All extremists are “savages” and “civilized men” need to counter the hate

by Sheila Musaji

Pamela Geller wrote an article Islamic Supremacism: Don’t defame religion unless it’s Judaism  She opens with her infamous line “Islamic Jew-hatred, it’s a religious mandate.  As vile as this is, and it’s worse than that, it’s the sanction by the West and the “international community’ that is truly monstrous.”

She says:

Recent examples of this policy can be found in all areas of PA expression. The moderator at a Fatah ceremony demonized Jews as “the descendants of the apes and pigs.” A PA TV narrator said that Jews praying at the Western Wall are “sin and filth.” Senior PA official Jibril Rajoub referred to Jews as “Satans” and “Zionist sons of bitches” on PA TV. The PA Mufti and other religious leaders have defined Jews as the “enemy of Allah,” even preaching the following Hadith in PA TV sermons: “The Prophet says: ‘You shall fight the Jews and kill them.’” Indeed, what these and many other examples document is that in the PA, not only is demonization of Jews and Judaism common practice, it is also sometimes promoted as a religious Islamic imperative.

Significantly, the PA’s promotion of hatred of Jews is not limited to religious leaders and PA officials. PA TV featured young girls on children’s programs saying that Jews and Christians are “inferior and smaller, more cowardly and despised” and that “our enemy, Zion, is Satan with a tail.” Following classical European Antisemitism, a history program on PA TV taught that “Jews are hated in every society in which they have lived, because of their behavior relating to their great love of money.” The official PA daily on Israel’s independence day said Israel’s goal was to turn a “Jewish monarchy in Palestine into a basis for their [the Jews’] eternal rule over the world, that others, ‘goyim’ [non-Jews], must submit to their will.”

She is correct that defamation of Judaism is wrong.  But, she is incorrect that defamation of any religion is appropriate.  Defamation of Islam is wrong.  Defamation of Christianity is wrong.  Defamation of any religion, or for that matter of any race, ethnicity, or gender is wrong.  THEY ARE ALL WRONG.

Calling Jews descendants of the “apes and pigs” or “enemies of Allah” or “inferior”  or “impure”  or “satan” or saying “you should fight and kill them” is wrong.  Condoning violence and terrorism is wrong.  Glorifying terrorists as “martyrs”  is wrong.  Promoting the idea of collective punishment is wrong.  Blaming all Jews for the actions of some Jews is wrong.  Teaching children in madrassas to hate is wrong. Attempting to force non-Muslims to abide by Sharia law is wrong.  Promoting such actions as a “religious Islamic imperative” is wrong.  Promoting the idea that Muslims are superior to Jews (or any other religious group) is supremacism and it is wrong.  Such behavior is very similar to classical European Antisemitism.

Geller then provides a list of specific examples of individuals in Palestine who have made statements that defame Jews or Judaism, call for violence, or are anti-Semitic.  Most of the quotes she gives as examples are genuinely anti-Semitic and a defamation of Jews.  A few of them are simply a different viewpoint on the Israeli-Palestian situation.  All of those expressing anti-Semitism or encouraging violence, I condemn, as do most Muslims.

I have dealt with her false claims about this religiously mandated hatred for Jews and Christians previously in the articles: Pamela Geller Is Wrong About “Islamic Jew Hatred Commanded by the Qur’an”, and   Pamela Geller’s False Claim that Muslims Curse Christians and Jews in Their Daily Prayers. 

The truth is that there are extremists of all religious persuasions who are promoting an exclusionary and bigoted worldview.  These extremist and hateful voices seem to be those whose voices are heard more often than the voices of reason, compassion, and sanity.  There is a serious extremism problem, and it is not confined to the Muslim community. 

Pamela Geller, and the other Jewish individuals who are actively involved in the Islamophobia Industry, constantly shine a spotlight on every instance that can find anywhere in the world, of any Muslim extremist saying or doing something hateful as “proof” that that is how Muslims are, or is because of Islam.  This is simply another form of extremist and Islamophobic thinking, the reverse of anti-Semitism among some Muslims.  Anti-Semitism is wrong, and Islamophobia is wrong.

It is particularly shocking that there are so many members of the American Jewish community among those engaged in demonization of the entire religion of Islam and of Muslims.  How is it possible that there is anyone in the Jewish community who is not more sensitive to this issue.  It would seem that they have seen where such demonization of a minority community can lead, especially when that is a religious minority, and that should make them more likely than anyone else to say loudly “never again” for anyone.  Eliana Benador, Phyllis Chesler, Steven Emerson, Pamela Geller, Caroline Glick, Daniel Greenfield, David Horowitz, Charles Jacobs, Joe Kaufman, Bill Maher, Daniel Pipes, Dennis Prager, Michael Savage, Debbie Schlussel, Bat Ye’or, David Yerushalmi and other Jews who have actively participated in the Islamophobia Industry, and a number of whom are leaders in that industry, should really be ashamed.  Those like Pamela Geller who (with her partner Robert Spencer) head up the anti-Muslim hate groups AFDI/SIOA should be particularly ashamed.  They are promoting a one-sided demonization of Islam and Muslims right here in the United States.  This is also wrong.

Daniel Pipes is promoting the idea of a “Muhammad cartoon a day” to teach Muslims not to be so thin skinned.  He is joining Daniel Greenfield (aka Sultan Knish) who published an appeal on David Horowitz’ Front Page Magazine [url=http://theamericanmuslim.org/t