americans, including myself. When I get on a plane, I am very attentive to the appearance and behavior of the other passengers.
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Similarly ridiculous was how Joy Behar and Whoopi Goldberg walked off the set of “The View,” reacting with righteous indignation to Bill O’Reilly’s generalized words about Muslims and terrorism. (Is it just me, or do ratings and hype prevail over substantive content these days?) It would have been far more logical to ask for clarification, and continue to engage in debate, instead of taking umbrage so quickly.
Today, we want to win at all costs, berate our rivals, and shout out our opinions that, most times, are not wholly supported by the facts. I realize that it is naïve to want everyone to “just get along,” but we ought to be civil and honest. Shutting down discussion and declaring your opponent’s ideas irredeemably evil is no way to advance a debate.
Even the English and the Irish are more civil toward one another than we are here in America!
I happen to agree with O’Reilly’s sentiments. The building of the Ground Zero Mosque—while technically within the rights of the owners—is inappropriate and a needless affront and insult to the families of those killed by Muslim terrorists on 9/11, as well as most proud and patriotic Americans. As O’Reilly said, simply, “It shouldn’t be there.”
Why? Because it is too hurtful to too many people. My suggestion is that we build an all-denominational place of worship on that site—one that gives every religious person a place to worship and pray for unity, peace, and forgiveness.
O’Reilly is understandably outraged that Obama refuses to address the concerns that a majority of Americans have about the mosque. Obama had a televised parlay with the professor and policeman (the “Beer Summit”), but he won’t publicly negotiate on this issue, that has so many Americans incensed. That strikes me as political expediency—not the action of a true leader.
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To protect our country from internal threats and terrorism, I do not feel it is out of bounds to put Muslims—or anyone else suspected of disloyalty—to the test. We should ask that they declare their loyalty to America, and proclaim their willingness to defend and stand up for the country they live in, which is financially supported by the majority of their neighbors.
Obviously, giving one’s word is not proof of allegiance; but it is a good and fair demand, and a way to hold them accountable in the future. Public voices should always be held to closer scrutiny—it comes with the territory. (I suppose declarations of this kind have been minimized by our own political leaders who have—consistently and in great numbers—violated their oath of office to protect and serve the American people.) It is important in this time of deep mistrust to ask some straightforward questions.
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Why do so many Americans try to minimize and condemn those who are proffering a negotiated positive change—like the Tea Party—yet give carpetbaggers and potential threats—like foreign-born Muslims and the builders of the Ground Zero mosque—the benefit of the doubt?
The Tea Party movement is working within the system to invoke political change, yet many claim they are racist. Meanwhile, these same people want to bend over backward for Muslim activists and illegal squatters.
When it comes to demonstrating Muslims, the first question from the media ought to be, “are you a citizen of this country and have you pledged your allegiance to this great country?” If you cannot answer those two questions in the affirmative, then you are an enemy of the state and you should go live in a country that you can embrace.
This country’s existence depends on the volunteering and charitable acts of many—we will give you the shirt off our back if we know you are on our side.
But, if you can’t pledge your allegiance to this great country, we don’t need you around here stirring up trouble. We have enough on our plates already. As a public and private citizen, I will tell you: if you want to destroy or take over this country, you will lose. As generous and accepting as Americans are, all that charitable energy can be instantly turned into a force that cannot be defeated—because you are now in the public eye.
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Watch Tom Matlack’s Man-to-Man interview with Dave Cowens here.
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Wait, we should build a non denominational place of worship, a couple of blocks and around the corner from the site of 9/11? Yeesh, if we’re going to start making crazy rules, couldn’t we instead require celebrities to actually understand issues before commenting on them?
In the spirit of school yard coming of age, I challenge Dave Cowen and any two non-Muslims of his choice to a game of 3-on-3 vs. me, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jamaal Wilkes. If he wants to go full court, I’d add Rasheed Wallace and Hakeem Olajuwan. Seriously Dave, you come from a workplace where large, muscled Muslims are common and yet you fear those who adhere to Islamic traditions.
I’ve made many mistakes in my life and writing this article was one of them—because now I have to write another one and it is getting to be like a job. I just recently retired, after working every year since 1966, so this isn’t what I call fun. I get a kick out of the bloggers and commenters who anonymously kick my ass with words, but at least I had the courage to put my name and even a resume out there for all to see. But I have learned a thing or two, and the experience has led me… Read more »
There’s nothing wrong with apprehension about a creed and its effects on adherents. But your piece turned on the usual trope of flag-and-apple pie. Under those circumstances, of course people will think it’s really about Muslims and not about Islam. The cure: go there. Read sources about the harm done by religion and you’ll understand Muslims don’t have a monopoly on bad acts. Not that I think you believe they do, but you’ll neutralize accusations of bigotry when you see Christians could have committed 9/11. Again: go there. It **Is** On. Either secularity wins and religion becomes slef-inflicted or we… Read more »
@ TL Winslow: I do wish you would study your history of Islam. What you generalize about Muslims could equally be quoted of Christians and their miserable history of domination, persecution, and hatred. If you were to study the history of Islam, instead of repeating rants you’ve heard who-knows-where, you would learn that Islam and Christianity co-existed peacefully in southern Europe for hundreds of years. You would also learn, that like Christianity, Islam is split into many warring factions, each of which knows they hold THE absolute truth. Thus the civil war we unleashed in Iraq, with sects fighting to… Read more »
While I respect Mr. Cowen’s right to free speech and freedom of worship, I am puzzled why he would deny that right to his fellow American citizens. After all, those are two foundations of why America is a great country. WOULD YOU PLEASE CLARIFY, MR. COWENS? (There, I’ve done what you request, Mr. Cowens, and you now has an opportunity to do so). There are millions of good American citizens who are Muslim. I think Cowens is confusing the religion of Islam with the cult of Islamism and Islamists. (Just as many in the world may confuse American Christians with… Read more »
You can read Pandagon if these sort of pieces stick in your craw.
Tired of hearing about Islam? Sorry, the ever-increasing uproar over Islam’s incursions into the West isn’t a passing fad, it’s here to stay, and it’s not about “Islamophobia”, it’s about Islam, the world’s most supremacist and intolerant ideology making a comeback. The word phobia means an unreasonable fear of something based on ignorance which leads to irrational decision-making processes. The meaning of the word Islam is submit or surrender for a reason, and it’s eminently rational to fear being made to submit or surrender to anything bad, which a study of Islam’s history proves it to be in spades. Muslims… Read more »
Did you just refer to a religion other than your own as colourful & quaint? Wow, that is maybe the most ridiculous part of your otherwise hateful screed. You ARE right about one thing, though– the Bill of Rights IS in fact precious.
You know, Mordicai, you should at least establish that Winslow has a religion before maligning him. You only come off as the same sort of nimrod (the wings don’t help, either). By the way, I was a devotee of Krishna years ago and “colorful” is a good adjective to describe Caitanyainist Vaishnavism.
I tend to agree with Michel Houellebecq that Islam is indeed “**the** dumbass religion,” but Cowens strayed too far into the pasture of adherents and not far enough into the pasture of a creed. As for you: you go to the wrong zoos. I’ve visited a few Muslim lands and you find folks who don’t give a rat’s ass about anything the Koran has to say. Lots of them, along with the ones who, alas, believe the Protocols of the Elders of Zion are real. A lot of Christians believe that, though. I hope that fact concerns you, but somehow… Read more »
I’m a lifelong Celtics fan. Having said that, who the hell cares what friggin Dave Cowens has to say about this?? You want our president to interfere with property owners building on the land they own simply because of their religion? You want to make “foreigners” publicly declare their allegiance to America simply because they are immigrants? Were you calling for all white American males to do the same when Timothy McVeigh decided to kill hundreds of people?? Give me a break. Cowens talks about the need for civil discussions to further debate, but then says anyone who has a… Read more »
Well done Daddy Files. I almost responded after I posted to make the same point in regard to Timothy McVeigh. I also don’t understand why this got posted and it is indeed a joke of an interview.
Thank you, DaddyFiles.
Speaking of out of bounds, these remarks by Cowens are so out of bounds from what America is all about that I considered not responding. “I do not feel it is out of bounds to put Muslims—or anyone else suspected of disloyalty—to the test. We should ask that they declare their loyalty to America, and proclaim their willingness to defend and stand up for the country they live in, which is financially supported by the majority of their neighbors.” Why do we suspect Muslims of disloyalty? I would suggest that Cowens is being disloyal by denying American citizens their constitutional… Read more »
The “mosque” is several blocks away from Ground Zero and, in terms of Manhattan, that can be neighborhoods away. The continued assertion that this “mosque” is an affront to those murdered on 9/11 is as faulty and as thoroughly ignorant a point of view as one could find. 9/11 was a political act of war, not a religious act of war. Get it through your thick skulls and you might avoid the next attack by being smart about political maneuverings and diplomacy as we move forward. We’ve now lost many more people in the “War on Terror” than we did… Read more »
Here, here Mordicai! Bill O’Reilly is on the tube to be provocative. The idea that someone should engage him civilly is rather ludicrous, since this type of ranting is what he’s PAID for. His sweet paychecks come from this behavior. So, rather than focus on whether or not we should be kinder and gentler on our side to him, wouldn’t the better question be: why do you want to have men exposed to this type of toxicity in the first place? If you want men to be better loving and caring people, get the examples in the media. If you… Read more »
I hesitate to think what would happen when NBA Hall-of-Famers as a group are suspected of disloyalty (even the Muslim ones!), and along with Muslims lose their presumption of innocence.
In the mean time, http://muslimswearingthings.tumblr.com/
As you can read, i think, he said he looks at everyone when he flies.
Why do publications feel the need to spew the rantings of every pseudo celebrity out there? This same old story about being afraid of the Muslims is really getting quite old. You want to worry about Al Queda, I can understand that but taking it a step further to be afraid of every brown person because they just might be a terrorist is paranoid and ridiculous (because you can’t really tell if that person is African American, Indian, Asian or South American, Mexican, Middle Eastern and so on). Hopefully the rest of the world doesn’t use the same sort of… Read more »
Thank you, Mordicai!
Woah; the jump to comparing “Tea Party”– who are American citizen’s demonstrating their rights, who I am happy to engage MY right to free speech by saying wrong wrong wrong, you are doing it wrong– to “potential threats—like foreign-born Muslims and the builders of the Ground Zero mosque” is all kinds of offensive. “[F]oreign-born Muslims” includes over a billion people. Considering a billion people a threat– which bleeds over to American citizens who are Muslims, whether you like it or not– is paranoia. Is, in practice, racism– because you end up persecuting people who “look Muslim.” I didn’t see Dave… Read more »
Well said and it echoes what I say to people that put forth this misguided logic and intolerance.
Well said Mr. Cowens.
***** Thanks, Mordecai