Thursday, September 20, 2012

Riots, Murder, and Theocratic Screechings

Mike L.



{Originally published at the Times of Israel.}

I am always happy when one of our participants writes enough interesting material that I can front page it, because it spares me the necessity of doing so!

Dan Bielak gives us a few pertinent facts and asks a few pertinent questions around the recent riots and mayhem and murder and theocratic screechings coming out of the Arab Middle East.

Here:
- This film was on the internet for several months before these riots.    
- There are many instances of videos and images and writing which crudely and rudely criticize Islam.   
- Islamic supremacist organizations have been demanding the release of detained Islamic terrorists and have stated that these riots are part their demanding the release of detained Islamic terrorists.    
- These rioters were mobilized en masse simultaneously in many Muslim countries.    
- Many of these Muslim rioters were carrying mass-produced pre-made placards.    
- These rioters are presented as rioting -- and killing -- in response to a film; a film.    
- These riots occurred on 9/11.    
Why has this c-grade crudely-produced amateur particular film made by "a nobody" -- "an unknown" -- a non-famous, non-prominent, person -- and posted on the internet for several months been used by Islamic supremacist organizations as the pretext to launch these riots?      
Why has the Obama administration fervently explicitly said that these Muslim riots are not a response to any policies of the U.S. government, and that, "of course", these riots are not a response to any policies of the Obama administration, and that these riots were caused by this film, and these riots were caused solely by this film?    
Why has U.S. news mass media mindlessly repeated these absurd lies, and fervently propagated these absurd lies?    
Why has the response by the Obama administration to these Muslim violent riots been to verbally condemn this film, and to verbally condemn the maker of this film, and to say that "Islam is a great religion", and to arrest the maker of this film, and to dramatically stage their arrest of the maker of this film?    
----    
And, btw, although the film was crudely made, and although the acting of the film was bad, and although the film is unpleasant, and although the film may feel offensive to some people, the film was factually accurate.    
And, in any case:    
The United States has something called the U.S. Constitution and something called the 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution -- and, therein, something called freedom of speech.
Indeed.

The Obama administration should never have suggested, or implied, that the riots and the mayhem and the murder and the violent theocratic screeching coming out of the Arab Middle East on 9/11 was due to some shoddy 15 minute video.

To suggest that Arabs are so crude and stupid as to riot merely because of a video made by some "nobody" is deeply racist and insulting to Arabs and Muslims. What I would submit is that the true cause of these riots is something much deeper and more reflective of the dysfunctional relationship between the west and the Muslim world.

It has much more to do with the fact that for centuries the Islamic empire was the very height of human culture, but has since been overshadowed by their European rivals. There is a great deal of resentment toward Jews and Europeans because in this "clash of civilizations" we have, for the moment, won. It's a simple equation, but scholars tell us that the failure of Islam to either conquer the west, or prevent the western incursion into Muslim lands, is the very source of radical Islam.

The youtube video was simply used, for political reasons by the Jihadi movement, to whip up hatred against the west and against us evil Jews, but it is not the root cause of anything. In the internal Islamic struggle between Jihadis and moderates, the Jihadis always gain an advantage when they can create hatred in the hearts of their fellow Muslims.

And that is precisely what this is really all about.

In truth, it has much more to do with their internal politics than it has to do with us.

8 comments:

  1. "....Six months ago in the New Republic, Berman reviewed a book by Paul Marshall and Nina Shea called Silenced: How Apostasy and Blasphemy Codes Are Choking Freedom Worldwide. It makes for sobering reading. Islamist murder and intimidation campaigns against apostates and blasphemers are so widespread and common nowadays that the authors managed to write 448 pages about them and only cover 20 countries. Religious minorities are the principal victims, but so are liberals, free-thinkers, and humanists from every religious community. “Our survey,” they write, “shows that in Muslim-majority countries and areas, restrictions on freedom of religion and expression, based on prohibitions of blasphemy, apostasy, and ‘insulting Islam,’ are pervasive, thwart freedom, and cause suffering to millions of people.”

    Berman wrote that, in light of the recent and current civil wars and election results in the Middle East, this worldwide campaign “is about to make a gigantic and intimidating lurch forward, beyond anything we have so far seen.”

    He was right. And it’s here. "

    http://www.city-journal.org/2012/eon0920mt.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And after reading that article, I'm even more convinced now that Mike reporting that death threat was the right thing to do...

      Delete
    2. Amen. Reading through all the stuff about this latest ratcheting up of Muslim outrage I am left with the feeling it is the tip of the iceberg we are seeing so far. The Jihadists are on a mission.

      Delete
    3. My lone sole death threat.

      I couldn't be more proud!

      :O)

      I met with Oakland cops and spoke on the phone to both the FBI and the ADL. I even left a message with the Israeli Consulate in San Francisco.

      The bottom line is that no one is going to do anything about it and, in truth, I hardly blame them myself.

      Eric Allen Bell has received dozens and dozens of death threats.

      Anyone who runs a prominent pro-Israel blog receives scores of death threats, which is precisely why I have received, sadly, only the one.

      Delete
  2. (I'm posting here a version of follow-up comments that I posted about this on a previous post about this.)

    (I think that I read that the reason that was given for the person who made that video being arrested/detained is for issues having to do with a relatively minor criminal offense that he was convicted of prior to all of this. I think that I read that he was just brought in for questioning about the possible violation of the terms of his parole for that criminal offense that he was convicted of prior to all of this. And I think that I read that he was arrested at midnight, and I think that I read that he was arrested in handcuffs. And the U.S. news media visually recorded and showed the arrest/detainment of this person. I think that the news media may have already been there, staking out the person's house.)

    ----

    The point is:

    - Why did leaders of the Islamic supremacist movement use this (factually accurate) film by this person as the pretext to launch these riots?

    - Why did the Obama administration respond to these Muslim riots -- and the killing of a U.S. government official by Islamic supremacists -- by apologizing for, and verbally condemning, the practice of freedom of speech? Why did the U.S. Embassy in Cairo respond to these riots -- and the killing of a U.S. government official by Islamic supremacists -- by issuing the statement: "The Embassy of the United States in Cairo condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims – as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions. Today, the 11th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, Americans are honoring our patriots and those who serve our nation as the fitting response to the enemies of democracy. Respect for religious beliefs is a cornerstone of American democracy. We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others"

    - Why has the Obama administration focused on, and used as a scapegoat, this person who made this film?

    - Why has the U.S. news mass media not reported essential facts of this series of events but, rather, completely followed the lead of the Obama administration and focused on, and scapegoated, this person who made this film?

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  3. "An Egyptian Interpol official said Wednesday that theoffice sought the issuance of a red bulletin, an international wanted persons alert, against the eight defendants implicated in producing an amateur film that denigrates Islam and Prophet Mohamed.

    "The warrant of arrest was issued [in Egypt] against the defendants after the prosecutor accused them of committing crimes harming the unity of the nation and defamation of the Islamic religion," said the head of Egypt's Interpol office, Brigadier General Magdy al-Shafei.

    He added that his office had asked its counterpart in the US to arrest the defendants. While the US has condemned the film as reprehensible, it is unlikely the American government would prosecute the filmmakers given protections for free speech and expression in that country."

    http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/egypt-s-interpol-office-seeks-warrant-against-anti-islam-filmmakers

    Let's hope Interpol tells them to F*** Off!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Poignant.

    "Resident SEAL at Black Flag attended the funeral this morning of fallen SEAL Tyrone Woods.

    Ty's widow, Dorothy, delivered an inspiring eulogy with more grace, poise, and fervor than I have ever witnessed from the spouse of a fallen warrior. I wish I had the entire thing on tape, as it should be read by the nation on the anniversary of 9/11 next year. Here are two quotes that I will never forget.

    "It is easy to write a book about being a Navy SEAL, but it is very hard to write an obituary for one."

    "To all the Operators here today I give you this charge: Rid the world of those savages. I'll say it again, RID THE WORLD OF THOSE SAVAGES!"

    http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/213661.php

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  5. Butbutbut... Apartheid!!1!

    "To anyone who asserts that Israel is a racist society, Shlomo Molla has a simple retort: Just take a look at my life. The 46-year-old was born in an Ethiopian village with no electricity and he has risen through the ranks of Israeli society, where he now holds the position of deputy speaker of the Knesset.

    "If you have your motivation, Israel is a country where the sky is the limit," Molla, the Kadima Party member, declared during a Sept. 7 stop in Philadelphia.

    [...]

    While in the city, Molla addressed a group of about 40 African-American political and business leaders at a luncheon organized by State. Sen. Anthony Williams, who represents parts of Philadelphia; City Council President Daryl Clarke; and Israel's new consul general, Yaron Sideman.

    The program was held at the law offices of Kleinbard Bell & Brecker. David Hyman and George Burell, partners at the firm, have each served in leadership roles at Operation Understanding, a group that brings together Jewish and African-American teenagers.

    Molla also addressed leaders of Jewish organizations, college students at Villanova University, and attended Shabbat services at Congregation Temple Beth El, an African-American synagogue in northwest Philadelphia. The congregation's religious leader, Rabbi Debra A. Bowen, was at the luncheon.

    Speaking at the lunch gathering, Williams, the Democratic lawmaker, said that his ongoing goal is to revitalize the historic relationship between the Jewish and African-American communities.
    "

    ReplyDelete