Pamela Geller & Robert Spencer’s Tenuous Grasp of the Concept of “Truth Telling”

by Sheila Musaji

Pamela Geller identifies herself and Robert Spencer as “truth tellers”, and likes to repeat the phrase that “truth is the new hate speech” when she is called out for some lie or distortion.  Based on facts, this is delusional thinking.

“Truth Telling” false claim about Mavi Marmara photograph

When the Turkish Government expelled the Israeli Ambassador, downgraded diplomatic relations to the lowest level possible while still maintaining relations, and said that it may take legal action against Israeli soldiers responsible for the deaths on the Mavi Marmara last year.  This development came after a U.N. panel, the Palmer Report, partly exonerated Israel for stopping the flotilla, but found that the commando raid had used unnecessary force.  After the Palmer Report came out, the government of Turkey asked for an apology from the government of Israel, compensation for the families of those killed, and the lifting of Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza.  The government of Israel refused to meet these demands, leading to the current diplomatic crisis.  You can read the full Palmer Report here, and Richard Silverstein’s take on the report here.

Pamela Geller posted an hysterical article which included the now infamous, and thoroughly debunked photo of a Yemeni passenger on the Mavi Marmara holding a dagger, with this caption “Religion of Peacenik on board the Turkish jihad warship flotilla preparing to stab an Israel soldier, May 31, 2010.”  This is not the first time she has posted the photo, but with different captions.  Back in June, for example, she posted the same photo with the caption “Religion of Peacenik on board the Gaza flotilla holding a knife after Israel Navy commandos boarded their ship on May 31, 2010.”

Last year during the Gaza Flotilla incident I posted an article The Gaza Flotilla of Aid Boats Attacked by Israel which was updated regularly as events took place.  In that article I attempted to respond to many such false claims that were being made (including those by Geller and her partner Robert Spencer), and this particular photograph was only one of many false claims discussed.  Here is what that article said about this photo:

Max Blumenthal did some investigation on this photograph:

“The guy in the picture is Yemeni lawmaker Mohammad al-Hazmi, showing his ceremonial dagger (known in Yemen as Jambiya), which is carried by every single man in Yemen and is an essential part of the traditional Yemeni dress. Al-Hazmi was detained by the Israelis along with 2 other Yemeni MPs who were on the flotilla. One of them told Yemeni newspapers that the picture was taken long before the Mavi Marmara was attacked by the Israelis. Al-Hazmi was showing off his ceremonial dagger to curious journalists and foreigners on the ship.

... On May 31, the IDF Spokesman’s Office distributed a photo of a bearded Muslim man with a knife surrounded by reporters. Daylight was pouring in from a window or door behind the reporters. Offered without context or explanation, the photo played up a classic Orientalist stereotype of violent, fanatical, and even suicidal Muslims determined to kill Jews. It was included in an article based on testimony from anonymous commandos with the following title: “Israeli Navy Commandos: Gaza flotilla activists tried to lynch us.”

The IDF apparently told Haaretz that the photo was taken immediately after its Naval commandos raided the Mavi Marmara and other flotilla ships — at least, that’s how Haaretz described the photo based on an IDF source. Yet the raid was conducted under the cover of darkness. How could a photo obviously taken during daytime have portrayed an event that took place during the late evening? Do Muslims have magical powers that allow them to turn night into day? And why were reporters standing around, casually taking photos when commandos were supposedly getting “lynched?” Once again, the IDF’s story was highly suspect.

This photo was taken before the Israeli’s ever boarded the ship, and after being questioned by Blumenthal, the IDF changed the original caption on the photograph.  MORE here including screen captures of the photo with two different captions.

Ali Abunimah also noted a number of discrepancies about this photo.  And, in a follow up article, Hasbara comedy video further exposes IDF “knife-attacker” photo fraud he includes the full uncropped photo which clearly shows that the man in the photo is seated and not attacking anyone.  You can read more about the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit who put out a lot of this propaganda here and a humorous take on all the “weapons” photos here

So, even after the IDF had changed the false caption on the original photo, and after all of this information about the actual meaning of the photo has come to light, Geller continues to insist on promoting a false interpretation of the photo. 

“Truth Telling” false claim about Muslim Day Parade photo

In 2007, a small group of Muslim extremists called the Islamic Thinkers Society and Revolution Muslim attempted to disrupt the Muslim Day Parade in NYC.  This Muslim lunatic fringe group was denounced by Muslims. 

In a desperate attempt to keep this non-story going and to connect these despicable characters with all Muslims, and to somehow connect with a current event (the “All-American Muslim” television program), Pamela Geller posted an article on December 23, 2011 titled All-American Muslims tell parade goers to put down American flag. 

She of course doesn’t mention that these 5 or 6 nutcases and their organizations have been denounced by the American Muslim community, or that the thousands of people they are yelling at are the genuine All-American Muslims (who wanted nothing to do with this lunatic fringe), or that it was American Muslims who were proudly displaying that American flag, or that this happened 4 years ago.  Not a day can go by without publishing something that will advance her anti-Muslim, Islamophobic memes, and if she has nothing, she will make it up.  She doesn’t mention any relevant facts because her goal is to stir up her readers, and as usual, you only need to read the comments under her article to know that she succeeds.

“Truth Telling” false claim about “assassination attempt on EDL leader

A prime example of this same sort of vicious and hateful lie being told by Geller, and simply allowed to stand was her “truth-telling” on the incident of the EDL claiming that one of their leaders had been shot at by a Muslim.  In January of 2011, Geller posted an article Muslim in Full Islamic Garb Attempts to Shoot and Kill EDL leader in which she said that English Defense League (EDL) leader Kevin Carrol was the object of an “assassination attempt”.

As the Hope Not Hate website in England reported, this assassination attempt doesn’t seem to have happened at all.  Another British site that tracks the EDL reported that the

Bedfordshire police released a statement claiming that: “At 10.42 last night (Thur) we received a complaint from a man who said something had been thrown against his window.    “He ran out and said he saw a man with what appeared to be a shotgun. No shots were fired and no one was injuries.    “Police searched the area but nobody was found. Detectives are keen to speak to anyone who was in the area at the time.”  With NO shots fired, NO suspect, NO weapon and no independent witnesses, today, at least, The EDL leadership has blatantly lied on their official fan pages.

One Million United called this story a sick shooting lie. 

No assassination attempt, no Muslims involved at all, wearing “full Islamic garb” or anything else.  Absolutely nothing happened except that the leader of a white supremecist hate group made a false claim and Geller repeated it.

Geller never updated her article, never apologized for her error, never made any statement or apology for repeating this EDL propaganda as if it were the truth, even after it became known that the entire thing was a lie.

“Truth Telling” false claim that Imam Feisal Rauf made a comment blaming “the Jews” for 9-11

On August 11, 2010 Geller posted an article with the incredibly lengthy headline:  Imam Rauf Scorns Governor Paterson’s offer to help move Ground Zero Mega Mosque:  Buzz off Kufir, “Only the Jews could have perpetrated the 911 attack….If Americans only know it was the Jews’ fault, they would have done to Jews what Hitler did”  Imam Rauf.  She repeated the supposed quote in the headline in her article identifying the source again as “Imam Rauf after 911”

As Media Matters reported in an article complete with screen-shots of the original article this quote was not from Imam Rauf at all. 

It’s fortunate that Media Matters has the screen shots, because Geller changed the article, and the headline without any explanation.  The article now posted in place of the original is titled Imam Rauf Scorns Governor Paterson’s Offer to help Move Ground Zero Mega Mosque: Buzz Off, Kafir.  The quote is still included, but now attributed to ”(a speaker at Feisal tied ICCNY-  “96th Street Mosque”)”

By the way, Imam Rauf also did not say “buzz off Kafir”.  And, Geller seems to have shown a pattern of falsely attacking Imam Rauf.  See Geller distorts Rauf lecture to falsely paint him as a terrorist sympathizer

“Truth Telling” false claim about Virginia Tech Massacre

Lots of Islamophobes jumped to the conclusion that the Virginia Tech massacre was committed by a Muslim.  And, of course, Pamela Geller, the Queen of the Islamophobes picked up on the non-existent Muslim connection in the Virginia Tech massacre, in an article Ismail Ax and the Prophet Moe with the lede “Release the damn transcripts. Enough with the cover up. Don’t the dead and America, a country at war, deserve to know was is really happening? As I wrote here previously, we know Ismail Ax was written in red (color of blood) on his arm, we know he signed his suicide note Ismail Ax and sent an overnight package to NBC from A Ishmail, he made sure he had no other ID on his person after he martyred himself so you can be sure he wanted to be remembered as Ismail Ax. This is in and of itself very telling. Shaving his head and from what I can see in his pictures and martyr video- his body (that’s what they do - remember the 9/11 hijackers?) , must have added to law enforcement’s suspicions, which is why it so damning that they would say so early on that horrible day that “it was not tied to terrorism.”  And, she comments The tie-in is carefully explained at Prophet of Doom here. It’s lengthy - read it. I’ve excerpted here. “Every aspect of Cho’s rage, every nuance of his twisted and inverted morality, was lifted from the pages of Islam.”   Geller never did post an apology or a correction.

“Truth Telling” false claim about hate crime

In October of 2010 Geller posted an article titled Hate Crime which included an email from a reader who had supposedly been harrassed by Muslims in her neighborhood and was unable to get law enforcement or elected officials to do anything about it.  When the article was originally posted it included this The hypocrisy loooms [sic] large. Here’s a letter I thought I should share with you. I expect the gutless congressman who witnessed his Muslim constituents dancing on 9/11/01 will do nothing but hide beneath his desk. If this continues — auxiliary law enforcement will be necessary.  Subsequently the original email from the “victim” was removed as was Geller’s lead in to the article, and replaced with an almost incoherent rant.  Geller, rather than explain that she had been taken in by an email from a seemingly unstable person, instead pulled the email, and substituted a rant that still managed to make it seem as if the information contained in tht original email was accurate. ***

“Truth Telling” false claim about Norwegian email

Charles Johnson notes (and has preserved screen captures to prove) that Geller published an “Email from Norway” in 2007.  The original email contained the line We are stockpiling and caching weapons, ammunition, and equipment.  This is going to happen fast.  Johnson has one screen capture from June 30, 2011, and the line was still there, but the current article online on Geller’s site no longer contains that line.  [update 7/30/11 - Geller has just posted Clarifying the edit in which she attempts to explain this incident.  In that clarification she says:  “The sentence I edited is not an incitement to anything. It refers to self-defense, but I removed it in the light of recent horrific events in Norway. I thought it insensitive. Nothing more.  Everyone has a right to self-defense.  The idea that I am scrubbing my archives, or “evidence” as many liars are suggesting, is a blatant lie. I have changed nothing else. But that is irrelevant; destroying the counter jihad movement is paramount at this moment.”]  [update 7/31/2011 - Justin Raimondo points out that in the comments section of the original 2007 post one of Geller’s readers warns that the author of the letter could be prosecuted by Norewegian authorities. Geller replies: “Yes … which is why I ran it anonymously.”  So here is some nut stockpiling “weapons, ammunition, and equipment,” because “this is going to happen fast” – with Geller’s enthusiastic encouragement. Indeed, she’s so concerned her correspondent might be arrested that she’s protecting his identity.  Who is Geller’s mystery correspondent – is it the same Norwegian nut-case who ruthlessly cut down dozens of children, or a different one waiting in the wings to do the same? Come on, Pamela – clear up the mystery. Or would you rather continue to shield your fellow “counter-jihadist”? ***

“Truth Telling” false claim about the Norway massacre shooter

Pamela Geller posted a headline on her blog asking if there was “Jihad in Norway.” ***

“Truth Telling” false claim about hateful comments about Norway massacre victims

on 7/31 Geller posted a truly hateful article which I wrote about yesterday.  The title is Summer Camp? Antisemitic Indoctrination Training Center.  Geller begins by giving this quote from one of the children who survived from an ABC news article:  “Some of my friends tried to stop him by talking to him. Many people thought that it was a test ... comparing it to how it is to live in Gaza.” Eyewitness statement the day of the shooting.”  Geller explains her view of the meaning of this statement:  The day of the Norway shooting, I was blindsided by one of the survivor’s statements to the press immediately after the shooting (see above). It was so outside the box, I thought it was the kneejerk response of an anti-semite in shock. I didn’t blog on it because I thought it anecdotal, badly anecdotal. But the more that is revealed about that youth indoctrination center, the more grotesque the whole story becomes. Of course, the genocidal leftists will twist what I write here; I am not condoning the slaughter in Norway or anywhere. I abhor violence (except in regard to self defense). But the jihad-loving media never told us what antisemitic war games they were playing on that island. Utoya Island is a Communist/Socialist campground, and they clearly had a pro-Islamic agenda.  Only the malevolent media could use the euphemism summer camp and get away with it.  The slaughter was horrific. What these kids were being taught and instructed to do was a different kind of grotesque. There is no justification for Breivik’s actions whatsoever. There is also no justification for Norway’s antisemitism and demonization of Israel.  NOTE:  see Geller’s original article for included links She then posts the text of an article by someone called The Anti Mullah full of suggestions of an equivalence between being pro-Palestinian or opposed to the wall or to some Israeli policies and being anti-Semitic.  He even says “Glen Beck was not far off when he compared it to the Hitlerjungend or Young Pioneers.”  This article also includes a photo from the youth camp with the caption underneath “Note the faces which are more Middle Eastern or mixed than pure Norwegian”.  An obviously racist comment that she re-posts.  All of this was bad enough.  However, this morning the bottom of the article still said 192 comments, but the comments were no longer accessible?  Also, that racist comment under the photo has disappeared.  A screen shot of the original photo and caption are still available thanks to Lee Fang at Think Progress.  ***

“Truth Telling” false claim about “vehicular jihad”

In July of 2011, Pamela Geller published a post titled Vehicular Jihad in Arizona which was Geller’s take on a simple story about a terrible car accident in Arizona in which the driver of a vehicle crashed into 3 parked vehicles in a parking lot and was killed.  The man was a physician named Ajaz Rahaman.  As soon as the man’s name was released, Geller posted her article.  This was before there were any autopsy findings released,  before police investigations were completed - before anyone knew what happened.  The name of this man sounded as if he might be a Muslim.  However the name Walid Shoebat might also be identified as a Muslim name.  That’s all the proof Geller needed to call this “vehicular jihad”.  I published an article giving the facts titled “Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer Discover Muslim Vehicular Jihad Plot” and within a day Geller pulled the original article from her site but that the article still exists on google cache.  Why did they try to cover this up.  Because the doctor simply had a heart attack and died at the wheel which is why the car crashed. ***

“Truth Telling” false claim about the “Islamic terrorism threat”

Robert Spencer wrote yet another attack piece objecting to an article Let’s Face it: It’s the Radical Right, not Islam, that is the Greatest Threat to the American Way by Ahmed Rehab.  In Spencer’s article, he includes a list of Muslims who have plotted or committed terrorist acts in the U.S.  In an attempt to be sarcastic he opens this list with And obviously Rehab is right. Just look at the Radical Right-wingers who have perpetrated or attempted to perpetrate violent attacks against innocent Americans: ...  In my article responding to Spencer, I give a factual list of the non-Muslim’s who have commited acts of terrorism in the U.S. in the last decade.  This claim that not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims is a Goebbel’s quality big lie. 

“Truth Telling” false claim about Muslim rapists in Norway

Geller and Spencer have continued to publish and republish stories about the “fact” that most or all rapes in Norway are committed by Muslims.  They cite disreputable sources and use terms like “the rape epidemic by Muslims in Europe”, and “Meanwhile, all rapes in Norway in the last five years have been committed by…uh…“non-Western immigrants,” the latest euphemism for Muslims.”  All of this has been absolutely, completely, totally debunked, and yet they periodically raise the issue again.  Read Geller and Spencer Fantasize About “Muslim Rapists” in Norway for a complete debunking of this false charge.

“Truth Telling” false claim about a “Stealth Jihad” Eid Celebration for Special Needs Kids

When a Muslim group in Alexandria, Virginia arranged for an Eid celebration for Muslim families of children with special needs, Geller was enraged.  With no evidence at all, she heartlessly called this “exploiting children” for a “subversive agenda”, “Human Shields”,  “Stealth Jihad”,  “Muslim Brotherhood”,  “eliminating and destroying the Western civilization from within”.  It seems as if Geller was attempting to see how many stereotypical, fear inspiring memes she could work into one paragraph in order to agitate her readership into a frenzy of Muslim hating indignation. 

Rasha Abulohom, the organizer, had wanted to have an Eid event specifically for special needs children for a very long time. She had always wanted her brother Mohammad, 10, who has Autism, to enjoy the Eid day like other children.  Dilshad Ali is a Muslim mother with a special needs child who attended the event and wrote about how wonderful it was to have such an event.  A sweet event to allow special needs children to also enjoy a religious holiday was turned into an anti-Muslim hate fest. 

“Truth Telling” false claim about Delta Airlines Saudi flights

Delta airlines has a standard industry agreement with Saudi Arabian Airlines is a standard industry interline agreement, which allows passengers to book tickets on multiple carriers, similar to the standard interline agreements American Airlines, US Airways and Alaska Airlines have with Saudi Arabian Airlines.  Due to having flights to Saudi Arabia, they posted the Saudi regulations for visas, clothing, etc. 

Spencer & Geller turned this into something unrecognizable.  Geller posted an article titled “Delta Airlines adopts Saudi “no-Jew” fly policy” which included statements like If Delta airlines can adopt the “no Jews” policy of a Muslim country like Saudi Arabia, would it not be fitting and in the spirit of reciprocity and mutual respect to adopt a “no Muslims” policy on certain airlines? Lord knows travel would be so much easier and enjoyable again, and cheaper (with security costs dramatically cut). You certainly would have no need for the TSA.. 

Her partner Robert Spencer also posted an article in which he said No right of return to occupied Yathrib. Not even if you work for the airline. Of course, this is the price of doing business in Saudi Arabia, whom petro-blackmail allows to function as one of the most backward and depraved closed societies on the planet. Delta, as one of the world’s largest airlines since it took over Northwest and head of the SkyTeam Alliance that Saudi Arabian Airlines is joining, has passed up a golden opportunity to insist on a higher standard of ethics and service than the Saudi airline is willing to uphold.

Actually, in order to board a flight to any country that requires a visa, there is no airline that will let you board without an entry visa.  The airline has nothing at all to do with the visa requirements of any country.  All the airline does is check that you have the proper visa if it is required.  Delta was only doing what every airline that flies to Saudi Arabia does.

“Truth Telling” false claim about the Belgian shooting tragedy

In December of 2011 there was a tragic shooting attack in Belgium by a man named Nordine Amrani who was a convicted criminal who had previously been sentenced to 58 months in prison for weapons and drug convictions.  Both Geller and Spencer published articles calling this a “Muslim” crime and falsely linking it with an “honor killing case”.  An individual born in Belgium, of Moroccan heritage (his father was Moroccan and his mother Belgian), whose father might have been a Muslim (Amrani is a common Jewish Moroccan name), who does not speak a word of Arabic, thinks of himself as Belgian, was raised in foster care, and said he was not a Muslim - and yet, Geller and company identify this person as a Muslim.  This seems to be a direct contradiction to one of their common memes “Islam is not a race”.

“Truth Telling” false claim about the Hollywood shooting tragedy

In December of 2011, right after the terrible shooting incident in Hollywood by Tyler Brehm, before any facts were in, and with only one witness claiming that he heard the witness shout “Allahu Akbar”, Geller posted articles calling this “Hollywood jihad”.  The actual story as far as what anyone knows to date is that a young man named Tyler Brehm went on a shooting spree.  Witness reports are varied.  The police are investigating.  Little is known about the shooter beyond his name, the fact that he is from Pennsylvania, is unemployed, and recently broke up with his girlfriend.  He may have been emotionally distressed.  He may have been taking drugs. Tyler Brehm’s family wrote an obituary published in the Pennsylvania Patriot News which mentions that he was a Presbyterian.

“Truth Telling” false claim about the Mufti of Jerusalem and the Muslim role in the holocaust

On TAM we have an article documenting Muslims who fought against the fascists and nazis, and discussing those relatively few who disgraced their faith and their humanity by siding with evil.  This article has many references to articles, films, and historical data and photographs, as well as Muslim scholars statements against holocause denial and anti-Semitism. 

Sadly, there are some who just can’t stop themselves from exploiting and focusing on the villains in order to incite the same sort of hatred that led to the holocaust.  Pamela Geller has just posted an article about a controversial statement by an American Ambassador and used this opportunity to once again bring up the Mufti of Jerusalem and what she calls the “vicious Islamic Antisemitism as commanded in the quran.”  She claims that “The role of the Mufti and the Muslim world in World War II has been whitewashed from history. Why? So that they might rise again to commit the same unspeakable, horrific crimes againt humanity?” 

Geller calls the Mufti “the leader of the Muslim world” which is nonsense.  He was not the leader of the Muslim world any more than Geller is the leader of the Jewish world.  The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem is the title for the the Sunni Muslim cleric in charge of Jerusalem’s Islamic holy places, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque.  There is a Grand Mufti of Jerusalem today, does anyone even know his name outside of Jerusalem? 

Geller cannot see that all of the Muslim heroes who fought against anti-Semitism and genocide were inspired by the Qur’an, and that the Mufti was not representative of the “Muslim world”.  This sort of hateful stereotyping of an entire religion is exactly what led to the holocaust during WWII, and which leads today to incidents such as the desecration of the graves of Muslim WWII Soldiers Graves Vandalized in France.  Any time anyone talks about “all Muslims”, “all Jews”, “all any group”, we know we are dealing with bigotry.

“Truth Telling” false claim about the Amman Message and Muslim condemnations of terrorism

Spencer in an attack on the “Fear, Inc.” report mentions the CAP reports reference to the Amman Message saying “Fear, Inc.” likewise trumpets the 2004 Amman Message as a “Sharia-based condemnation of violence from the world’s leading Islamic authorities.” The report deceptively fails to mention, however, that the Amman Message forbids Muslim-on-Muslim violence based on takfir, or declarations by one Muslim group that another is apostate. The Amman Message’s three points, mentioned in “Fear, Inc.,” do not address violence or non-violent jihad activity against non-Muslims at all, and the Amman Message’s website actually endorses an undefined “legitimate jihad.”

Spencer really should read the entire Amman Message which is a lengthy series of documents, statements, and fatwas.  The 3-points mentioned cover some aspects of the hirabists excuses for their criminal terrorism, but are not the only points raised by the Amman Message.  If he would go to the Amman Message website he would find the following points also taken from the message:

— Islam honors every human being, regardless of his color, race or religion: We have honored the sons of Adam, provided them transport on land and sea, sustained them with good things, and conferred on them special favors above a great part of our creation. (17:70)

— Islam confirms the principle of justice in interacting with others, safeguarding their rights, and confirms that one must not deny people their possessions: And let not the hatred of others make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is closer to piety; (5:8) God commands you to return trusts to their owners, and if you judge between people, you shall judge with justice; (4:58) So give [full] measure and [full] weight and do not deny the people their goods, and work no corruption in the land, after it has been set right. (7:85)

— Islam requires respect for pledges and covenants, and adhering to what has been specified; and it forbids treachery and treason: Fulfill the covenant of God when you have entered into it, and break not oaths after they have been confirmed and you have made God your surety; truly God knows what you do. (16:91)

— Islam recognizes the noble station of [human] life, so there is to be no fighting against non-combatants, and no assault upon civilians and their properties, children at their mothers’ bosom, students in their schools, nor upon elderly men and women. Assault upon the life of a human being, be it murder, injury or threat, is an assault upon the right to life among all human beings. It is among the gravest of sins; for human life is the basis for the prosperity of humanity: Whoever kills a soul for other than slaying a soul or corruption upon the earth it is as if he has killed the whole of humanity, and whoever saves a life, it is as if has revived the whole of humanity. (5:32)

— The source of relations between Muslims and others is peace; for there is no fighting [permitted] when there is no aggression. Even then, [it must be done with] benevolence, justice and virtue: God does not prevent you, as regards those who do not fight you in religion’s [cause], nor drive you from your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: truly God loves the just; (60:8) Then if they cease, let there be no aggression, save against the oppressors. (2:193)

— On religious and moral grounds, we denounce the contemporary concept of terrorism that is associated with wrongful practices, whatever their source and form may be. Such acts are represented by aggression against human life in an oppressive form that transgresses the rulings of God, frightening those who are secure, violating peaceful civilians, finishing off the wounded, and killing prisoners; and they employ unethical means, such as destroying buildings and ransacking cities: Do not kill the soul that God has made sacrosanct, save for justice. (6:151)

— We condemn these practices and believe that resisting oppression and con-firming justice should be a legitimate undertaking through legitimate means. We call on the people to take the necessary steps to achieve the strength and steadfastness for building identity and preserving rights.

— We realize that over history extremism has been instrumental in destroying noble achievements in great civilizations, and that the tree of civilization withers when malice takes hold and breasts are shut. In all its shapes, extremism is a stranger to Islam, which is founded upon equanimity and tolerance. No human whose heart has been illumined by God could be a radical extremist.

This seems pretty clear, and is one among MANY fatwas, statements, and articles against extremism, violence, and terrorism made by Muslim scholars which he could find by simply clicking on the Muslims Denounce Terrorism logo on the front page of The American Muslim.

“Truth Telling” false claim about “only good Muslim is a dead Muslim” statement

Geller was outraged that Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf said in an interview that he had heard such a statement.  Geller wrote “I am outraged. This is the disgusting and vile lie of a leading “moderate” Muslim in the US. No one in the oppostion has ever thought of such a