[whataretheysaying] Mary Madigan: Looking for hate

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Posted by Mary Madigan:
Looking for hate
http://whataretheysaying.powerblogs.com/posts/1161876995.shtml


   What is Islamophobia?

   According to this [1]disputed Wiki page, Islamophobia is:

     defined as the phenomenon[1] of a prejudice against or demonization
     of Muslims which manifests itself in general negative attitudes,
     violence, harassment, discrimination, and stereotyping (and
     particularly being vilified in the media).

   As a concept, Islamophobia follows in the hallowed footsteps of
   concepts like [2]speciesism, [3]womynhood and McCarthyism;
   consciousness-raising attempts to stifle criticism instead of debating
   it; political correctness that uses feelings of victimization instead
   of reason as a weapon to try to force people to stop saying words or
   phrases that frighten, offend or annoy.

   The concept of Islamophobia (and the related issue of Islamophobia
   watching) hasn't made as much progress here as it has in in Britain
   and Europe. This is probably due to the protection offered by our
   constitution. It may also be due to our somewhat uniquely pragmatic,
   American attitudes. (bullshit is a word that is difficult to translate
   into many European languages). Most of us instinctively shy away from
   participating in efforts to blacklist Americans for Un-Muslim
   activities.

   However, recent right-wing efforts to rewrite the history of
   McCarthyism, to prove that Tailgunner Joe [4]"got a bad rap" may have
   opened the door to the recent emergence of right-wing PC.

   According to Ann Coulter, McCarthy succeeded because he "made it a
   disgrace to be a Communist. Domestic Communism could never recover."
   She echoes the primary goals of political correctness - don't fight
   your enemies using reason - instead, disgrace them, blacklist them,
   shout them down.

   This PC for right wingers conveniently ignores political correctness's
   [5]Leninst roots. An ideological struggle from Lenin to Mao to
   McCarthy to Coulter and CAIR. Interesting company.

   Johann Hari, a British writer who has suffered from various forms of
   political correctness and McCarthyism [6]wrote a scathing condemnation
   of recent right-wing efforts to polish McCarthy's image:

     The corpse of Joe McCarthy is being paraded before us. The more
     extreme wing of the US right believe he offers us a model for how
     to fight a war against Islamic fundamentalism. They're right - and
     it's a model that leads straight to liquidated democracy and
     defeat.

   Hari also wrote this about [7]Islamophobia watchers:

     Do you believe a religious leader who fights to save Section 28 and
     says gay people spread disease is a fulminating bigot? Do you
     believe a "leading cleric" who advocates stoning gay people to
     death should be denounced? Do you believe sharia law â which
     requires gay people to be lashed or stoned â is always and forever
     unacceptable? Then, according to an energetic and aggressive group
     of white straight boys who surreally consider themselves to be on
     the left, you are an "Islamophobe" and "objectively pro-Nazi"

   He was refrerring to this British website, [8]Islamophobia Watch:

     The real racism comes from Islamophobia Watch itself, and the
     people who parrot their claims. Where Tatchell [the accused gay
     Islamophobe] treats Muslims as the equal citizens of a democracy,
     people with open minds and a free intelligence, they treat Muslims
     as feeble children who cannot cope with the scorn we routinely (and
     rightly) pour on Catholics and Protestants. They argue that Muslims
     are so sensitive and uncurious that their ideas must be ring-fenced
     from criticism, with the police arresting anybody who vehemently
     criticises their beliefs.

   Fortunately, we have a constitution here, so Islamophobia watchers
   can't even dream of summoning the police to stifle debate. Despite
   recent civilian efforts to revive McCarthyism, our government hasn't
   raised any criticism of "Islamophobia". In fact, they enthusiastically
   welcome Europeans like Hirsi Ali who have been blacklisted as
   Islamophobes into the USA.

   Still, the Islamophobia Watchers have their crusade...umm...jihad or
   whatever. (I seem to be committing thoughtcrimes no matter what word I
   use)

   One of these sites, the Islamic Human Rights Commission, has nominated
   the bloggers at [9]Harry's Place (a former home for Johann Hari's
   posts), along with King Mohammed VI of Morocco, Bruce Willis, George
   Bush, blogger Robert Spencer and the Organisers of Toronto Supports
   Denmark Rally for their [10]Islamophobe of the Year award.

   The Islamic Human Rights Commission defines Islamophobia as
   "intolerance". [11]Here are photos of a protest they sponsored,
   including a table full of the usual Hezbollah tchotchkes.

   The site that posted these pictures is linked to from
   [12]"Islamophobic" Harry's Place. It was also linked to from the
   "Islamophobic" Little Green Footballs. The watchers are watching the
   watchers.

   The biggest problem, other than the attempts to ignore the
   constitution and stifle free speech, is what escapes our attention
   while we're so busy watching each other; if we're fighting a war
   against terrorism, who is paying attention to the terrorists?

   Who is the 'enemy', Republicans, Democrats or the "Community of the
   Impoverished"? Islamophobia Watch or the "International Quranic Open
   University Inc". Robert Spencer or Jamaat ul-Fuqra. Any guesses?

   Well, it was a trick question. The Community of the Impoverished,
   Jamaat ul-Fuqra and "International Quranic Open University Inc" are
   all part of the the same group, a Pakistan-based armed and violent
   militia that is [13]recognized as a terrorist organization by the US
   government and [14]that may have bases near your town.

   In the USA.

   Here are a few incidents [15]that have been linked to Al-Fuqra:

     August 31, 1979: San Diego, California - Attack at a Hare Krishna
     temple.

     November 21, 1979: Queens, New York - Attack on an Iranian
     (Shi'ite) mosque.

     September 1, 1982: Tempe, Arizona - Attack on the Islamic Cultural
     Center.

     July, 1983: Portland, Oregon - A hotel owned by the Baghwan Shree
     Rajneesh, an Indian guru, was firebombed by a member of Al-Fuqra.
     Three pipe bombs were placed in a room on the fourth floor of the
     hotel by Stephen Paster, who is said to be one of the organizers of
     Al-Fuqra in the United States.

     August 8, 1983: Canton, Michigan - A leader of the Muslim Ahmadiyya
     sect, Dr. Mozaffar Ahmad, is shot to death. The Ahmadiyya Center of
     Detroit is set on fire shortly afterward. William Cain, an Al-Fuqra
     follower from Akron, Ohio was identified as Ahmad's murderer. Both
     he and an accomplice, Calvin Jones were killed in the fire.

     June 16, 1984: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - The Hare Krishna Temple
     of Philadelphia is firebombed.

   I wouldn't have known about this group if I hadn't been reading a site
   that is often maligned as being "Islamophobic", [16]Gates of Vienna.

   How many readers out there knew about this group? How many people know
   where Al Furqra's home base is located?

   Okay, I'm not seeing any hands. Now, how many of us have gone
   nutpicking in LGFs comment section? How many of us know how to spell
   Robert Spencer's name in Arabic? How many people avoid reading or
   linking to sites that have been blacklisted as Islamophobic, despite
   the fact that these sites contain hard-to-find information about real,
   often local terrorist groups?

   There are the hands.

   Maybe we have been looking for hate in all the wrong places.

References

   1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Muslim
   2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speciesism
   3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Trans
   4. http://rightwingnews.com/interviews/anncoulter.php
   5. http://www.jspes.org/winter2002_ellis.html
   6. http://www.johannhari.com/archive/article.php?id=367
   7. http://www.johannhari.com/archive/article.php?id=897
   8. http://www.islamophobia-watch.com/
   9. http://hurryupharry.bloghouse.net/
  10. http://www.ihrc.org.uk/islamophobia/
  11. http://publicansdecoy.livejournal.com/448298.html
  12. http://hurryupharry.bloghouse.net/archives/2006/10/23/raining_on_their_parade.php
  13. http://library.nps.navy.mil/home/tgp/jamat.htm
  14. http://politicsofcp.blogspot.com/2006/06/jamaat-ul-fuqra-homegrown-islamic.html
  15. http://politicsofcp.blogspot.com/2006/06/jamaat-ul-fuqra-homegrown-islamic.html
  16. http://gatesofvienna.blogspot.com/2005/10/jamaat-ul-fuqra-in-virginia-part-1.html