Christianity has 2.2 billion followers. Islam has 1.8 billion followers. At most, Judaism has 14 million followers. There are radical members of each religious group; and Americans cannot allow fear to generate unbridled hatred and anger.[2] The United States and the American people are not at war with Islam or its followers. Anyone who suggests otherwise is Islamophobic.
Islamophobia does not have any place in the U.S. Yet, this is exactly what many are preaching today, which is wrong. Islamophobia is un-American, and inconsistent with Jesus’ teachings as set forth in the New Testament—just as racism, anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination are evil. Fear spawns hatred, anger and retribution. Too much of it is present in America and other countries.
According to the rhetoric espoused by some people, one might think that they want to kill all followers of Islam, or attack or discriminate against them, which is absurd and evil unto itself. A large number of Americans are afraid. But their fear is nothing when compared with the fears that were present in the U.S. after 9/11.
We live in difficult and challenging times.[3] But the terrorist acts of a few cannot be allowed to permeate and change our great nation or the American people. This is a lesson we learned from World War II. An estimated 110,000 Japanese-Americans were “interned” at Manzanar in California and at other camps, because of similar fears.[4]
Terrorist attacks have occurred in the U.S. and abroad. Tragically, it seems that “terrorism”—in its many forms—will be present for a long time to come. Kate Steinle was killed brutally in the “sanctuary city” of San Francisco by a known criminal and illegal immigrant.[5] Oklahoma City was bombed by Timothy McVeigh[6]. More than 900 perished in the religious cult of Jim Jones.[7] Mass killings occurred recently in Paris[8] and San Bernardino, California[9]. And the list goes on and on.
Large numbers of Americans tune out Barack Obama because of their frustrations, anger and disgust. Indeed, there is enormous venom with respect to the followers of Islam and him—as well as outright racism—which appears on Web sites in the U.S. and abroad. Often, violent statements and actions are directed at both.[10]
This is not the American way.
© 2015, Timothy D. Naegele
_______________________________________________
[1] Timothy D. Naegele was counsel to the United States Senate’s Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and chief of staff to Presidential Medal of Freedom and Congressional Gold Medal recipient and former U.S. Senator Edward W. Brooke (R-Mass). He and his firm, Timothy D. Naegele & Associates, specialize in Banking and Financial Institutions Law, Internet Law, Litigation and other matters (see www.naegele.com and http://www.naegele.com/documents/TimothyD.NaegeleResume.pdf). He has an undergraduate degree in economics from UCLA, as well as two law degrees from the School of Law (Boalt Hall), University of California, Berkeley, and from Georgetown University. He served as a Captain in the U.S. Army, assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency at the Pentagon, where he received the Joint Service Commendation Medal. Mr. Naegele is an Independent politically; and he is listed in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in American Law, and Who’s Who in Finance and Business. He has written extensively over the years (see, e.g., www.naegele.com/whats_new.html#articles), and can be contacted directly at tdnaegele.associates@gmail.com; see also Google search: Timothy D. Naegele
[2] It has been said: “Muslims are like guns and gun owners. There is only trouble with a small percentage.”
See also https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2012/12/20/abortions-and-autos-kill-more-in-america-than-guns/ (“Abortions And Autos Kill More In America Than Guns”)
[3] See https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2015/07/01/global-chaos-and-helter-skelter/ (“Global Chaos And Helter Skelter”); see also https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2015/11/29/the-death-of-putin-and-russia-the-final-chapter-of-the-cold-war/ (“The Death Of Putin And Russia: The Final Chapter Of The Cold War”)
[4] A Japanese submarine attacked the oil fields at Ellwood, north of Santa Barbara, California:
Though damage was minimal, the event was key in triggering the West Coast invasion scare and influenced the decision to intern Japanese-Americans.
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombardment_of_Ellwood (“Bombardment of Ellwood”); see also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manzanar (“Manzanar”)
[5] See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Kathryn_Steinle (“Shooting of Kathryn Steinle”)
[6] See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_McVeigh (“Timothy McVeigh”)
[7] See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Jones (“Jim Jones”)
[8] See https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2015/11/20/we-are-all-parisians/ (“We Are All Parisians”)
[9] See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bernardino,_California#21st_century
[10] The President’s religious “origins” in Islam contribute to this. See, e.g., https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2009/12/05/is-barack-obama-a-racist/ (“Is Barack Obama A Racist?”)
Ugh.. Not sure I agree with this Timothy… There is an incompatibility between western civilization, and Islam. The Koran embraced violence.. True followers of Islam are not the passive ones, generally speaking.. At least not today.
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Thank you, Rick, as always.
Yes, I understand that not everyone will agree. Those elements of radical Islam must be pursued, just as we went after those who were responsible for the 9/11 attacks.
However, there are 1.8 billion followers of Islam, including women and children; and the vast majority are by no means radicals. As noted in footnote 2 of this article:
I agree with that. Indeed, if Islamophobia spreads in the United States, Europe, and around the world, it may radicalize those followers of Islam who would not otherwise become radicals.
Is this what we want for the United States and Americans? A true “Clash of Civilizations”? It would be unlike anything that America has faced during its existence, and it is unnecessary and unwarranted.
This has happened to the Palestinians who live in Gaza and the West Bank—where Netanyahu and Israel are responsible for an estimated 2,200 deaths last year alone. Indeed, almost 70 years of supporting Israel has inured to our detriment in the Islamic world.
Jews are being urged to flee to Israel, as anti-Semitism spreads dramatically in Europe and globally. Jews can be targeted anywhere in the world, and there is nothing that Israel or its Mossad can do to protect them.
See https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/ariel-sharon-is-missed/#comment-7039 (“Is Night Falling Again For European Jews?”)
I respectfully submit that what Israel has done is not the path that we should follow. That country was founded by terrorists, and now the shoe is on the other foot.
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Thank you for your reply…
As long as the ‘peaceful’ Muslim majority, allows the radical minority to grow, and take over Islam, this will not end, and will likely accelerate.. When will they stand up, in force, and destroy the jihadists? I don’t think they ever will, because at their core, while most are against the most violent means, they really don’t disagree with the end result. That being, world domination..
Israel is used as a scapegoat, and the fact is, if Israel ceased to exist, the radicals would still find a motive to continue their war against the west. As I said, and as I’m sure you well know, true Islam is not compatible with western ideology..
Timothy, I’m not sure if you have read the Koran, but if you have not, please do. I think it’s hard to derive from its passages, the conclusions you have.
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Thank you, Rick.
What you suggest means there is no hope for Western civilization, and that the “Clash of Civilizations” which Samuel P. Huntington wrote about—and Richard Nixon worried about—has arrived.
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clash_of_Civilizations (“Clash of Civilizations”)
You posit, as does “Col. B. Bunny” below, that there is no chance of two “societies” coexisting in peace, which undergirds the American experience.
Indeed, we are the only true “melting pot” on the face of the Earth—an amalgamation of the seemingly-disperate cultures that comprise human life on this planet.
See https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2010/02/26/america-a-rich-tapestry-of-life/ (“America: A Rich Tapestry Of Life”)
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Sadly, that’s what I’m saying Timothy..
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How do you even dream to think that we went after the attackers of 9/11? I’m sorry, but that takes all the remarkable work you are doing here and flushed it right down the toilet. How do you justify your statement?
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Thank you, Michael, for your comments.
There are two sides to the coin: (1) Islamic terrorists, and (2) the peaceful followers of Islam.
As I have written above:
I condemn the first group, but do not condemn the second group at all.
The United States is the world’s only true melting pot; and since it began, it has welcomed those of other cultures and religious beliefs, which undergirds its strength.
See, e.g., https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2010/02/26/america-a-rich-tapestry-of-life/ (“America: A Rich Tapestry Of Life”)
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So, you honestly believe that this attack was performed by Islamists?
You think a plane crashed in Pennsylvania? A plane crashed in to the pentagon?
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You don’t?
I worked at the Pentagon. I know what happened there.
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There is no evidence to show any such type of event occurred. Now your blog smacks of controlled opposition.
Good day, sir.
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Mr. Naegele, Muslims do not belong in Western countries. Every Muslim who has been naturalized swore a false oath that they would support and defend the Constitution and the laws of the U.S. See the Cairo Declaration of the 57-Muslim-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference that affirms that sharia is supreme over all man-made law. Therefore, any Muslim “citizen” of the U.S. is a liar.
Shariah is inconsistent with the First Amendment not least for the fact that all eight schools of Islamic jurisprudence affirm that death is the proper punishment for apostasy. Muslims who even question the interpretation of the mullahs are guilty of blasphemy or interpretation, the equivalent of apostasy. Muslims, especially their religious leaders, can NOT accept that the First Amendment and the criminal laws of our country trump shariah.
Muslims bring with them the hideous practice of FGM. Cousin marriage, polygamy, and child marriage are rampant in the Muslim world. These are values that are antithetical to anything that is remotely understood as being American.
Around the world over 27,000 infidels have been murdered by faithful Muslims since 9/11 and you well know the frightful slaughter involved in the Muslim conquest of part of the Indian subcontinent, as well as the more recent Armenian genocide.
It is not Islamophobia that does not belong in America. It does not exist. We do not fear Islam. What we have is a justified disdain for this political doctrine that turns its adherents into our enemies. We understand what a disaster it is for Muslims to enter infidel nations in any numbers. We despise it for the backward, oppressive, and vicious political doctrine that it is.
The disdain for the savagery and enshrined hatred, aggression, and subversive goals of Islam is, hopefully, growing. Muslims have waged war on infidels for 1,400 years and it is Islam and each and every one of its followers who do not belong in America.
The burden of proof is on you to show that Muslims cheerfully integrate into Western societies and that the no-go areas of France and Sweden and enclaves like the Somalia areas of Dearborn and the Jamaat al-Fuqra camps around our country are the exception. Explain the Muslim exultation over Western calamities and the signs “Freedom go to hell.” “Islam will dominate the world,” “Shariah for the U.K.,” “Americans we are your death,” “Shariah for the Netherlands,” and “Wait till you see the real holocaust.”
Wherever Muslims are, even in their own countries, there is murder, especially of Christians. And rape. Sweden is now the rape capital of the world, second only to some southern Africa postage stamp of a nation (Lesotho).
One has to be willfully blind to think that there is anything the least bit benign or noble about this bandit culture that still cannot get it that the world is round.
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Excellent post, Col Bunny.
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Thanks, Richard.
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Thank you for your thoughtful and articulate comments.
First, you stated:
They are here already. Their numbers are growing dramatically in Europe, as you know; and they are growing here as well.
Second, they are required to accept our laws, whether the clerics like it or not. This is the “price of doing business” and staying here. To the extent that they engage in practices that are inconsistent with our laws, they will pay heavy prices (e.g., incarceration).
Third, lots of groups bring practices with them that are “foreign” to this country. It has been true since our great nation was founded, yet we survive and thrive.
Fourth, you stated:
We do not hate it either, or its followers. To do so is Islamophobia.
Fifth, many Americans view the hoods, thugs and criminals who have burned, looted and killed innocent people (e.g., elderly blacks), and destroyed their businesses—and launched a war against our police—as a clear and present danger.
See, e.g., https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2009/12/05/is-barack-obama-a-racist/#comment-7288 (“Rioting, Looting And Killing By Thugs And Hoods In American Cities“)
To use your words:
Lastly, President Obama’s message tonight appears below, which I support.
See https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2015/12/06/islamophobia-is-un-american/#comment-7894
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Tim, while you may support Obamas recent comments on ISIS, his words hold little weight, when everything to date he has done has been weak, and ineffective. He speaks as a professor, not a president.
I think, by your writings, I know by now you are not a hawkish man, and I respect that. However, I don’t belive you’re naive, so while you support his message, you can’t actually think anything of substance will change in his policy toward ISIS, right?
Eventuality, we are going to lose a city or a large amount of people, from terrorism.. Nuclear materials, made into a dirty bomb, biological or chemical weapons.. Unless we hit them hard, they will grow. Knowing that they will keep coming, and keep recruiting, requires extreme thinking, and measures to counter then threat. And I don’t see Obama ever doing what is required.. With just over a year to go with Obama, a lot can happen, and most people I know don’t have any faith left, in his message..
I do have hope for our civilization, but not blind faith . It can go either way, and the leaders of the western world will need balls of steel.. The entire PC,entitlement trajectory, of our country has to be reversed.. Hope won’t cut it otherwise.
.
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Thank you, Rick, for your comments.
First, I served as a U.S. Army Infantry Captain, albeit I opposed the Iraq War because I believed that Saddam had WMDs that he would use against our military forces. Indeed, he had used WMDs against Iran and the Kurds.
Also, I believed the war was not worth fighting. We were pushed into that war by Israel, its “neocon” surrogates and other “Israel Firsters,” just as Netanyahu has been trying to push us into a war with Iran.
In retrospect, I was correct. Thousands of Americans died or were maimed in the course of three wars in the region, and trillions of dollars were wasted. Americans will not support another war—even if Israel’s existence is at stake.
Donald Trump is right. Let the parties in the region fight it out; and when the dust settles—or the nuclear clouds part—then we can see who is still standing, if anyone.
The Middle East is not America’s fight, just as the Iraq War was a mistake. The U.S. is the largest energy producer in the world once again, and is essentially energy independent. We do not need the Middle East anymore, including Israel.
Second, I agree with your conclusions:
Also, on balance, what you say is possible:
I am well aware of the dangers in this world.
See, e.g., https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2010/01/19/emp-attack-only-30-million-americans-survive/ (“EMP Attack: Only 30 Million Americans Survive”), https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2015/07/01/global-chaos-and-helter-skelter/ (“Global Chaos And Helter Skelter”), https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2011/01/13/china-is-americas-enemy-make-no-mistake-about-that/ (“China Is America’s Enemy: Make No Mistake About That”), https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2010/12/22/the-next-major-war-korea-again/ (“The Next Major War: Korea Again?”)
Lastly, I have believed for some time that the end of the Obama presidency offers our adversaries unique opportunities to strike us. The same was true of Jimmy Carter’s presidency; and it is true of any weak presidency.
Indeed, Abraham Lincoln had many weak generals, but his favorites and strongest were Ulysses S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman. He credited both with winning the Civil War militarily and thereby preserving the Union.
See https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2010/03/21/ulysses-s-grant-an-american-hero/ (“Ulysses S. Grant: An American Hero”)
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If left alone in this fight, Israel will be forced to use methods that would surely further the conflict.They may be forced to execute the ‘Samson option’ [See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samson_Option], should such an option actually exist. Pulling completely out of the middle east seems implausible at best.. It could be argued that the Iraq war was a success,that was undone by Obamas policies.Right or wrong, its water under the bridge,and we must move past the coulda, woulda, shoulda senerios.
I realize, that you most definitely know the dangers this world faces. I respect your knowledge. I was being rhetorical .. I thoroughly enjoy your posts, but I cringe when you continue to blame Israel for the bulk of the problems.This was going on, long before Netanyhu was in charge, and surely it will continue long after.
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First, there are strong reasons to believe that Israel will be engulfed and cease to exist.
See, e.g., https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/ariel-sharon-is-missed/#comment-7868 (“Israelis Don’t Share This American Jew’s Pessimism”) and https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/ariel-sharon-is-missed/#comment-7039 (“Is Night Falling Again For European Jews?”)
Second, Barack Obama is effectively paying lip service to the problems of the Middle East, and very little more. They are intractable.
Third, it is a fact that Israel has been a burden without benefits for almost 70 years. Our support of the tiny country—which was founded by terrorists—has engendered hatred for us throughout the 1.8 billion members of Islamic world.
Fourth, no American should ever forget:
(1) The traitor Jonathan Pollard who sold our secrets and jeopardized this country, and who should be returned to Israel in a body bag, or as ashes.
(2) The unprovoked Israeli attack on the USS Liberty, which killed 34 brave Americans and maimed many more.
See http://www.gtr5.com
(3) The Iraq War, which Israel and its “neocon” surrogates pushed us into.
And these are only the ones that are generally known.
No friend or ally does this!
Yet, the “Israel Firsters” will leap to its defense as always, claiming that everyone who criticizes the tiny country and its practices is an anti-Semite, including Jews themselves.
Fifth, there are plenty of Jews who agree with me, but many are “cowed” by AIPAC and other fanatical Jewish “Israel Firster” groups that seek to ban all criticism of Netanyahu and his ilk.
See also https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/ariel-sharon-is-missed/#comment-7737 (“Netanyahu Sets Off Firestorm Of Criticism”)
He is detested by Barack Obama and other world leaders, just as he was hated by the Rabins and Ariel Sharon.
Indeed, Leah Rabin blamed Netanyahu for her husband’s assassination. She saw “only doom for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process” with Netanyahu at Israel’s helm; and her views were prescient.
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Ok, I get it. But you seem to be dodging the fact, that Israel is not the primary cause of ISIS,and even if it ceased to exist, the jihad would continue..
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I believe—as do many Americans, Jews and non-Jews alike—that the hatred of the United States and Americans stems from our support of Israel for almost 70 years.
Is it the only factor? Certainly not. But 70 years is a long time for hatred to boil and fester.
Indeed, one very prominent American Jew—who was born and raised in Israel—has asked the following question about the treatment of Palestinians:
Perhaps this says it all.
Lastly, this thread of comments has gotten too long for many people to read comfortably on a smartphone. Thus, a new thread needs to begin.
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President Barack Obama’s Message
We Will Prevail Against ISIL – Here’s How:
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Don’t Bother Talking To ISIS
This is the title of an article that Michael J. Totten has written for World Affairs:
See http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/blog/michael-j-totten/dont-bother-talking-isis (emphasis added); see also http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/isis-plot-world-domination-revealed-6968444 (“ISIS plot for world domination revealed in chilling detail with plans for education and industry“)
Cut off their oil revenues and other sources of income, as well as their access to the Web (e.g., social media), and their collapse will have begun in earnest.
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The Ugly Face of Islamophobia: Wall Street Journal’s Bret Stephens [UPDATED]
In an article entitled, “Fighting Terror by Self-Reproach,” Stephens has written:
See http://www.wsj.com/articles/fighting-terror-by-self-reproach-1449533593 (emphasis added); see also http://www.wsj.com/articles/a-security-concern-due-to-divided-loyalties-1450310897 (“‘A Security Concern Due to Divided Loyalties’”—It is not surprising that a photo of Israel’s flag flying higher than the American flag would be used with this article. This is how “Israel Firsters” like Stephens view the world. “Divided loyalties” is too nice and sterile a term to apply); but see http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3369735/The-militants-threatened-shoot-Muslim-passengers-board-bus-defy-terrorists-demands-separate-Christians-deadly-terror-attack.html (“Christians escape Kenyan terrorists after Muslim passengers on board bus say shoot us all or not at all“)
This is not surprising at all, inasmuch as Stephens is the Journal‘s resident Jew from Tel Aviv—who purveys the beliefs and prejudices of the murderous Netanyahu as well as the Israeli Prime Minister himself.
Totally-biased reporting at its best. At least the Jerusalem Post used to get credit for his work, when Stephens was its editor in chief.
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bret_Stephens
Someone ought to take Stephens aside and tell him that Islamophobia is un-American. And that Christianity has 2.2 billion followers. Islam has 1.8 billion followers. At most, Judaism has 14 million followers.
There are radical members of each religious group; and Americans cannot allow fear to generate unbridled hatred and anger.
Stephens’ closing words neglect to mention that Netanyahu and Israel are responsible for an estimated 2,200 Palestinian deaths last year alone.
Yet, those are only trivialities, when the goal is to carry the message of hatred against the followers of Islam—all 1.8 billion of them.
It is small wonder that anti-Semitism is spreading dramatically in Europe and globally, which may may represent a precursor of epic tragedies to come. .
See https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/ariel-sharon-is-missed/#comment-7039 (“Is Night Falling Again For European Jews?”)
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More Trash Talk About Donald Trump From Bret Stephens [UPDATED]
Not to be outdone by his earlier Islamophobic rants, the Wall Street Journal‘s resident Jew from Tel Aviv—Bret Stephens—is trashing Donald Trump and posing as an American conservative:
See http://www.wsj.com/articles/lets-elect-hillary-now-1450742854 (“Let’s Elect Hillary Now”) (emphasis added)
More psychobabble from Stephens.
For openers, Mitt Romney lost because the GOP Neanderthals stayed home and did not vote. They turned on him, like they are doing with Donald Trump today; and they will pay dearly for it.
See https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2015/12/11/boycott-the-gop-and-ignore-foreign-naysayers/ (“Boycott The GOP And Ignore Foreign Naysayers“)
Second, and very predictably, Stephens castigates Trump:
How did “astute Jewish negotiators” find their way into this article? Oh yes, some readers may have forgotten that Stephens is an “Israel Firster” and an avowed Islamophobic.
He is the Journal‘s resident Jew from Tel Aviv—who purveys the beliefs and prejudices of the murderous Netanyahu.
See https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/ariel-sharon-is-missed/#comment-7951 (“The Ugly Face of Islamophobia: Wall Street Journal’s Bret Stephens“)
He adds:
Next, he trashes Hillary Clinton too. Surely Stephens would feel more at home back in Israel.
Lastly, he does not need to wish any of us “Merry Christmas” when it is not his religion. It is a token gesture devoid of meaning.
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Is The Wall Street Journal Islamophobic? [UPDATED]
In an article entitled “Denying the Obvious About Islamist Terror,” Dorothy Rabinowitz—a member of the Journal’s editorial board—has written:
See http://www.wsj.com/articles/denying-the-obvious-about-islamist-terror-1452556011 (emphasis added)
One commenter responded:
Nonsense, that religion is Judaism.
Indeed, some Jews cowardly try to stifle debate at Web sites such as the Journal, and label anyone who does not agree with Netanyahu, AIPAC and the AIPAC-bought Republican lackeys in Congress as anti-Semites, which of course is absurd.
I have read Dorothy Rabinowitz’s articles for many years; and I cannot recall disagreeing with any of them.
However, this one is clearly Islamophobic.
There is no other way to describe it. Both explicitly and with innuendos, she has targeted all followers of Islam—and labeled them, just as surely as Hitler’s Nazis labeled the Jews.
One must never forget that Christianity has 2.2 billion followers. Islam has 1.8 billion followers. At most, Judaism has 14 million followers. Yet, it was a Jew who killed Yitzhak Rabin.
Indeed, to her credit, the courageous Leah Rabin blamed Netanyahu for her husband’s assassination. She saw “only doom for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process” with Netanyahu at Israel’s helm; and her views were prescient.
Should the world be targeting Netanyahu and his ilk, who were responsible for an estimated 2,200 Palestinian deaths in Gaza during 2014 alone?
The U.S. and the American people are not at war with Islam or its followers. Anyone who suggests otherwise is Islamophobic.
Islamophobia is evil and un-American, just as racism, anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination are.
See https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2015/12/06/islamophobia-is-un-american/ (“Islamophobia Is Un-American“)
Fear spawns anger, unbridled hatred and retribution. Too much of it is evident in many of the articles and comments at the Journal‘s Web site, and in the writings of the Journal’s Bret Stephens and others.
See https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/ariel-sharon-is-missed/#comment-7951 (“The Ugly Face of Islamophobia: Wall Street Journal’s Bret Stephens“)
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More Islamophobia From The Wall Street Journal And Bret Stephens [UPDATED]
In an article entitled “Normalizing Iran,” the Journal‘s resident Islamophobe from Tel Aviv, Bret Stephens, writes:
See http://www.wsj.com/articles/normalizing-iran-1453162144 (emphasis added)
Another Islamophobic article by Stephens, who was previously editor in chief of the Jerusalem Post. Indeed, he and his fellow Islamophobes at the Journal regularly attack others like Stephen Kinzer, but the Journal rejects and censors any serious criticism of them.
They have crusaded with the murderous Netanyahu, AIPAC, and the AIPAC-bought GOP lackeys in Congress against the Iran deal. This is what “Israel Firsters” do—just as Israel and its “neocon” surrogates pushed us into the Iraq War, and as Netanyahu and his ilk have been trying to push us into a war with Iran.
Indeed, all participants must be indicted, tried, convicted and imprisoned, inter alia, for monies paid (directly or indirectly) by a foreign government/Israel to influence the American political process. Stephens is an un-American Islamophobe and a vile “Israel Firster,” and he is certainly not an American patriot.
The “$100 billion windfall” to which Stephens refers is actually closer to $150 billion, but the funds constitute Iranian assets that were frozen by the United States. The release of Americans by Iran must be juxtaposed against the Israeli attack on the USS Liberty, which killed 34 brave Americans and maimed many more.
See http://www.gtr5.com and http://www.naegele.com/documents/USSLibertyMemorial.pdf (USS Liberty Memorial Web site) and http://www.chicagotribune.com/chi-liberty_tuesoct02-story.html and http://www.naegele.com/documents/NewrevelationsinattackonAmericanspyship.pdf (“New revelations in attack on American spy ship”)
While writing about Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Stephens fails to mention that Netanyahu and his ilk have consistently tried to bring the Palestinians to heel by employing similar tactics that are equivalent to “starve or kneel.” Indeed, Israel is an Apartheid state; and Netanyahu—who has morphed into his ancestors’ Nazi oppressors—must be tried by the International Criminal Court for his crimes against the Palestinian people, including an estimated 2,200 deaths in Gaza during 2014 alone. At the very least, he must be arrested whenever he sets foot outside of Israel.
He is an enemy of the United States and the American people; and to his credit, Barack Obama realizes this. Indeed, our president is not alone. Netanyahu is “detested” by other world leaders, just as the Rabins and Ariel Sharon hated him. The courageous Leah Rabin blamed Netanyahu for her husband Yitzhak’s assassination. She saw “only doom for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process” with Netanyahu at Israel’s helm; and her views were prescient.
Is it any wonder that anti-Semitism is rampant all over the world?
See, e.g., https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/ariel-sharon-is-missed/#comment-7039 (“Is Night Falling Again For European Jews?“)
It is a sad day in America when a major publication like the Wall Street Journal is Islamophobic, and employs vile Islamophobes like Stephens who attack Kinzer and others.
See, e.g., https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2015/12/31/is-israel-doomed/#comment-8012 (“Is The Wall Street Journal Islamophobic?“) and https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/ariel-sharon-is-missed/#comment-7951 (“The Ugly Face of Islamophobia: Wall Street Journal’s Bret Stephens“); see also https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2015/12/06/islamophobia-is-un-american/ (“Islamophobia Is Un-American“) and https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/ariel-sharon-is-missed/ (“Ariel Sharon Is Missed“) and https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2012/03/08/the-madness-of-benjamin-netanyahu/ (“The Madness Of Benjamin Netanyahu“) and https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2010/02/20/israels-senseless-killings-and-war-with-iran/ (“Israel’s Senseless Killings And War With Iran“)
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Obama Blasts Islamophobia [UPDATED]
John Stanton has reported for BuzzFeed News:
See http://www.buzzfeed.com/johnstanton/president-obama-visits-us-mosque#.xkkxj2bOb0 (emphasis added); see also http://www.wsj.com/articles/obama-to-make-first-visit-to-u-s-mosque-1454515229 (“Obama Makes First Visit to U.S. Mosque”—”Outreach to Muslim community comes as terror fears, hate crimes against believers are rising”—”Obama also argued against profiling Muslims in the fight against terrorism and called on Muslim leaders to more vocally combat what he described as a ‘radical, tiny minority’ seeking to hijack their religion”—”[C]onflating extremist attacks with all Muslims fuels the threat of terrorism”—”According to a survey published Wednesday by the Pew Research Center, . . . 68 % of Americans believe that the problem is with violent people using religion to justify actions, not religion itself”—”Former President George W. Bush visited a mosque six days after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, telling a group at the Islamic Center of Washington, D.C. that ‘the face of terror is not the true faith of Islam,’ and that those who intimidated Muslims in the wake of the attacks ‘represent the worst of humankind'”)
What the president failed to address is the blatant Islamophobia spewed by the Wall Street Journal‘s Bret Stephens and others, by Israel’s murderous Netanyahu and others of his ilk, and by fanatical Jewish “Israel Firsters” and related groups.
They constitute the “800-pound gorilla” that neither Obama nor other American leaders dare to address politically.
The tragedy is that it is a two-way street. Anti-Semitism is increasing dramatically in Europe and globally—which may represent a precursor of epic tragedies to come.
See https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/ariel-sharon-is-missed/#comment-7039 (“Is Night Falling Again For European Jews?“); see also https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2015/12/31/is-israel-doomed/ (“Is Israel Doomed?”)
At the same time, Islamophobia is increasing—spawned at least in part by those who suffer from anti-Semitism.
It must never be forgotten that Christianity has 2.2 billion followers. Islam has 1.8 billion followers. At most, Judaism has 14 million followers.
The United States and the American people are not at war with Islam or its followers. Anyone who suggests otherwise is Islamophobic.
As I have written in the article above:
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Is ISIS Faithful To Islam?
Pat Buchanan—an adviser to Presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford, and a former GOP presidential aspirant himself—has written:
See http://buchanan.org/blog/isis-faithful-islam-125039 (emphasis added)
Lots of us have hoped and, yes, prayed that ways would be found to honor Muslims’ beliefs without sacrificing Western values and beliefs.
Again, the United States is a unique “melting pot” of the world’s cultures and religions; and most of us believe that it must be welcoming to all: a beacon of freedom to all.
We hope too that the “Clash of Civilizations” which Samuel P. Huntington wrote about—and Richard Nixon worried about—will not arrive; and that the terrorist attacks on Paris and Belgium are the handiwork of radical Muslims, and do not represent the world’s 1.8 billion followers of Islam.
Clearly, Pat Buchanan suggests another and potentially more terrifying point of view.
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clash_of_Civilizations (“Clash of Civilizations”)
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Congratulations: Victory For Sadiq Khan As London’s Mayor
Conor Sullivan and Jim Pickard have reported for the UK’s Financial Times:
See http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/8c974c8e-1379-11e6-bb40-c30e3bfcf63b.html#axzz47uP71qDx (“Victory for Sadiq Khan highlights tolerant face of London“) (emphasis added)
Congratulations from the United States and the American people.
And no, Donald Trump is not anti-Muslim, much less Islamophobic like some in the American media such as the Wall Street Journal‘s rabid Bret Stephens, who might feel more comfortable living in Tel Aviv again.
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More Un-American Islamophobia And Fear [UPDATED]
In a Wall Street Journal editorial, it is stated:
See http://www.wsj.com/articles/jihad-in-orlando-1465772204 (“Jihad in Orlando“) (emphasis added); see also https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2015/12/06/islamophobia-is-un-american/ (“Islamophobia Is Un-American“); but see http://buchanan.org/blog/islam-west-irreconcilable-conflict-125343 (“Islam & the West: Irreconcilable Conflict?”—”The more Islamic the West becomes, the less it remains the West”)
This is not a “Mary Poppins” world in which we live.
Members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities are hated in America and globally—for religious and a whole host of other reasons—and no amount of “political correctness” is going to change that fact.
One can stick one’s head in the sand and deny that such over-arching prejudices exist, but they do. To think otherwise is delusional. On a higher plane, each of us is a child of God, free to pursue our lives and dreams as we see fit. We have free will, to choose our own paths, with which others may not agree.
To take the Islamophobic approach that the Journal has in this editorial—as well as in so many articles by Bret Stephens, in particular—is patently absurd and ignorant. There are 1.8 billion followers of Islam in this world; and to target or stigmatize them is un-American, at the very least.
See also https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2015/12/06/islamophobia-is-un-american/#comment-7908 (“The Ugly Face of Islamophobia: Wall Street Journal’s Bret Stephens“) and https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2015/12/06/islamophobia-is-un-american/#comment-8058 (“More Islamophobia From The Wall Street Journal And Bret Stephens“) and https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2015/12/31/is-israel-doomed/#comment-8012 (“Is The Wall Street Journal Islamophobic?“)
This editorial states:
Entrapment is illegal in the United States, but the Journal‘s editors do not care.
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Is Islamic Terror America’s Future? [UPDATED]
Patrick J. Buchanan—an adviser to Presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford, and a former GOP presidential aspirant himself—has written:
See http://buchanan.org/blog/islamic-terror-americas-future-125352 (emphasis added); see also http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/06/17/obama-admin-pace-issue-one-million-green-cards-migrants-majority-muslim-countries/ (“Obama Admin. On Pace to Issue One Million Green Cards to Migrants from Majority-Muslim Countries“)
Sobering thoughts to ponder, indeed.
Imagine, just imagine, a nation-ending EMP Attack launched from a barge—in the Gulf of Mexico, the Sea of Cortez, or off our Atlantic or Pacific Coasts—consisting of one nuclear warhead attached to a single missile that might shut down much of the country and kill all except 30 million Americans.
This is why it is so vital to elect a president like Donald Trump, who will not cower or fail to arm our military with everything that it needs to fight conventional and asymmetric wars of the present and the future.
See https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2010/01/19/emp-attack-only-30-million-americans-survive/ (“EMP Attack: Only 30 Million Americans Survive“); but see https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2015/12/06/islamophobia-is-un-american/ (“Islamophobia Is Un-American“)
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Former Clinton Consigliere And Trump Supporter, Dick Morris, Trumpets Unbridled Zionist Hate For Palestinians [UPDATED]
In racist, hateful Islamophobic video comments, Morris said:
See http://www.dickmorris.com/trump-pulls-the-rug-out-from-under-the-palestinians-lunch-alert/ (“Trump Pulls The Rug Out From Under The Palestinians“); see also https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-administration-to-close-palestine-liberation-organization-office-in-washington-1536546125 (“Trump Administration to Close Palestine Liberation Organization Office in Washington“) and https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/ariel-sharon-is-missed/#comment-14706 (“7 Days To Stop More Of Netanyahu’s Madness“)
The Palestianians are human beings like the rest of us. When they are dehumanized, it is tantamount to what the Nazis did to the Jews, and what has been done to Jews throughout history.
Morris is setting forth Zionist, “Greater Israel” views, which go beyond even the Apartheid of South Africa.
See also https://www.nysun.com/editorials/a-farewell-to-the-plo/90380/ (“A Farewell to the PLO?“) and https://www.nysun.com/foreign/how-israel/90378/ (“Israel Emerges As an Avatar Of Nationalism“); but see https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/israeli-music-scene-jolted-international-boycott-movement-57719210 (“Israeli music scene jolted by international boycott movement“)
Netanyahu was hated by Ariel Sharon and the Rabins. Indeed, Leah Rabin blamed him for her husband Yitzhak’s assassination, and believed that Israeli-Palestinian peace was not possible with Netanyahu as Israel’s leader. Her views were prescient.
See, e.g., https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/ariel-sharon-is-missed/ (“Ariel Sharon Is Missed“) and https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/ariel-sharon-is-missed/#comment-6443 (“Netanyahu Took Part In The Incitement Against Rabin That Preceded His Murder“); see also https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2010/02/20/israels-senseless-killings-and-war-with-iran/#comment-1825 (“Jeremy Ben-Ami, “A New Voice For Israel”—A Wonderful Book That Should Be Read By Anyone Who Cares About And Wants To Understand Israel’s Past, Present And Future”) and https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2015/12/31/is-israel-doomed/ (“Is Israel Doomed?“) and https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2012/03/08/the-madness-of-benjamin-netanyahu/ (“The Madness Of Benjamin Netanyahu“) and https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2010/02/20/israels-senseless-killings-and-war-with-iran/ (“Israel’s Senseless Killings And War With Iran“) and https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2010/02/20/israels-senseless-killings-and-war-with-iran/#comment-544 (“Why I Write And Say What I Do”)
Anti-Semitism has grown dramatically in Europe and globally since Netanyahu’s reign began; and European Jews are being urged to flee to Israel.
See https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/ariel-sharon-is-missed/#comment-7039 (“Is Night Falling Again For European Jews“)
Tragically, not a single Jew in this world is safe; and that applies to all 14 million of them. This is Netanyahu’s legacy.
It is not Donald Trump’s legacy.
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Blatant GOP Islamophobia And Pandering
[Israeli and Palestinian flags]
Ariel Zilber has written for the UK’s Daily Mail:
See https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7021757/Republicans-slam-Rashida-Tlaib-said-Palestinians-gave-safe-haven-Jews-Holocaust.html (“‘Twisted and disgusting’: House Republicans slam Rashida Tlaib after she said that thinking about the Holocaust gives her a ‘calming feeling’ because Palestinians provided a ‘safe haven to Jews’ after the Second World War“) (emphasis added); see also https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/rashidatlaib-holocasut-houserepublicans/2019/05/12/id/915661/ (“GOP Slams Rep. Tlaib For Comments on Holocaust ‘Calming Feeling’“)
First, there have been many holocausts in recorded history, not just one.
See, e.g., https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2010/02/06/the-silent-voices-of-stalin%E2%80%99s-soviet-holocaust-and-mao%E2%80%99s-chinese-holocaust/ (“The Silent Voices Of Stalin’s Soviet Holocaust And Mao’s Chinese Holocaust“)
Second, Liz Cheney is the congresswoman from Wyoming, not Wisconsin.
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liz_Cheney (“Liz Cheney“)
Third, people of any cultural, ethnic or religious background can acknowledge the role that Palestinians and others played in helping the survivors of the Nazi Holocaust, and be proud of what they did.
Indeed, it is the acknowledgment of one group of human beings helping another selflessly, in the wake of unspeakable tragedies in history. For those in the GOP to attack this woman smacks of pandering to Israel and Jewish voters in the U.S.—which is crass, despicable and cowardly.
Fourth, it is indisputable that Palestinians were displaced and hurt immeasurably before and as the new State of Israel was being founded. They are being displaced in the West Bank today, as their human tragedy continues.
Fifth, I am not a supporter of Rashida Tlaib—the first Palestinian-American woman elected to Congress—nor am I a member of her political party. As I have said many times, I began as a Democrat but will never vote for one again. As Ronald Reagan acknowledged, the party left us when it moved so far to the Left; we did not leave the party.
Lots of us left the GOP too, and have been Independents ever since. Neither political party stands for virtue or America’s color-blind ideals.
Sixth, Congresswoman Tlaib deserves fairness, not ridicule or pandering to Israel and Jews—who vote overwhelmingly for Democrats, and have since the days of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the father of today’s Democratic Party. Many seem to forget that he turned away the MS St. Louis from docking at U.S. ports, and consigned its Jewish passengers to their fates in Europe at the hands of the Nazis. Other anti-Semites in his administration knew of Nazi death camps but did nothing about them.
Lastly, it is hoped that some day an independent Palestinian state and the State of Israel will stand side-by-side, and coexist peacefully. And that Israelis and Palestinians will be at peace, which is what Jewish groups such as Jeremy Ben-Ami’s J Street have been advocating for more than a decade.
See, e.g., https://naegeleblog.wordpress.com/2014/01/06/ariel-sharon-is-missed/#comment-14807 (“An Eloquent Voice Of Enlightenment“)
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