The words on the Statue of Liberty welcome the "huddled masses." But it's clear that Fox News fears and loathes these masses - especially if they're not white and not Christian.

February 2, 2017

The words on the Statue of Liberty welcome the "huddled masses." But it's clear that Fox News fears and loathes these masses - especially if they're not white and not Christian. So it's no surprise that on Monday's Fox & Friends, Pete Hegseth continued his attack on the black, Muslim Somali community in Minnesota because, gosh darn it, they're just not assimilating.

Koch tool, Fox friend Pete Hegseth has a real problem with Somalis. Back in September, he began his attack on the Minnesota Somali community. It was real hit job. Not only did he claim that Somalis aren't properly assimilating; but he accused them of "incubating" terror in supposed radical mosques. Monday, he continued the attack, with the help of his nativist wing man Steve Doocy.

Steve Doocy began the propaganda fest by framing the message about unassimilated brown immigrants: "Vetting of refugees and immigrants is a start in the next step here in America, right? Assimilate. America is a melting pot but lately it seems like nothing is melting."

He tossed to Hegseth who informed us that he went to a Minnesota Somali neighborhood "to find out why there was an enclave and not as much assimilation." He played video of an unidentified Somali (?) man who criticized those who are supposedly not assimilating. Hegseth framed the VERY IMPORTANT FOX MESSAGE that Somali youth are scary and dangerous with his question, "Is radicalization still going on, right now, are Somali youth being recruited by ISIS?' The unnamed man said "yes."

Hegseth's next interview was with a young Somali man who was asked if Muslim schools teach Sharia law. The young man answered in the affirmative. Hegseth asked if the Muslim schools teach the US Constitution. After the interviewee said he didn't know, Doocy played to his audience's fear and loathing: "That's one of the most serious sound bites I've heard. When you come to the United States and the whole idea of assimilation is to become more American, but if you don't learn the language, you don't learn the history, you don't get a job, you don't assimilate." Hegseth agreed and noted that Somalia is on Trump's "temporary ban."

Given that the American Christian right is not exactly the essence of tolerance, there was rich irony when Hegseth said that "these are people who come from intolerant countries where women and gays are persecuted, religious minorities are persecuted, coming to tolerant countries like in Western Europe or the United States."

He was nearly hysterical as he shouted "if they don't assimilate to the idea of America, America is not a race or a gender or a creed, it's an idea around founding values." He shouted about how, if they're not taught "why this country is special, then why should we be surprised that they're seduced by radical Islam, seduced by mosques that teach Sharia law and then they backlash against this culture and our country and attack us here at home."

Hegseth complained that schools were not doing enough to turn these immigrants into upstanding citizens and, in a moment of typical Fox nativism, said "this is a press 2 for Spanish country." But not to worry because, as Hegseth informed us, Trump's new vetting will make sure that these folks "believe in America." The jingoism continued: It's a pretty simple construct, nothing racist about it, it's called Americanism."

Hegseth ranted about how schools don't say the sacred "Pledge of Allegiance," the evils of "taking a knee, and the awesomeness of America and if these things aren't addressed - things that Trump is "speaking to," we're "going to lose our country." Doocy: "right."

Fox News says to beware of scary Somali Muslims. Nothing racist about it at all....

Crossposted at News Hounds.
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