Pamela Geller and other Islamophobes need to learn how to do a “search”

Sheila Musaji

Posted Jun 21, 2012      •Permalink      • Printer-Friendly Version
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Pamela Geller and other Islamophobes need to learn how to do a “search”

by Sheila Musaji


This week Pamela Geller published an article about her “summer night for justice” event, in which she said:

Why is it that Muslim groups never speak out against the sharia and/or the jihad against non-Muslims across the world? Look at CAIR’s website, or that of ICNA, MSA, MSU ..... nothing addressing the slaughter across the world in the cause of Islam? It is their sanction.

...  Stand against sharia and the death penalty for Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, sentenced to death in Iran for apostasy.

... All the schools of Islamic law, without exception, mandate death for those who leave Islam. We’ve dedicated the Town Hall to Pastor Youcef because he is in imminent danger of being murdered for his beliefs, and we’ve invited numerous apostates from Islam to speak about the death sentence they must live under every moment because they have dared to leave Islam. We’re calling upon Hamas-tied CAIR to stand up for Pastor Youcef and other victims of Islam’s apostasy law at their so-called ‘Civil Rights’ conference so-called ‘Civil Rights’ conference [sic] and to stand for human rights for all. Under the guise of ‘civil rights,’ these subversive groups seek to undermine the unalienable rights guaranteed to every individual under the Constitution. Their ruse must be exposed, their Sharia agenda renounced. What Islamic supremacist groups in the U.S. speak for Pastor Youcef?


This refrain is repeated over and over again by the Islamophobia network, and this is only one of the most recent articles in which this specious claim is made that Muslims don’t speak out.  In this case, Geller specifically says that if you look at the websites of national Muslim organizations you will find NOTHING addressing violence or terrorism.

I went to the ISNA website and typed the words “ISNA condemns” into the search - and came up with the following:

ISNA Reaffirms Its Stance Against Violent Extremism
(Plainfield, IN, Sept 30, 2011) On the news of the death of Anwar Al-Awlaki in Yemen as reported this morning, the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) reiterates its rejecti…
Ecumenical leaders condemn New Year church bombing in Alexandria
Jan 3, 2011Episcopal News Service Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and World Council of Churches General Secretary the Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit are among international ecume…
ISNA Commends Efforts of Law Enforcement, Condemns Attempted Bombing at Times Square, and Lauds Alert Citizens
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESource: ISNA(Plainfield, IN 05/04/2010) – The Islamic Society of North Amer
ISNA CONDEMNS ‘DISPROPORTIONATE’ ATTACKS ON GAZA STRIP
(Plainfield, IN, 12/28/08) The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) called on both the government of Israel and Palestinians to immediately end all violence in the region; as…
ISNA CONDEMNS ANTI-CHRISTIAN VIOLENCE IN INDIA
Religious Group Calls for ‘Calm’ In Multi-Religious India(Washington D.C., 10/20/08) The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), the largest umbrella Islamic organization in th…
ISNA Condemns Arkansas Killing
Plainfield, IN 06/ 02/2009 - The Islamic Society of North America condemns the fatal shooting of Pvt. William Long which took place in Little Rock, AK.  The use of violence…
ISNA Condemns Attacks in Nigeria
(Washington, DC - Dec 27, 2011) ISNA condemns and is outraged by the series of bombings which claimed the lives of at least forty innocent worshipers in Nigeria on Christmas Day…
ISNA Condemns Attacks on Christians in Nigeria on Christmas Day
(Washington, DC - Dec 27, 2011) ISNA condemns and is outraged by the series of bombings which claimed the lives of at least forty innocent
ISNA Condemns Attacks on Fort Hood Soldiers & Expresses Condolences to the Victims & Their Families
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Source: ISNA (Washington, DC, Nov. 5, 2009) The Islamic Society of North America condemns in the strongest terms the attack on soldiers at Fort Hood, res…
ISNA Condemns Attacks on Homes and Places of Worship in NYC
(Jan 4, 2012)  The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) is extremely concerned and disturbed by a series of attacks perpetrated through
Search ISNA
ISNA CONDEMNS ATTACKS ON IRAQI CHRISTIANS IN MOSUL
ISNA Joins OIC in Calling for Prosecution of Perpetrators of Anti-Christian Violence(Washington D.C., 10/20/08) The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), the largest umbrella…
ISNA Condemns Attempt to Bomb U.S. Synagogues, Applauds Law Enforcement for Intercepting Explosive Packages
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Source: ISNA (Plainfield, IN Oct 30, 2010)  The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) applauds law enforcement and all other persons res…
ISNA Condemns Barbaric Attack and Murders of Catholic Worshipers in Iraq
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESource: ISNA(Plainfield, IN Nov 4, 2010) ISNA condemns in the strongest terms and is outraged by the recent barbaric attack which claimed the lives of fifty…
ISNA Condemns Barbaric Attack in Iraq
Source: ISNA(Plainfield, IN Nov 4, 2010) ISNA condemns in the strongest terms and is outraged by the recent barbaric attack which claimed the lives of fifty-eight innocent worsh…
ISNA Condemns Beijing’s Heavy-Handed Response to Uighurs’ Protests
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Source: ISNA(Plainfield, IN – July 10, 2009) The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) is troubled by the deadly ethnic clashes between the Hans and Uigh…
ISNA Condemns Brutal Violence by Syrian Regime, Asks President Obama for Leadership on Issue in U.N.
(Plainfield, IN, Feb 4, 2012)  The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) is deeply disturbed by the news of the massacre committed in Homs, Syria by the regime yeste…
ISNA Condemns Gadahn’s Call for Mass Murder in America
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE(Plainfield, IN – March 7, 2010) Adam Gadahn, a “spokesman” for Al-Qaeda today called for terrorist attacks on American targets, including “mass transportat…
ISNA CONDEMNS INTRA-MUSLIM VIOLENCE IN IRAQ
Plainfield, IN 12/18/06 - The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) wishes to express its great concern about the unnecessary, daily bloodshed and other forms of brutality com…

This is just from the first two pages of results for the search “ISNA condemns”.

I then went to the MPAC site and entered the search “MPAC condemns”, and again came up with numerous condemnations going on for 10 pages

Since it is so obvious from my very first accuracy check on Geller’s statement, that she is wrong, I don’t feel obligated to check out each website to find out what they have.

In my article on freedom of faith  I note that CAIR published a position statement on Islam and Apostasy back in 2009.  In 2007, more than 100 Muslim Academics/Scholars/Imams/Professionals released a statement upholding the Freedom of Faith and the Freedom to Change one’s Faith.  In that article I also noted in a recent update about Pastor Nadarkhani

Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer’s hate groups the AFDI/SIOA are planning another of their “conferences” and Geller has published one of her typical screeds promoting the conference.  It is to be held, as Geller says “to compete with CAIR’s ‘human rights’” conference in Southern California at the same time.  In the course of Geller’s promotion of her event and mud-slinging at CAIR, Geller says:

“We’re calling upon Hamas-tied CAIR to stand up for Pastor Youcef and other victims of Islam’s apostasy law at their so-called “civil rights” conference and to stand for human rights for all. Under the guise of “civil rights,” these subversive groups seek to undermine the unalienable rights guaranteed to every individual under the Constitution. Their ruse must be exposed, their Shariah agenda renounced.”

If Geller would actually keep up with what American Muslims are actually saying, she would have noticed that CAIR did issue a position statement on punishment for apostasy in 2009, and can find the full text in the 9/29/09 update to this article above.  She would also notice that in 2006 CAIR called on the government of Afghanistan to release Abdul Rahman, a man facing the death penalty for converting from Islam to Christianity, and she would find articles against any punishment for apostasy written by CAIR members in our TAM article collections.  For example, this one by Ahmed Bedier.

This is typical of the approach of Islamophobes like Geller and Spencer.  Just a month ago they held another phony conference, the Jessica Mokdad Human Rights Conference and made similar baseless attacks on Imam Qazwini of Dearborn. 


The leaders of many Muslim organizations are working on all sorts of genuine human rights projects and issues, for example, Imam Mohamed Magid and Mohamed Elsanousi of ISNA are working with Religious Authorities in N. Africa to develop protocols to protect the rights of religious minorities in Muslim-majority countries across the globe. 

Many Muslim organizations and activists have issued joint statements on many topics, for example, MPAC, ISNA, CAIR, and other Muslim organizations issued condemnations of attacks on Egyptian Churches in Egypt and Nigeria

The Fiqh Council of North America (FCNA) issued a Resolution:// On Being Faithful Muslims and Loyal Americans.

In our TAM resource collection of Muslim Voices Against Extremism and Terrorism, here is the section in which you will find all sorts of statements by American Muslim organizations and their leadership:

MUSLIMS DENOUNCE TERRORISM

Simply click on the logo on the homepage to go to a lengthy collection of Muslim denunciations of terrorism, extremism, and violence.

- Qur’an & Hadith against extremism  (see also power point presentations)

- Part I Fatwas and formal statements by Muslim scholars and organizations.

- Statements by Organizations (has now been included in Part I)

- Part III Statements and Articles by Individuals (see also power point presentations)

- Part IV A Few Quotes A-K, and A Few Quotes L-Z

- Part V The Muslim Majority Who Don’t Get Publicity (see also power point presentation)

- Muslims and Arabs in the U.S. Military

- Selective Hearing of Muslim Voices Against Extremism

- Sunni Shia Unity Resource - collection of articles

- Muslim Voices Promoting Islamic Non Violent Solutions

This resource has been right on the main page of TAM for years.  Geller is certainly aware of this as she has visited the TAM site and made false comments about TAM and myself many times.

This inability to do a simple search before publishing something is not new.  Back in 2009, Charles Johnson reported Atlas Shrugs Promoting Neo-Nazi Agitprop about Geller’s publishing a bizarre claim whose source was white supremacist Hal Turner.  As Johnson pointed out:

...  The Anti-Defamation League has a collection of some of Turner’s other statements: Hal Turner in His Own Words which includes:

Instead of fighting Muslims, we Christians should be rounding up jews [sic] and killing them here in America. We should bomb their Synagogues, burn down their Yeshivas and violently attack them on the street and in their places of business. I advocate extreme violence against jews [sic] because their history as a people make them worthy of being killed. Jews are the lowest form of sub-human garbage. They deserve to be killed.

This is what happens when you don’t care and don’t check where your blog posts come from.


Geller’s “love” for Muslims is legendary, as is her “truth telling”.  As I’ve said before, if Muslims are so terrible why the need to tell so many lies? 

There is a reason that many outside of the Muslim community see such demonization of Muslims as Islamophobic.  There is a reason that the ADL (A Jewish anti-defamation group) has said that Pamela Geller & Robert Spencer’s Stop the Islamization of America (SIOA) is a “group that promotes an extreme anti-Muslim agenda”.   There is a reason that The Southern Poverty Law Center has designated SIOA as a hate group, and that they are featured in the SPLC reports Jihad Against Islam and The Anti-Muslim Inner Circle.  There is a reason that Geller and Spencer are featured prominently in the Center for American Progress “Fear Inc.” report on the Islamophobia network in America.  There is a reason that Geller is featured in the People for the American Way Right Wing Playbook on Anti-Muslim Extremism.  There is a reason that Geller is featured in the NYCLU report Religious Freedom Under Attack:  The Rise of Anti-Mosque Activities in New York State.  There is a reason that Geller is featured in the Political Research Associates report Manufacturing the Muslim menace: Private firms, public servants, and the threat to rights and security.  There is a reason that the SIOA’s trademark patent was denied by the U.S. government due to its anti-Muslim nature.  There is a reason that they are featured in our TAM Who’s Who of the Anti-Muslim/Anti-Arab/Islamophobia Industry.  There is a reason that Geller is featured in just about every legitimate report on Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred. 

These people consistently promote the what everyone “knows” lies about Islam and Muslims.  They generalize specific incidents to reflect on all Muslims or all of Islam.   When they are caught in the act of making up or distorting claims they engage in devious methods to attempt to conceal the evidence.

The claim that “truth tellers” are being accused of Islamophobia for no reason other than their legitimate concerns about real issues and that in fact there is not even such a thing as Islamophobia is nonsense.  The further claim that the fact that there are fewer hate crimes against Muslims than against Jews also proves that Islamophobia doesn’t exist is more nonsense. 

The reason that this is so obvious to so many is that rational people can tell the difference between legitimate concerns and bigoted stereotypes.   The Islamophobia of these folks is very real, and it is also strikingly similar to a previous generations’ anti-Semitism.

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