Talking to a Canadian member of Parliament on Thursday, MSNBC anchor Andrea Mitchell wondered about the threat of bigotry in that country's reaction to a terrorist shooting. Comparing Canada to the United States, she worried, "But do you fear, do you worry that there is going to be this reaction as, frankly, we had after 9/11?"
Mitchell continued, "We had to really have bipartisan efforts by the President, George W. Bush at the time and others, to bring together the community and stop anger and discrimination against some in our society?" [MP3 audio here.]
Except, that's not what happened after 9/11, at least in regards to Muslims. As noted by the National Review's David J. Rustin on January 11, 2013:
A detailed analysis of FBI statistics covering ten full calendar years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks reveals that, on a per capita basis, American Muslims, contrary to spin, have been subjected to hate crimes less often than other prominent minorities. From 2002 to 2011, Muslims are estimated to have suffered hate crimes at a frequency of 6.0 incidents per 100,000 per year – 10 percent lower than blacks (6.7), 48 percent lower than homosexuals and bisexuals (11.5), and 59 percent lower than Jews (14.8). Americans should keep these numbers in mind whenever Islamists attempt to silence critics by invoking Muslim victimhood.
In a follow-up question, Mitchell pressed, "Do you think this is going to change Canada's commitment to remain in the military coalition against ISIS or ISIL?" She added, "It is controversial."
A partial transcript is below:
Andrea Mitchell Reports
10/23/14
12:14
ANDREA MITCHELL: I listened to the opening of Parliament today and your opposition leader stressing the inclusiveness. Canada has this open expression and this, this desire for inclusiveness. It's a very, not at all homogeneous. It's a very heterogeneous society. But do you fear, do you worry that there is going to be this reaction as, frankly, we had after 9/11? We had to really have bipartisan efforts by the President, George W. Bush at the time and others, to bring together the community and stop anger and discrimination against some in our society?
CHARLIE ANGUS (Canadian Parliament Member): Well, certainly, when we reflect on the horrors of 9/11 and having an outside force come into your country and attack your nation so brutally, it certainly shocked the world and was a wake up for all of us. We are dealing here with two terrible incidents of local boys, young men, who somehow fell through the cracks and became radicalized. The message that I've been hearing from Canadians is that the values that we have, we are going to hold onto them.
...
MITCHELL: Charlie, do you think this is going to change Canada's commitment to remain in the military coalition against ISIS or ISIL, whatever you want to call it. It is controversial.
