Why Is Liberal Hollywood Silent About Syria When They Were So Outspoken About Iraq

What do Americans think of Linda Sarsour?

Palestinian-American “activist” Linda Sarsour is a media darling because of her firebrand Muslim feminism. But she’s only interested in pushing her own agenda.Sarsour is notorious for her comments supporting Sharia, even tweeting that we’ll “know when [we’re] living under Sharia Law if suddenly all your loans & credit cards become interest free.”You'll know when you're living under Sharia Law if suddenly all your loans & credit cards become interest free. Sound nice, doesn't it?— Linda Sarsour (@lsarsour) May 13, 2015
Yes, because destroying the facet of separation of church and state is worth saving money.Sarsour also has the convenient cry of being criticized because she’s an “empowered Muslim woman of color.”When confronted about her tweet regarding activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali at a press conference in Dartmouth, Sarsour claimed that a “young white man” shouldn’t be able to ask her questions regarding issues that don’t directly affect him.For reference— here are her (now deleted) remarks about Ali, an anti-FGM activist and a former Muslim:Upon further investigation, it just seems as if Sarsour is jealous of Ali.What does Ayaan Hirsi Ali got that I ain't got? Front page covers and shit. #MuslimRage— Linda Sarsour (@lsarsour) September 18, 2012
Sarsour has a narrow-minded definition of feminism— for example, that Zionism and feminism are incompatible, though plenty of evidence suggests that women are far more free and empowered in Israel (barring the ultra-Orthodox communities) than in Palestine.It is possible to be Muslim and an outspoken activist— take Ilhan Omar, a refugee and the first legislator of Somali descent in the United States, or Arsalan Iftikhar, a human rights lawyer and author. But in these already divisive times, Linda Sarsour only contributes to the discord of extreme partisanship in our current political climate, instead of uniting people through common values.

Why is the movie "American Sniper" receiving so much criticism?

I don't know that "American Sniper" is receiving a lot of criticism. There's been some criticism. Michael Moore's and Seth Rogen's recent comments come to mind. And when such criticism has been made, the response seems to be fervid and silencing. For example, Kid Rock Tweeted this response to Moore and Rogen:"F--- you Michael Moore, you're a piece of s--- and your uncle would be ashamed of you. Seth Rogen, your uncle probably molested you. I hope both of you catch a fist to the face soon."And Quora users had similar, knee-jerk reactions to Moore's criticism of the movie:  @What are arguments for or against filmmaker Michael Moore's declaration that snipers are cowards, in his response to the release of American Sniper?  Notice that a lot of comments are ad hominem attacks regarding Moore's weight.So, instead of receiving "so much criticism", "American Sniper" has actually received the opposite. It has many vocal and loud defenders who zealously attack the few people that have dared to publicly criticize it. As such, this fictionalized biopic movie serves as a good proxy issue for the entire "War on Terror" and American jingoism in general.I find this silencing of critics very disturbing. Indeed, it exposes a fundamental weakness of democracy: the tendency of the majority to silence or intimidate the minority. This unquestioning and knee-jerk lionization of "war heroes" is certainly a step toward totalitarianism. It's another one of those "you're-either-with-us-or-against-us" wedge issues that get critics of American policies labeled as "traitors" or enemy "sympathizers".Regarding Michael Moore's statements about "American Sniper", I had this to say:  @Walter Lee's answer to What are arguments for or against filmmaker Michael Moore's declaration that snipers are cowards, in his response to the release of American Sniper?I would encourage people to think and criticize any and all icons of popular admiration. A free society shouldn't have any idols beyond reproach. Rather than there being "so much" criticism of "American Sniper", I wish there was more criticism of it...