The hijab has gone from symbol to object, and the people associated with it are that object. Alex W. attacked and killed a piece of cloth.
Muslims Are Not the Only Group Endangered By Hate
The recent murder in Germany, and the ensuing silence, reveal a shocking level of tolerance for Islamophobia. But hate is seldom focused nor easily sated.
Why did coverage of the murder of a pregnant Muslim woman merely record the outrage “in the Muslim world”?
On Religion, Abortion, and Politics: Dr. George Tiller's Christian Ethics
A Lutheran pastor explains how the murdered abortion provider could have been a Christian in good standing with his church and faith community—and how the politics of abortion is tied to the history of racism.
While everyone on both sides of the abortion issue seems to condemn the murder of George Tiller, few admit the malignant effects of "baby killer" rhetoric.
Many are quick to blame Islam or Pakistani culture for the brutal murder of the wife of a TV executive but there is no evidence at all of a connection.
The Santa Killer: Death Imitating Art
When Bruce Pardo, dressed as Santa Claus, murdered friends and family on Christmas eve he was acting out a tragic bit of ceremonial violence, and borrowing an ironic and horrifying role from film and comics.
Op-Ed: Liberal Hatred
When do seemingly manageable ideological differences within a functioning democracy become something more treacherous?