“The Net Effect of Being an Islamophobia Industry Affiliate”

“The Net Effect of Being an Islamophobia Industry Affiliate”

With two great recent investigative reports  – Max Blumenthal along with Electronic Intifada have unearthed the shadowy ecosystem of multimillion dollar foundations, nonprofit groups, and even some Muslim organizations in helping perpetuate “the Islamophobia Industry.”  By highlighting the influence of these dark-money sources, many eyes across the world were opened as to the nature of the shady, back-door dealings of the industry.

Even though the overwhelming response to the articles has been positive – there has also been a noticeable backlash as well.  Interestingly, one of the first defenses of the American Islamic Congress was the Sheldon Adelson funded, anti-Islam conspiracy site “The Clarion Project,” (formerly RadicalIslam.org.)   Additionally, some critics and apologists are brushing off the links in funding as a stretch – asserting that these foundations are serving nothing more than the role of a bank in these cases.

So what’s the real answer here?  Are the critics who are brushing off these developments right?  Are these findings truly insignificant?  To put it bluntly, the answer to both questions is:  NO.  These findings are EXTREMELY significant.  For those of us who have been impacted by and have been researching the epidemic that Islamophobia for years, the fact is that there is a huge measurable impact that has and continues to be felt by not only Muslims – but all Americans as well.

Sheldon Adelson – The Money Man

First, let’s ask this question:  Why would any Muslim or Muslim-group willingly take money or support from Adelson – the world’s 12^th richest person, who famously said this?  Or what about the time he referred to Palestinians as “an invented people?”

In fact, Sheldon Adelson is infamous for being the single-largest purchaser of influence in American politics– and he readily admits as much.  It is a known fact that his key reason for donating eight-figures to Newt Gingrich was to influence the national conversation on Israel.  So, when people come to defend beneficiaries of the casino magnate’s money as some sort of glorified bank transaction – they are being disingenuous. Sheldon Adelson’s money ALWAYS comes with a price.

Not only does the billionaire channel his immense assets in the area of promoting pro-Israel policy, he also channels it toward spreading anti-Muslim paranoia.  This is done via his Clarion Fund – which has produced anti-Islam propaganda films such as “Obsession” – which was distributed widely in newspapers nationwide.  The Clarion Fund made a follow up a few years later entitled “The Third Jihad,” an agitprop piece that outlines a scheme for a “cultural jihad” being waged on American soil using “Muslim Brotherhood front organizations.”  We’ll talk about that film in just a bit – but let’s take a look at some of Adelson’s primary operatives for accomplishing his dirty work.

Frank Gaffney – The Beltway Insider

Even though the Islamophobia Network includes more media-savvy hate mongers such as Pam Geller or Robert Spencer – there is perhaps no more influential figure in the spread of anti-Islam hate in the U.S. than the highly-connected Center for Security Policy head, Frank Gaffney.  His influence stems from his position in the Reagan Administration, which he has parlayed into a network of wealthy, paranoid conservative donors who lap up his litany of conspiracy theories.

The primary conspiracy theory peddled by Gaffney –is that of “creeping Sharia” – the irrational fear that Islamic law (known in Arabic as sharia) is being implemented via a stealth conspiracy, which involves the Muslim Brotherhood along with any major American Islamic organization.  Aside from the absolute absurdity of the claim – Muslims represent a maximum of 1.5% of the American population, along with the fact that there is not a single group that is talking about/attempting to implement sharia – conservatives continue to take this theory and run with it.  As of 2012, 78 anti-sharia bills had been introduced across 31 state and local legislatures in the U.S.  In 2013, we have seen this trend continue with bills introduced in Florida, Missouri, Kansas, and most recently – North Carolina.

Read the talking points that legislators in states like NC parrot out such as:

“”I’ve always wanted to depend on our own constitution, but we have seen that document put in, frankly, grave danger” – Rep. John Blust (R-NC)

Behind each one of these panicked quotes, lies Frank Gaffney and his close ally and front-man for authoring the anti-Islam bills, attorney David Yerushalmi.  Hundreds of thousands of dollars have flowed between Gaffney’s Center for Security Policy and Yerushalmi with the express purpose of spreading anti-Islam panic throughout the U.S.

He is also the source of the smear campaign against any Muslims who happen to be working or affiliated with the administration – labeling names like Huma Abedin, Sohail Khan, Eboo Patel among others as “Muslim Brotherhood Operatives.”

With his influence among elected officials, we have seen a step up in the Islamophobic rhetoric being spewed from elected officials – on a local, state, and national level.  Most famously amongst these examples – is the anti-Muslim witch-hunt led by Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann.  From 2010-2012, Bachmann, Louie Gohmert (R-TX,) Joe Walsh (R-IL,) and Allen West (R-FL) made up what was known as the “Islamophobia Caucus.”  Who is their tutor, you ask?  Frank Gaffney, of course.  Only Bachmann and Gohmert remain in Congress today, but all are active in attending conferences geared to the anti-Islam industry.  Oh by the way, there’s one coming up in November sponsored by David Horowitz, featuring Gaffney, Pam Geller, Robert Spencer, Bachman among others – in case you’re interested.

In fact, Gaffney’s viewpoints are so extreme in nature, that he has been disinvited from a number of Conservative circles – including the influential “Weyrich lunch.”

Think about that for a second.   Frank Gaffney’s views are too extreme for the Republican Party.  In the aftermath of being shunned by the lunch, Gaffney then planted the rumor that tax reformer Grover Norquist (who’s married to an Arab-American) is part of the Muslim Brotherhood conspiracy.

Gaffney’s activities are narrowly focused upon degrading the public’s perception of Islam and Muslims in the U.S.  He has successfully peddled his influence among fringe lawmakers to help precipitate and foment anti-Islam hysteria in the U.S. – which as resulted in the absurd anti-Sharia bill movement across 60% of states in the union.  The introduction of these bills has effectively served as a “Trojan horse” for fostering a more hostile environment for Islam and Muslims within these states as well.  In Tennessee for example – the Muslim community is living under the persistent specter of Islamophobia in the aftermath of the bill’s introduction.  This includes a vitriolic attempt to block the establishment of an Islamic Center in Murfreesboro, to irrational fears about a mop-sink in the state legislature, to elected officials openly posting calls to violence against Muslims.

This has also resulted in the spewing of false allegations against individual Muslims and Muslim organizations, which has negatively impacted the lives of those affected.  One of Gaffney’s colleagues has been key in pushing forth this agenda.

Zuhdi Jasser – The Islamophobia Industry’s Favorite Muslim

As mentioned in Blumenthal’s article – Jasser is also affiliated with the American Islamic Congress – a group that has received immense funding from key members of the Islamophobia Industry – including Sheldon Adelson, the Klarman Foundation, and the Donor’s Capitol Fund.  He also sits on the Clarion Fund Board of Advisors alongside Gaffney, Walid Phares (former Ariel Sharon ally) – and the man known as the “Godfather of Islamophobia in the U.S.” – Daniel Pipes.  But even though critics of the investigation brush this off as “money changing hands” – the reality is that figures such as Jasser take a much more active role in the day to day activities of the “Islamophobia Industry.”

So how is it possible for someone who claims to be a devout Muslim to be an active participant in helping the promotion of anti-Islam sentiment?  Therein lies Dr. Jasser’s value to this multi-million dollar machine – to play the role of the “good Muslim.”  Conspiracy theorist and Islam-hater Glenn Beck terms Jasser as “the Muslim we have all been waiting for after 9/11.”  Former Bush Attorney General Michael Mukasey (winner of Gaffney’s Freedom Flame Award) is also an admirer or Jasser.  Although seemingly unbecoming of a former AG, Mukasey subscribes to Gaffney’s Muslim Brotherhood takeover conspiracy theories – and takes every opportunity to highlight that Jasser is the only hope for American Muslims.  With glowing recommendations like these, it is no surprise that the Scottsdale physician is a frequent Fox contributor along with other conservative media.

In the 24 hour news-cycle, self-styled “experts” must forge a niche for themselves – Jasser has thrived off smearing and creating a shadowy narrative when it comes to the mainstream Muslim organizations in America.  Before Dr. Jasser’s emergence as the narrator of the Adelson funded propaganda film, “The Third Jihad” – the term “Islamist” was infrequently used in the media.   However, with the film’s extensive circulation, along with Jasser’s constant use of the word as an epithet in his interviews and writings – the word has jumped into the mainstream, almost becoming generic in nature.

Those who think the influence of such films is insignificant should think again.  The NYPD used “The Third Jihad” as a training video “on a continuous loop” for nearly 1,500 of its officers.  In fact, NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly participated in the film – which only adds to the department’s horrendous record of spying on and mapping out innocent Muslims throughout the northeast.  In addition to Jasser’s active role in the film, he also held a pep rally alongside Rep. Peter King to support the NYPD’s invasive spying program on Muslims.

Smears Against Webb, MSA, CAIR, and other prominent Muslims

One of the most well known Muslim leaders in the U.S. – Suhaib Webb was slated to represent our community at the Boston interfaith service, featuring President Obama.  In reality, Webb likely the most recognizable Muslim cleric in the United States and his moderate perspective has gained a huge following among all segments of the Muslim community.  And although he was extremely gracious when the virtually unknown Weddady replaced him at the service – this was just the beginning of an attempt to defame and smear his good name.  As Jasser made the rounds in the aftermath of the tragedy, he also used this as an opportunity to deliberately cast shadows of doubt upon Webb – claiming “Up in Boston, this imam Webb has been linked to the (Muslim) Brotherhood”  – in addition to questioning the nature of the imam’s work.  It also completely ignores the fact that Webb has been a leading voice among Muslim clerics to condemn extremism for well over a decade.

This is nothing new for Jasser – who takes every opportunity to cast aspersions upon the major Muslim groups in America – such as the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), and the Muslim Students’ Association (MSA.)

Part of Jasser’s methodology of casting doubt upon individual organizations is utilizing whatever hyper-partisan, conspiracy-theory websites are available in this ultra-paranoid echo chamber in order to reinforce his viewpoint.  Here, he uses the birther-affiliated website “The Daily Caller” in order to create a false sense of causality between Dhzokhar Tsarnaev and the MSA.

In reality, the MSA is has been a great source of organizing and self-identity for American Muslim students for decades.  Students of all levels of religiosity utilize this platform to meet lifelong friends, compete in intramural sports, and organize events while exploring their own religious self-awareness.  And while every other religious and ethnic demographic are encouraged organizing in ways such as this – Jasser and his allies promote the falsehood that this is a “breeding ground for Islamism” and a “Muslim Brotherhood legacy group.”  By poisoning the well with discourse such as that of the Daily Caller article – the intent is to damage the reputation upon those law-abiding participants in these activities.  As mentioned earlier, the toxic law-enforcement environment actually resulted in an extensive spying program upon MSA’s, gathering information on their participants and events throughout the northeast.  The results of the investigation, you ask?  “Zero actionable intelligence.

Dr. Jasser, along with Gaffney take extra care to smear the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy group in America – CAIR.  You would be hard pressed to find an interview where he does not attempt to cast doubt upon CAIR (even though his father in law is also a Chapter President) and its chapters by labeling them with the buzzword “Islamist” or “Brotherhood front groups.”   As his media profile rose during the Boston devastation, his attacks on CAIR rose as well.  In an article for the Arizona Republic, Jasser claimed that CAIR was playing the victimization card – specifically cherry picking a single sentence quote by me, in order to frame his narrative that CAIR “was admonishing Americans not to seek retribution” against the Muslim community.  Let’s put aside the fact that there have been no less than half a dozen reports of violence and harassment reported against Muslims and those who appeared to be Muslim in the aftermath of the Boston tragedy.  Let’s also put aside the fact that in the last year, there was a sharp increase in attacks on mosques – including the arson that destroyed a mosque in Joplin, MO and nearly destroyed a mosque in Toledo, OH.  Let’s ignore the fact that the level of anti-Muslim rhetoric is so high, that it has resulted in violent backlash against or even murder of Sikh and  Hindu individuals.  Aside from these facts, let’s look at the reality of what was really said.

You want to know what CAIR spokespersons were really saying in the Boston aftermath?  Click HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE.  Sometimes, reality doesn’t conveniently fit into the pre-fabricated narratives that the Jasser’s, Gaffney’s and their allies attempt to present about American Muslims.  However – these guys are making a living selling their ideas to an audience (Fox News, WND, Daily Caller) who are known to be the least informed among the American public – even less informed than those who watch absolutely no news.

In the end, it is unsurprising that those such as Jasser ignore the good that the mainstream Muslim orgs are doing – and are focusing on reinforcing a false narrative of the Islamophobia industry.  In reality, they are linked inextricably with one another – as in the case with Jasser appearing in Steven Emerson’s “Grand Deception”, or sharing a stage and with known hate-group leader Robert Spencer at one of the aforementioned David Horowitz-funded retreats.  The pull, the power and the influence of the money provided by these foundations and shell organizations prove to be too tempting to pass up, apparently.

In the end, it is highly significant when ties to the key players in the Islamophobia Industry are uncovered –as in the case of Blumenthal’s expose.  When money and influence start making their way into legislative circles, we start seeing bitter fruits being harvested.  Some of these examples include a draconian spying program at the behest of the NYPD against segments of the Muslim community, specifically MSA members.  We see officers and homeland security personnel being trained by propaganda films such as “The Third Jihad” – which can create a monstrous view of Islam in the eyes of those who are there to protect and serve.  We have seen witch-hunts on Capitol Hill – such as the Gaffney-inspired Bachmann and Gohmert, along with the formation of the “Islamophobia Caucus.”  Finally, we have seen a sharp increase in the amount of bias related crimes targeting Muslims, Sikhs and persons of color since the influx of this dark money into the political and media sphere.  For those who think that the money and influence outlined in the previous EI articles is somehow insignificant – it is time to think again.

NY Post: Fueling Hate With Fake Headlines

We are now 3 days in the aftermath of the horrific Boston Marathon bombing – where at least 3 people were killed, and over 170 injured.  As search continues for who exactly is behind the attack – we are also in the midst of a full-on media meltdown, as they pursue the scoop on this story.

And while we take a reprieve from the air of tragedy, to laugh at (and rightfully so) at the likes of CNN for their ongoing comedy of errors – there is a much more egregious and reckless form of reporting done by the right wing media – specifically the New York Post.

But Wait….It’s the New York Post.

Nobody considers the Post to be anything more than the paper-manifestation of the xenophobic, right-wing echo-chamber – as this is their stock and trade.  However – the publication somehow continues to outdo itself, profiteering and fear-mongering off a national tragedy.  The race-baiting began before the smoke was literally even clearing from the crime scene – as the Post was the first to perpetuate the fallacious story about a “20 year old Saudi national” who roused suspicion because he was running away from the explosion – like everyone else.  As it turns out, the Saudi was not a suspect – nor a person of interest in the bombing.  Rather – he was a victim of the horrific attack, being treated for injuries at a local hospital.  Those are the real facts.

Facts don’t matter though – for all intents and purposes, once the Post ran with the Saudi story, Islamophobes smelled blood in the water.  The equally repulsive Drudge Report kept the false Saudi story up for the next 2 days.  Glenn Beck told his legions of tinfoil-cap wearing fans that “this is likely the work of Islamists.”  This fervor has caused one of the “godfathers” of Islamophobia in the U.S. – self-desribed terrorism expert Steve Emerson to emerge from the woodworks.

After other mainstream outlets put the silly “Saudi” rumor to sleep – NY Post and Emerson continue to double down on their conspiracy theories.  Add that to the fervor that CNN caused – citing that an arrest had been made of a “dark-skinned male” in the case, and we are now seeing the seeds being planed for a whole new backlash against Muslim and Arab-Americans.

Have The Islamophobic Backlash Started?

So far, in the last 2 days – there have been reports of a Bangladeshi man being attacked and left semiconscious with a dislocated shoulder in the Bronx.  A Palestinian-American was also assaulted and harassed in Boston.  Less than 72 hours in, the seeds of “dark skinned” or Arab suspicion have now started to bear their bitter fruit.

We’re not done yet.  The Post has committed its most egregious and reckless piece of “journalism” yet – when it decided to double-down on the “Saudi” conspiracy and publish the photos of a so-called “potential suspect” – who turned out to be an innocent 17 year old track athlete at a local high school.  Now, young Salah Barhoun – whose image has been put out there in the most horrendous context, for the entire world to see – is now doing everything he can to clear his name.

This gets to the heart of the matter of just how irresponsible and detrimental to society those who fan the flames of Islamophobia in the U.S. are.  There is no punitive action – other than in the “court of public opinion” for those who are willing to jeopardize the safety of individuals or communities for the sake of generating headlines.  Fox News contributor Erik Rush sent out a tweet that alluded to “killing all Muslims“ in the direct aftermath of the attacks – and has not yet received any type of reprimand or removal from his role with the network.  Rush has now doubled-down on his comments, evoking jargon such as “dhimmi” that has made Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer household names.  While these hate-mongers continually spew misinformation (Geller and Spencer are loving the Saudi conspiracy theories, btw) – they take shelter under the guise of free-speech.  While they can surely claim freedom of speech, it is also known that hate-speech can manifest itself in violent endings – as Geller, Spencer and Emerson were all cited in Norway killer Anders Breivik’s anti-Islam manifesto prior to his murder of 77 innocent individuals.

Violent Effects of Unchecked Rhetoric

Last year, we saw the same cause and effect relationship between Islamophobia and violent action for a man who was just sentenced to 20 years in prison for the arson of a Toledo, Ohio mosque.  After Randy Linn was apprehended for the blaze that almost destroyed the Muslim house of worship – he stated that the only information he knew about Islam – he got from Fox News, which happens to be the New York Post’s sister company.  We saw a violent wave of attacks on Muslim houses of worship as well as a hate-fueled, murderous attack on the Oak Creek, WI Sikh Temple.  As we move forward from this heightened state of fear-mongering and finger-pointing, do we have more of the same to fear?

And what about 17-year old Salah, who undoubtedly has faced xenophobia and bullying even prior to his image being blasted into millions of homes – falsely labeled as a suspect in a terror attack?  Will he be able to put the pieces of his life back together?  For young Arab and Muslim immigrants trying to fit into the school system over here – the environment of bullying and racism has never been higher.  It is commonplace to be heckled, be labeled a terrorist, and to be alienated from other classmates and even teammates.  Having your name thrown out there with no fact-checking or journalistic principles during a time of such heightened emotions can have a devastating effect on a young child.  We can only hope and pray that he is able to recover his good name from this.

As we can see, the anti-Arab and anti-Muslim wagons are circling – facts be damned.  We will continue to see the echo-chamber, headed by the NY Post – whose irresponsible reporting is adding fuel to an already heated situation.  The reports of attacks on brown-skinned and Muslim individuals in the aftermath of the marathon bombing are a harsh reminder of the effects of such poisonous rhetoric and yellow journalism.  Now we must ask ourselves, what lies in the coming days ahead of us?

The Stop Islamophobia Now Podcast – More Episodes Coming Up!

In case you missed the first episode – check it out here:

This will be an exciting new format to explore moving forward – as there are so many personalities out there who are contributing positively to fighting racism, hate and Islamophobia in the U.S & abroad.  This type of format gives us a chance to tell their stories, what paths they took & highlighting their great works.

Even though Islamophobia hasn’t been dominating the headlines nationally in the past few months – it doesn’t mean that the hate has died down…one…bit.

Just check out headlines from today in Tennessee - they’re so afraid of “creeping sharia” over there, that lawmakers mistook a mop-sink for a Muslim “foot-bath” for making wud’u (ablution before prayers.)  

In NYC, SF and Chicago – Islamophobes are ramping up their anti-Islam bus and subway ad campaigns; the amount of money pouring into this industry is astonishing.  How is the community standing up to this hate?  We plan to highlight these type of stories moving forward – so stay tuned!

Check Out the New Podcast Page!

 

http://stopislamophobianow.wordpress.com/stop-islamophobia-now-podcast/

Gaza: Open Letter to Obama – Leading Us Off a Moral Cliff?

Gaza:  Open Letter to Obama:  Leading Us Off a Moral Cliff?

by Imraan Siddiqi

 

(ed. note:  Opinions expressed here represent mine alone, and are not affiliated with any organizations I am affiliated with.)

 

I write to you as an American, as a Muslim and as an individual who is feeling a great sense of betrayal in the what was termed “The Audacity of Hope.”

Congratulations on your re-election a few weeks back, I feel that it should be noted that much of your electoral success hinged on the unprecedented level of support you received from communities such as mine.  Statistics show that as much as 85% of the Muslim community voted for you – which means that they felt that you would be more fit to address the most pressing issues better than your rival. The “issues” that Muslim-Americans vote on are quite diverse – most are in alignment with the vast majority of American voters – as in jobs, economic growth, healthcare and taxes.  Yet one major issue strikes at the heart of our community as well:  Human Rights.

 

I remember back after your inauguration – you made quite an impact in your address in Cairo.  In addressing the Muslim world, you stated that you were looking to build a “new way forward.”  For the world’s 1.5 Billion Muslims weary and reeling from the aftermath of the Bush years, this was music to many of our ears.

But as we progressed through your first term – many of the promises both stated and unstated remain unfulfilled.  Yes there has been a great deal of upheaval and growth in democracy in the Middle East – but to steal one of your own lines:

“You didn’t build that.” 

 

The promise of reform – from a former Constitutional scholar as our leader – in the realm of prosecuting torturers, closing Guantanamo, and closing the loop on indefinite detention of American citizens were all within grasp for your administration, yet you failed to execute –and in some cases (as in the NDAA) – you all have made the situation much worse.  On the home front, Muslim and Arab-Americans have endured an unprecedented upswing of Islamophobic rhetoric and attacks on houses of worship.  Yet, these issues have been glossed over by your administration and to date you have not visited a single American mosque.  Arguably the most disturbing development is the exponential growth of “targeted” extrajudicial killings at the hands of our drone fleet, which has resulted in hundreds of innocent civilian deaths.  The adoption of such policies has shifted our focus away from the “pursuit of justice” – to more closely resembling the “pursuit of vengeance” that your ally Israel has made so famous.

 

Pillar of Genocide

As I write this letter, we are ending the first week in what guarantees to be an increasingly bloody attack on the citizens of Gaza – known by the IDF as “Pillar of Defense.”  To date, over 100 civilians have died in continuous Israeli bombing, while nearly 900 have been injured.  A huge proportion of those killed have been small children – some as young as 10 months old.

An increasing number of people in this world are able to view this situation with clarity, yet our elected officials seem to be the ones living in the veil of ignorance when it comes to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.  It is an indisputable fact that the residents of Gaza have been living in what amounts to a prison camp for the better part of the last half-decade.  We saw the utter bloodshed that resulted from the 2008 massacre known as “Operation Cast Lead.”  The international community spoke up in condemnation of the egregious war crimes that were committed by your stalwart ally, Israel.  If not for political posturing – and our nation’s veto power in the U.N, Israel would have suffered much greater consequences after the findings of the Goldstone Report.

 

Fiscal Cliff or Moral Cliff?

As you enter into your final term as U.S. President – your legacy is undoubtedly being written.  In the infamous “47% Video” – your former opponent Mitt Romney promised his donors to “kick the ball down the field” on the Israel and Palestinian issue.  However morally depraved his words were, at least for one moment – Romney was telling the unbridled truth as to what U.S. strategy has been in dealing with this issue.

It is also clear from your statements in the last few days, that “We defend Israel’s right to defend itself” – is essentially the same as  “Kicking the ball down the field.”  By uttering these robotic and toothless words – your administration has given license for Benjamin Netanyahu and the IDF to commit murder and wage destruction far beyond that of “Cast Lead.”

 

And while you are rightfully addressing our nation’s fiscal issues, it has disheartened so many in our nation the coldness and disengagement from the human rights of the resilient and vibrant population of Gaza.  Perhaps our expectations of you were forged out of false hope.

It must be said that those who are conducting the most egregious oppression often do so under the guise of “fighting terror.”  This excuse has been used by Bashar al-Assad is responsible for the deaths of 40,000 of his own citizens, however he blames “the terrorists” for the violence.  The IDF possesses one of the largest nuclear arsenals in the world, as well as the most sophisticated weaponry – and has transformed the West Bank and Gaza into something rivaling Leavenworth or Folsom Prisons.  Yet, the faulty specter of “terror” by the nearly defenseless Palestinian people allows the IDF to inflict collective punishment upon a whole nation of people for generation upon generation.

 

Our nation cannot stand by and allow Israel to continue its never-ending cycle of violence, occupation and repression of the Palestinian people. Think back to that promise of “a new way forward” from the Cairo speech.  Now juxtapose that against what the citizens of Gaza have experienced.  Generations have lived under this occupation – and the bomb blasts, drones, and funerals are undoubtedly causing post-traumatic stress among these innocent civilians.

 

With each passing hour – more and more children and infants are being reported dead.  Twelve members of the Dalu family were killed in the “pinpoint” bombing that your allies conducted today.  For what crime was this family being punished?  What about their 5 small children?  There is no way forward for the citizens of Gaza, if your administration sanctions this one-sided massacre.  Sadly, this will only foment feelings of bitterness and violence – perpetuating this cycle for generations to come.

 

In the end, your administration’s cold and emotionless words speak the loudest to the communities that came out for you the most on Election Day.  The continual shift from the “Ideal Obama” to the “Real Obama” has opened the eyes of many.  There was a hope that you would break the mold of so many before you – yet you have come up short on most, if not all of these promises.  There are still lives that can be spared – there are words that can be spoken that can help further the cause of human rights on so many of these fronts.  The question is, are you willing to speak these words?

 

Imraan Siddiqi is the Editor of StopIslamophobiaNow.com, an Entrepreneur CAIR-AZ Board Member.  He writes on the experiences of Muslim Americans as well as the subject of Islamophobia.  He has been published in outlets such as The Dallas Morning News, The Oregonian, Huffington Post, CounterPunch, SuhaibWebb.com, altMuslim, among many other media outlets.  You can follow him on Twitter @imraansiddiqi.  

Election Tuesday: A Break in the Clouds of Islamophobia

by Imraan Siddiqi

On Tuesday night, the stormy skies that many Muslims faced in the political spectrum started to clear up a bit.  We saw the defeat of two well-known sitting members of Congress – Allen West (R-FL) and Joe Walsh (R-IL), while a third – Michele Bachmann (R-MN) was taken down to the wire, and eventually prevailed.  All three politicians were purveyors of far-flung conspiracy theories involving a purported “Muslim takeover of America” – and all three were huge beneficiaries of Islamophobic money.  Along with the more-established candidates, we saw the defeat of a litany of Islamophobic challengers in many congressional races.

One of the most respected Progressive members of congress – Raul Grijalva was being challenged tooth-and-nail by right-wing foe Gabriela Saucedo-Mercer.  The challenger was renowned for being an immigrant from Mexico herself – yet harboring what could only be described as shocking set of views toward immigration.  In an interview last year, Mercer stated that Middle-Easterners should not be able to migrate to the U.S.  – “Either legally, or illegally.”  In the same interview, she alluded to the fact that “prayer rugs and Qurans” were found in the Sonoran desert, along with headless bodies  – which she seemingly attributed to Middle Easterners or Muslims sneaking through the border.  Thankfully for Arizonans – Grijalva was able to retain his seat with ease, defeating Mercer by a wide margin.

The positive trend continued in races across the nation – as Minnesota’s Chip Cravaack and Florida challenger Adam Hasner were all sent packing in their races.  So the question is:  Is there hope that we will see the level of Islamophobia subside within the American political sphere, specifically in the Republican Party?  The reality is, that for years the GOP has given this bigotry sanction, and that the party’s more established members have done almost nothing to speak out against it.  On Tuesday, America spoke out against it at the polls.

Since the 2010 mid-term elections – Islam has been used as a wedge issue.  Newcomers into the fray – namely among the Tea Party movement made it a specific part of their platform to essentially drum up and create a national panic on Shari’ah Law.  Within this theater of the absurd, we saw 78 bills or amendments introduced across 31 states that aimed to thwart the “looming Shari’ah threat.”  The well-documented Islamophobia industry now had a foothold in our national and state legislatures – and was only growing in influence.

Within this new overtly Islamophobic set of legislators – Allen West, Joe Walsh and Michele Bachmann stood out as its most unhinged and high profile members.   Along with TX Rep Louie Gohmert (who remains in Congress,) the group has focused less upon bring the country forward – and more upon sound bytes (“terror-babies,” anyone?) and divisive rhetoric (Muslim Brotherhood conspiracy to take over America.)

This poisonous rhetoric has unfortunately progressed from the dark corners of the GOP, to becoming an actual part of the Party Platform for the Presidential election of 2012.  In the past few months, we saw Muslim-Americans who have dedicated their lives to civic duty – such as Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin, targeted as being part of a Muslim conspiracy to infiltrate politics – their names smeared, and their careers being put on the line – just for being a Muslim American in the political realm.  The echo-chamber of hate in the Islamophobic blogosphere and right-wing media has perpetuated these absurdist conspiracies, questioning the “loyalty” and “patriotism” of American Muslims.  What we saw on Tuesday – a rejection of many of those candidates and principles shows a great deal of hope for civically engaged Muslims moving forward.

Applying this same framework to the Presidential election – in some ways I was happier that Obama got re-elected in 2012, than I was in 2008.  Policy-wise, I – along with many in the Muslim community have many unresolved issues with how he governed in his first term – namely in the area of drone warfare, civilian casualties caused by said drones, the failure to close Guantanamo, the failure to prosecute torturers and the passage of the NDAA.  As we move forward into his second term, Americans will be charged with holding him accountable and scrutinizing him on his promises.  These issues will persist forward, but at the very least – the election of Obama speaks well to the fact that America was able to withstand some of the nastiest and most divisive racially charged rhetoric since the Civil Rights Movement.

Obama’s legitimacy as the President has been challenged by many bigots and Islamophobes since his inauguration in 2009.  He has been labeled as a “un-American,” a Muslim, a Kenyan, a Socialist – and this was all before he stepped foot inside the White House.  The epithets that were lobbied at him prior to governing were merely thinly veiled resistance to having an African-American govern this country.  As I have said many times before – they call him ‘Muslim’ because the ‘n-word’ is not socially acceptable anymore.  Or is it???

And although the Romney campaign thankfully did not engage in the birtherism and delegitimization of the President’s patriotism – nearly all of the GOP candidates vying for the nominee walked that line.  Although Obama hasn’t visited a single mosque – yes a single mosque in his first term – at the very least, he knows what it is like to live under the murky cloud of Islamophobia.  And in spite of the upswing in racism, xenophobia, and hate that has engulfed the national conversation – he was still re-elected.  From that standpoint, it looks like minorities have a lot to look forward to in our country’s future.

There is a great deal of hope in seeing other traditionally non-represented minorities continue to break through into national politics.  The first Hindu was elected into Congress – Tulsi Gabbard, from Hawaii.  Mazie Hirono became the first Asian-American woman elected to the Senate.  Many other minorities are finally seeing their communities find their voice in this election cycle.

The Muslim community has seen its two Congressmen – Keith Ellison and Andre Carson re-elected in landslide victories this past Tuesday – all in spite of the fact that there was a concerted effort by the Islamophobia industry to unseat them.  A 3^rd potential Muslim – Syed Taj was defeated in his Michigan district, however we see that there is definitely hope for our community’s future in holding and retaining elected office.

As we move on from this contentious election cycle – the hope is that the specter of Islamophobia will slowly dissipate once and for all.  Is it gone, with the defeat of West, Walsh and the rest of the crew?  Definitely not- however we do see that the amount of money and resources spent on fanning the flames of Islamophobia do not translate into success on the political scale.  The hope is that the Bachmann’s and Gohmert’s of the world will move away from their divisive rhetoric (not likely) and focus on the real issues.  There are still a great deal of elected officials who harbor anti-Islam sentiment – too many to even name in this article.  With that being the case, our community has to replicate its effort from this last election – speak up in condemnation of hate, and remain steadfast and unafraid to speak to truth and justice within the political realm.

Hate’s Busy Week

The burnt-out remains of the Joplin, MO Mosque.

Hate’s Busy Week

by Imraan Siddiqi

For the Muslim community – as the song goes:  It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – or at least, that’s what it’s supposed to be.  Almost everyone now knows that we are in the midst of the holy month of Ramadan.  Within this blessed month, the last 10 nights are the most blessed nights of the entire year –and this is the time where you find Muslims locking down even further:  Praying more in the night, reading more of the Quran, spending more time in reflection.    Muslims pray in the hope of receiving the blessings of Layl-at-ul-Qadr, or The Night of Decree, which is outlined in the 97^th Surah in the Quran:

97:1

Indeed, We sent the Qur’an down during the Night of Decree.

97:2

And what can make you know what is the Night of Decree?

97:3

The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months.

97:4

The angels and the Spirit descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter.

97:5

Peace it is until the emergence of dawn.

Narrated through the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), we are told that this blessed night occurs within the last 10 nights, likely to be one of the odd nights, i.e. 21^st, 23^rd, 25^th, 27^th.  As the surah above tells us, worshipping on this night carries more credit than worshipping continuously for 1000 months – almost 84 years.  To put it simply – the last 10 days of Ramadan are like the Olympics of worship in Islam.

With that being said, the lead-up to this last portion of our holy month has been riddled with a sharp upswing in hate, violence and intolerance – which for many, is putting a damper on such a blessed time of year. Within the last few days alone, mosques across the American landscape have been hit with bullets, paintballs, lemons, pigs’ legs,  and acid, along with being the subject of vandalism:

SUNDAY, 8/5/12

A Rhode Island mosque is vandalized when an assailant damages the center’s sign.

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/RI-Muslims-seek-FBI-police-help-after-vandalism-3768913.php

MONDAY, 8/6/12

The lone mosque in Joplin, MO was burned to the ground in an apparent arson

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/06/13146671-mosque-in-missouri-burns-to-the-ground-one-month-after-arson-attack?lite

TUESDAY, 8/7/12

Ontario, California – pigs legs were thrown out on the driveway of a future Islamic Center – where worshippers gathered to observe prayers at the mosque site.  Witnesses say two women in a pickup truck were the perpetrators of the crime.

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/inland_empire&id=8770248

FRIDAY, 8/10/12

Shots were fired outside a Morton Grove, IL mosque – luckily nobody was injured.  Authorities have arrested a 51 year old white male named David Conrad – who allegedly fired his high-powered air-rifle at the house of worship.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/08/12/arrest-made-in-pellet-rifle-shots-at-mosque-chicago-police-say/

SUNDAY, 8/12/12

http://newsok.com/vandals-shoot-paintballs-at-okc-mosque/article/3700402

An Oklahoma City mosque was shot by an assailant with a paintball gun in the late night hours.

*All these attacks come in the aftermath of the devastating attacks in Wisconsin, where half a dozen Sikh worshippers were killed in cold blood by white-supremacist, Wade Michael Page.

*This also comes in the aftermath of the Hayward, CA Mosque attack, where teens were arrested for throwing lemons at the Muslim center:  http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_21266516

A Spike in Rhetoric, a Spike in Attacks

Within the last 2 years, we have seen the level of Islamophobia spike to unprecedented grounds.  Starting with the Park 51 controversy in 2010, the level of vitriol and anti-Muslim rhetoric has risen to levels unseen even in the aftermath of 9/11.  Additionally, the amount of money put into feeding the Islamophobia industry has grown into the tens of millions of dollars.  As we have seen from comments made by elected officials such as Reps Michele Bachmann and Joe Walsh, Islamophobia is not a tactic for those on the fringe anymore – it is now mainstream.

Candidates and politicians utilize this tactic in order to stir up their base, in order to get a short-term bump in the polls – and to increase fundraising.  And this tactic seems to work – as seen by Michele Bachmann’s $1 Million fundraising spike, in the aftermath of her Muslim Brotherhood government infiltration comments last month.  As we can see by the actions of the last week alone – these irresponsible comments have a larger, more negative impact on society.

It is a sad truth that Islamic centers in the U.S have become accustomed to vandalism in some way, shape or form within the last few years.  Any disrespect to a house of worship should be considered a threat to religious freedom in this nation – but there is a demarcation point between acts like teens throwing lemons – as in the Hayward case, and the gun violence that has now rocked the faith community for the last week.  The Oak Creek case, along with Joplin and Morton Grove are key examples of how the rhetoric is allowing some deranged segments of society to justify lethal tactics as a manifestation of their hate.

It remains to be seen whether the same right-wing leadership that stokes fear of Islam in America will come out in defense of our community in the wake of this ever-growing cluster of attacks – but we’re not holding our breath.  There is no doubt that there is some sort of correlation between the elected officials’ comments and the upswing in violence – but rather than taking a step back from this dangerous rhetoric, the lunatic fringe is doubling down.

Reviving the Spirit of the Last Ten Days

One can’t help think morbid thoughts when faced with a cluster of such hateful actions within such a short timeframe.  Thankfully within this seemingly endless string of bad news – arose some good news – in the hardest hit of all the mosques – Joplin, Missouri.  If there was any community that desperately needed some good news – this would be the one.  The town entered the nation’s conscience last year when it was hit by a deadly tornado, killing nearly 200 residents.  As they continue to rebuild the city, the community has now been struck with a new plague:  Hate.  The Muslim community was targeted just over a month ago, when an individual was caught on surveillance throwing an incendiary device on the roof of the mosque, causing damage to the building.  The perpetrator was never caught, and the community seemingly would put this scary event behind them.  Last Monday, the mosque was once again targeted – this time burnt to its foundations.  Even though this looks to be a time of despair and grief for Joplin’s Muslims – we have seen the true spirit of community arise from all over America to help rebuild this house of worship.

Within a few days of the attack, a donation site was put up in order to help raise funds to rebuild Joplin’s mosque.  The fundraising goal for the project serving this small community was ambitious – raise $250,000 within 45 days.  In the old days, it took more along the lines of 45 months for small communities to raise such a large amount of money.  However this cause has struck a chord within the American landscape – and the fundraising goal was met in a mere 60 hours – 2.5 days.  You can view the donation site here – as you can see the great outpouring of love and generosity has helped push their project forward and up to now has nearly raised $350k.  Joplin churches have come together to host the Muslim community for an iftar (breaking the fast at sundown) – in a sign of solidarity.

As the American Sikh community still recovers from the Wisconsin shooting, there has also been an outpouring of compassion from Americans of all faiths in order to show unity.  Candlelight vigils and interfaith memorial services have been held in many major cities throughout the nation.  As we can see, the spirit of love and shared humanity can overcome the most unthinkable acts.

But the question is, how do we stop this endless cycle of hate and disrespect for our houses of worship?  The true American spirit is one of tolerance, religious freedom and embracing of differences.  However, throughout this nation’s history there have always been those forces that have rebelled against this concept – whether that is with rhetoric or violence.  Those previous dark chapters were thought to have been put to bed – but as we can see, hatred does not sleep easily.  In these most blessed nights of the year, it is worth our prayers to put an end to all these senseless attacks for good.

Imraan Siddiqi is a CAIR-Arizona Board Member, Editor of StopIslamophobiaNow.com, & an Entrepreneur.  He writes on the experiences of Muslim  Americans as well as the subject of Islamophobia.  He has been published in outlets such as The Dallas Morning News, The Oregonian, Huffington  Post, CounterPunch, SuhaibWebb.com, altMuslim, among many other media outlets.  You can follow him on Twitter @imraansiddiqi.

“Are All Muslims Liars?” by Imraan Siddiqi

Are All Muslims Liars?

 Originally posted on The Religious Left

http://www.thereligiousleft.org/2012/06/are-all-muslims-liars.html

By Imraan Siddiqi Part Two of “When Interfaith Goes Sideways”

In my last article on The Religious Left, I talked about a memorable interfaith event that was turned on its head due by a local Islamophobic speaker and some local tea-partiers.  As I pointed out, in the end the experience turned out to be a positive  one due to the unity among the speakers, organizers, and most of the  crowd in overcoming hatred.  We were also able to  able to connect with and have lunch with the rabbi from the event – which resulted in some fascinating dialogue.

I want to delve further into what we discussed with the rabbi because it covers vital misconceptions about Islam and Muslims.  As we ate our sandwiches, the rabbi mentioned an exchange that he had with one of the Tea-Party attendees prior to our arrival at the hall. As the other participants prepped for the event, the tea-partier came up to  the rabbi and said “I can never believe anything a Muslim says anyway, because they’re taught to lie in their religion.”

The rabbi countered with a sharp reply – “Well then, that makes you a bigot,” and promptly walked away from the crazed Islamophobe.  As awesome as his reply was, he had never heard of an allegation like this, and could not therefore fully respond to it.

So here’s the question: Are Muslims Liars?

There’s a narrative out there in the Islamophobia industry/right wing  blogosphere that Muslims cannot be trusted, because at any given time  they could be practicing what is known as Taqqiya -or religiously permitted lying. This narrative has been perpetuated by wingnuts such as Glenn Beck in the mainstream – along with Pamela  Geller and Robert Spencer in the fringe.

Let’s take the example that Muslims are taught as children. Pre-revelation in Islam – up to age 40 of the Prophet Muhammad’s (Peace Be Upon Him) life – his nickname in Meccan society was al-Amin – meaning the honest and  trustworthy. Post-revelation, society turned on him. Those who loved him and embraced him before – were now trying to undermine and marginalize  him from society. When a group of elders from Mecca gathered, they  actually held a brainstorming session to bounce ideas off each other on  how to most effectively smear him:  Was he a sorcerer?  Was he a poet?  Was he possessed by a demon?  Was he a liar? They knew none of these allegations could stick – specifically the one  labeling him as a liar, because they knew nobody in society would buy  it.  In an honor based society – such as  pre-Islamic Mecca, even the locals knew that the honesty that Muhammad  displayed was unmatched and could therefore not be used against him  post-revelation.

I attended Sunday school from ages 6-14 – yes Muslims go to Sunday school, no lie. Trust me, I tried to get out of it every week – like a Muslim Ferris  Bueller – but my scheming was far less successful in getting me off the  hook. My memory’s pretty good – and we actually covered the topic of  lying a total of ONCE in those 8 years.

AAH HAH! So they DID teach you to lie!

No, actually they didn’t.  They taught us that lying – just as in nearly all belief systems – is a sin. Every single form of lie is forbidden – except in the case that your  life is in danger.
That’s right, if you are taken prisoner in a war and you fear that you will be killed – then you can  lie, and it won’t count as a sin on your behalf.  And by the way, I believe lying in this case is acceptable in Christianity, Judaism – and is encouraged in the military as well.  To their defense – I can only give my Sunni viewpoint of this concept – which only represents 85% of the Muslims these guys hate.  Although the concept is thought to be more prevalent among Shi’a, it also refers to extreme duress situations.  Historically, the example of the Prophet’s companion – Ammar bin Yasir has been used – where as a young convert to Islam, he found himself in a life or death  situation.  Both his parents (also converts) were captured, tortured and eventually killed.  His mother, Summaya is considered to be the first martyr in Islam.  This brave teenager was now faced with a decision by his captures:  renounce Islam – and give allegiance to their deity – or die.  Under duress, Ammar renounced Islam – and his life was eventually spared.   When he returned back to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) he was told that this  was not considered any wrongdoing on his part, because Islam was still  in his heart.  That – my friends is the extreme case that we are talking about.

Those who throw out allegations at Islam and Muslims intentionally obscure or leave out this vital context in order to further their cause. The above  example comes from the Seerah (Life of the Prophet) as well as  narrations from hadiths (traditions and sayings of the Prophet) which  are backed by 1400 years of Islamic sciences and scholarship.  When Islamophobes like Robert Spencer attempt to twist the facts, they will  conveniently disregard Seerah and hadiths and opt to attack the Quran.

So what does the Quran say about lying?

Let’s take an entire Surah from the Quran, #83 -al-Mutaffifin (The Defrauders).

“Woe to those that deal in fraud― (1) Those who, when they have to receive by measure from men, exact full measure. (2) But when they have to give by measure or weight to men, give less than due. (3) Do they not think that they will be called to account?― (4) On a Mighty, Day, (5) A Day when (all) mankind will stand before the Lord of the Worlds? (6)”

The Surah continues:  By no means! But on their hearts is the stain of the (ill) which they do! (14) Verily, from (the Light of) their Lord, that Day, will they be veiled. (15)

The Arabian Peninsula during the 7th century was a haven for commerce.  Al-Mutaffifin refers to those who intentionally lie, and deceive when it comes to  weights and measures. When it comes to cheating in business, some things never change.  Islam came to reform and set  straight those deceptions. In fact, it is considered a sin to cut whole  milk with water, and still market it as whole milk. So for a religion  that is that stringent on business practices, how can you be permitted  to lie?

Skeptics would attempt to raise the question – “Well, the deception = sin part only applies to other Muslims, right”?  Wrong. When the Islamic state rose in Medina, Muslims maintained an open,  strong relationship with Christians, Jews, and other faiths. Early Muslim delegations actively traded in places like China, and throughout the  non-Muslim world – and these very rules applied to their code of ethics  no matter who they dealt with.

Oh wait, I lied – There’s one more…

There is one other permitted form of lying – that is when two people are  fighting – it is ok to lie to help bring them back together.  But that’s it…I promise. And isn’t that kind of lying pretty romantic?

Chances are, if anyone would have been taught to lie – it would have been me – I mean most Muslim kids don’t even attend Sunday school – let alone for 8 years…Are there even 8 grades in Sunday school?  I send both my kids to full-time Islamic school and they have yet to  receive their Taqqiya training. And if they’re not gonna teach them at  Islamic school, who else is gonna train them? Me? I haven’t even been  properly trained.  Or maybe my kids are lying to me?

BUT…What if He’s Lying About all of This?

Some people might say – “well that’s what he’s supposed to say – it’s all part of the huge Muslim deception.” Well, my friends, you will have to decide for yourself.  I could be lying about ALL of this – that’s what the Spencers and Gellers would like you to believe.  To an extent, that propaganda is working.

The fact of the matter is – that the narrative that “all Muslims are liars” is a perfect alibi to shield their utter hatred.  When a group is perceived as “the other” or “the enemy” – what better way to shift public opinion against them, than to take away their collective integrity?  These type of absurdist concepts are  being perpetuated through the right-wing blogosphere and among the very  profitable anti-Islam industry – and unknowing audiences are lapping  these salacious allegations up.

Islam did not become one of the great religions in the world on the backs of  lies, deception, and falsehood. It is antithetical to any belief system  based on morals and uplifting society to endorse lying. In fact, it is a sin – in every case, except one – where one’s life is in danger….or  if you wanna repair your besties’ relationship.  So in closing – your Muslim neighbor isn’t practicing taqiyya when he or she politely invites you to their house for dinner.  In all likelihood, they have never even heard of the obscure concept of  taqqiya – which has now become all the rage in the right-wing lexicon.  You believe me, don’t you?

Imraan Siddiqi is a CAIR-Arizona Board Member, Editor of StopIslamophobiaNow.com, & an Entrepreneur.  He writes on the experiences of Muslim  Americans as well as the subject of Islamophobia.  He has been published in outlets such as The Dallas Morning News, The Oregonian, Huffington  Post, CounterPunch, SuhaibWebb.com, altMuslim, among many other media outlets.  You can follow him on Twitter @imraansiddiqi.

When Interfaith Goes Sideways

Originally Posted here:

http://www.thereligiousleft.org/2012/05/when-interfaith-goes-sideways.html

Interfaith events have always represented a paradox to me – yet, I find myself attending more and more of them.  On one hand – these events do give an opportunity to bridge religious gaps.  Conversely, the tenor of the events sometimes tend to be too sugary sweet – and representatives from all faiths have been guilty of toning out the other side while smiling, only to tune in when their religious group weighs in.  Even though you enter the events with the best of intentions, only to walk away asking yourself – “Have I really accomplished anything today”?

Last Tuesday, I was one of two Muslim representatives at an event hosted by the Arizona Interfaith Movement – entitled “Texts of Terror”.  The purpose of the event was to highlight verses within the 3 major monotheistic scriptures (Hebrew Bible, New Testament, and Quran) that contain violent imagery and have possibly been used to justify violent acts.  The title was a red flag to me – when I received the invitation to attend, I knew this was going to be a lightning rod event.

A few days before the event took place – we received word that the already controversial subject matter had just added a new wrinkle – an infamous local pseudo scholar named Carl Goldberg would be attending the event with the hopes of stirring up the crowd and turning the dialog into the debate.  This just added to my hesitance, but I knew I would have to pull through.

Imam Anas Hlayhel and I both sit on the board of CAIR-AZ, and we have attended multiple events held by the Arizona Interfaith Movement as representatives for the Muslim community. Usually, the attendance is relatively sparse – but on this day, we were told we would be walking into a capacity crowd at the Arizona Jewish Heritage Center.  As we walk toward the entrance, a familiar face greets us – the director of the Heritage Center.  “Hey guys, I just want to let you know that we have a weird crowd today, so I apologize in advance for anyone who may say offensive things to you.”  As the two Muslims walk into the room – I felt like the scene in Gladiator when Russell Crowe and Djimon Honsou were first thrown into the arena, waiting for the carnage to begin.  At first glance, it was hard to tell who was friendly and who was there in the hopes of seeing the Emperor give the “thumbs down” signal to us.  I have never seen the Goldberg figure before, I have just read his hateful, manipulative and inaccurate discourses on my religion – Which one was he?  I scanned the room looking for someone who looked like they were coming with an agenda – but it was hard to tell who was who.

Looks like we would have to wait until the lions were released…and then the Tea Party Patriots walk in.  How did I know that these people were with the AZ Tea Party Patriots movement?  Well one of them was wearing a pin that said “AZ Tea Party Patriots,” so that sorta gave it away.  You see Dr. Goldberg along with other virulently Islamophobic speakers such as Pamela Geller are extremely popular among Tea Party groups – especially here in Arizona.  These groups like to get worked up and amplify violence conducted by Muslims – assigning guilt by association to the religion and all its adherents due to the acts of a few.  Here are just a few links to the events they put on:

http://www.sparksrepublicanwomen.com/srweventcalander.html

https://www.facebook.com/events/184604054923770/

http://sonoranalliance.com/tag/carl-goldberg/

As the event commenced, it became clear that the organizers wanted nothing to do with the Tea-Partiers and their self-described “expert on Islam.” The organizer (Dr. Paul Eppinger) set the ground rules from the beginning – this event was for our selected clergy to cover the topic of violence in holy scriptures.  This was not going to turn into a debate or an opportunity to bash a religion – basically an Islam-bashing fest.  He also stated that each audience member was only allowed to ask one question – and no speeches or diatribes were going to be accepted.  It is then, we saw Goldberg and the other Tea-Partiers look at each other, scrambling for a backup plan.

When it came to the program itself – each clergy member did a great job of covering and giving an explanation of so-called “violent” verses in their scriptures, while providing the historical and social context.  For example, the rabbi read from the book of Deuteronomy – where the believers are instructed to wipe out the 7 nations: the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 

Next, the Methodist pastor/scholar covered material from the Book of Revelations – where many of the verses that appeal to fighting refer to “The Beast” – which in historical context represented the Romans.  Finally, the imam read from Surah 9 (al-Tawbah) which many extremists misuse to justify acts of violence – and which many Islamophobes misuse to label Islam as inherently violent.  All three clergy presented great cases as to why their faiths’ respective verses should not be taken out of context, while highlighting recent cases of violence done in the name of almost every faith – and some in the crowd seemed to agree.  But what were Goldberg and the Tea Party doing while the actual program was taking place?

After their wings got clipped with the one-question limit, the provocateurs in the crowd were scrambling for a solution.  This was going to be Dr. Goldberg’s big moment – he brought a binder full of material, and had a list of questions that he was ready to shout out.  What was he going to do next?  He started coaching the people sitting next to him and the Tea Partiers on what questions to ask during the Q&A portion.  As the Q&A started, the “expert on Islam” jumped out of his seat in anticipation to be the first questioner.  This is where the wheels started to fall off  – as Goldberg accused the imam of being apologetic and obscuring information, while praising the pastor and the rabbi for being so honest.  “I now have a comment if you will allow me” said Goldberg

The moderator of the session shut him down -and Goldberg’s time was up.  He now went to other audience members to try and coach them on what questions to ask.  There was a poor old guy sitting next to Goldberg – (I sat directly behind them) and Dr. Carl was kept pointing to the piece of paper in his hand on what question to ask.  The elderly man wasn’t very quick on the uptake, so it took about 5 minutes for him to get properly coached by the anti-Islam polemicist.  In the meantime, our Tea Partiers shouted out questions on how all Muslims want “Sharia Law,” and screaming out cases of where Muslims have done bad things.

The interfaith event was officially sideways.

In the dozen inter-religious events I have attended in the last few years, this was the first time we have encountered hostility – and boy did it come strong.  Thankfully, we only had to endure about 10 minutes of wild-eyed, out-of-context, unhinged questions – although it seemed like it lasted an hour.  The members of the clergy did a great job of extending their answers – sort of like the 4-corners offense in basketball lingo.  The event came to a close and the Dr. Eppinger thanked everything for coming.

At this point, I didn’t know if I would have to play the role of secret service agent, and exit – stage left.  Would this be the moment where the crowd joins up with Goldberg’s crew and starts screaming “Go back to where you came from”?  But a funny thing happened – instead of being taunted with jeers, chants and madness – we were greeted by hugs, handshakes and gestures of goodwill streamed from the majority of the crowd.  The Tea Party reps were still looking for a confrontation after the event was over, but their hostility was completely overshadowed by the warmth and compassion from the rest of the attendees.  As the angry Tea Party lady peered in the distance, the rabbi asked us – “You have time to go to lunch?”  We obliged the rabbi on his offer, much to the chagrin of our counterparts.

For the hour and a half that we sat in the auditorium, the question “what are we doing here?” kept resonating in my mind. It was impossible to shake the feeling that we were on the road to accomplishing nothing but increasing our anxiety levels.  But as we are taught in our faith, if you approach a potentially negative situation with the best of intentions – there is always a positive that will arise from it.  Thankfully, the ensuing lunch with the rabbi opened up such positive avenues.  After leaving the tension of the previous environment, it was great to just sit down and have meaningful dialogue with another member of the faith-based community.  In this brief but meaningful conversation, we were able to discuss myths and misconceptions about our respective faiths along with the organizations that we represent.

More importantly, we all reached the conclusion that while interfaith events are great and have their place, the more important work will be “hands-on” and educating our communities on a grassroots level.  As many activists and clergy who have participated in interfaith events have said before, we shouldn’t be trained to just “tolerate” each other.  Its time to transcend those lines and advance the conversation past the uncomfortable smiles, selective hearing, and simply going back to business as usual after the event is over.  Thankfully, with the relationships we forged on this day, there is definitely hope for a greater and more meaningful level of participation in the future.  And while the detractors attempted to steer this event off the tracks, they actually helped strengthen the bond between faith leaders, and ensure that we will work together to defeat the forces of hate and intolerance.

Islam, The New Catholicism – TYT Nation Video Of The Week

Interesting video – The Young Turks Video of the week shows a historical correlation between the anti-Catholic sentiment in the U.S during the 19th and 20th centuries – to the anti-Islam sentiment pervading society today.