Islam And The West

The Center for Research on anti-semitism at the Technical University of Berlin has started a bit of a debate around the issue of Islamophobia.

The centre recently held a conference in Germany entitled “Perceived Enemy Muslim – Perceived Enemy Jew.” In which they tried to draw similarities between hatred of Jews and hatred of Muslims.

Below is a rebuttal by Klaus Faber, a member of the Coordinating Council of German NGOs against Anti-Semitism, to the notion that Islamophobia and anti-semitism are any way alike :

“…This attempted comparison has met with rejection, since the term “Islamophobia” is primarily used during anti-Western and anti-Israeli agitation in Islamic countries.

“Islamophobia” does not refer to actual discrimination against Muslims, but to allegedly inappropriate criticism of Shari’a law and Islam in general…..

…Anti-Semitism and “Islamophobia” cannot be equated. Nobody wants to exterminate all Muslims or wipe out an Islamic country. Nobody blames all Muslims for every evil in the world. Just looking at what is written and published about Israel and Jews by Muslim institutions and in many Islamic countries highlights this fundamental difference. In Germany, this means police have to protect Jewish kindergardens, schools, institutions and synagogues around the clock. In contrast, anti-Islamic terrorism is virtually non-existent in Europe.

Instead, one finds a close cooperation between aggressive anti-Semitic Islamists and equally anti-Semitic neo-Nazis…..

…Equating “Islamophobia” and anti-Semitism relativizes not only the Holocaust, but also current anti-Semitic dangers. This is true especially for the genocidal anti-Semitic propaganda of Iran, but also in the terror threats coming from anti-Semitic organizations like Hamas or Hizbullah – with the latter still not banned in Germany. Thus, equating “Islamophobia” and anti-Semitism obstructs the struggle against anti-Semitism and, consequently, the politics of integration in Germany that attempt to overcome Islamic anti-Semitism. Finally, this false comparison also hobbles the boycott policies against Iran and its genocidal plans.”(Source: Jerusalem Post)

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The Islamophobe blogosphere is raging fire and brimstone over the prosecution/persecution of Islam-hating Dutch politician Geert Wilders. The story has even made it to the main stream media in some parts of the world.

The Wilders case brings up a difficult conundrum for western societies namely how to protect free speech while at the same time preventing incitement to violence. I wrote about this very conundrum back in March 2008 with a post entitled “Freedom of expression: Geert Wilders versus Bruno Guigue.”

For all the attention that the case is getting it seems to be muddying the waters. Anti-Islam bigots the world over would have you believe that through the case Islam is trying to silence any criticism directed towards it.

This may or may not be true but one only has to look at Holland to see that the type of atmosphere that has been created and lead to an increase of violent attacks against Muslims. Many of these anti-Islam bigots jump up and down like crazed neanderthals on speed hoping to use Wilders and others to demonstrate the superiority of Christianity over Islam.

As the Wilders case drags on thousands of miles away in the Middle East another conflict between religious sentiments and freedom of expression is taking place.

Coptic Christians in Egypt are trying to ban a film still in production. The Coptic Church has warned it will sue film makers and the government if the production is not stopped or the film censored.

The film Wahid Sifr (One Zero) looks at the difficulty surrounding Christians getting divorced and then being granted permission by the Coptic Church to re-marry:

“A controversial movie still in production about a Coptic Christian woman in Egypt who has a baby out of wedlock after the church’s refusal to grant her a divorce has come under fire from Coptic activists who are seeking to ban the movie for insulting Christianity.

Coptic lawyer and activist Nabil Ghobrial warned in an official filing Monday that the Coptic church would sue those involved in the film as well as governmental authorities if production was not halted or the film censored….

…”The film is about the difficulties Copts face to obtain divorce and get a permission to remarry,” Scriptwriter Marian Naaoun told the Egyptian magazine Rose al-Youssef….

…The movie follows three interwoven stories, one of them about a Coptic woman who is not granted permission by the church to remarry because her divorce was not recognized as valid. Though her friends urge her to convert to Islam to be granted the divorce the observant Christian cannot deny her faith and ends up having a baby out of wedlock.

The Coptic Church grants divorce only in two cases: adultery and conversion to another sect.” (Source: Al-Arabiyah)

The above case is not the first time that modern Christianity has tried to censor freedom of expression. For more examples see:

• Tolerant Christianity Bans The Da Vinci Code
• Tolerant Christianity Bans The Da Vinci Code Again
• Freedom Of Expression Loving Christians Try To Prosecute Jerry Springer The Opera

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This week’s accelerated links are varied and cover topics ranging from Israel-Palestine peace process to Obama to Iran to Christianity and finally to the threat that Islam and Muslims pose.

Image source:Selva Morales

• Yid With Lid brings us “Mideast envoy George Mitchell’s stupid quote of the day.”
• Wake Up From Your Slumber with British television documentary Unseen Gaza.
• Wake Up America on Obama trying to find a way through campaign promises and the reality of Iraq.
• Unveiling Christianity on why Mark 12:29-34 refutes the Trinity.
• The Urban Grind on how Obama sucks up to the Muslim world.
• The Political Jungle asks who is worse Carter or Obama ?
• The Moor Next Door with “CIA in Algiers: serial rape“.
• The Magnes Zionist with American Jews oppose Israeli policy in Gaza.
• Sultan Knish on how to “house break” Islam.
• Strephen M. Walt with “is Iran a bigger challenge than the global economic crisis? Bibi thinks so.“
• Samson Blinded on why Israel must take Hamas as it’s peace partner.
• Sabria Jawhar asks can Obama make good on his promises?
• Haitham Sabbah with the shortcut to peace in the Middle East.
• Newshounds with Fox News coverage of Gitmo.
• Mondoweiss with secret database shows Israeli government to be active partner in settlement land grab.
• Mad Zionist with Hillary 100% supports Israeli use of force.
• LFG 2 with a necessary history of modern Israel.
• Jews Sans Frontieres with a call from American academics to boycott Israel.
• Joshupundit with how the Brit Parliament caves under Muslim Jihad threat.
• Israpundit with militant “Islam”: the green plague.
• Hitchens Watch with renewed calls for an American strike on Iran.
• Fiery Spirited Zionist with Egypt’s persecution of Christians.
• Ethnic Ashkenazim against Zionist Israel with corrupt Jewish social networking rules!
• Elder of Ziyon asks what is the worst thing you can call a Hamas supporter?
• Crossroads Arabia with the laundering of the news.
• Atlas Shrugs with video evidence of a New York Post photographer being attacked at an anti-Israel protest.

The links in this post are provided solely for informational purposes and inclusion should not be construed as endorsement or acceptance of any views expressed by the author of this weblog.

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The Islam and West blogroll can be accessed by clicking on the tab above. If you have never seen it before, then now is a very good time to fimilarise yourself with it.

Once in a while I like to go through the blogroll and perform a little “spring cleaning”. Even though we’re technically in the throws of winter I thought it would be good to have a look at giving the blogroll a change.

I’ve removed 8 sites from the blogroll and added 5 new blogs.

Those out are: Austrolabe, Arab Writers Group Syndicate, Crooks and Liars, Indigo Jo, James H. Shott’s Observations Muzzle Watch , Saudi Amber and The Rude Pundit

Those in are: Caroline Glick, Stephen M. Walt, Sultan Knish, The Truth About The Moshiach and The Urban Grind.

Now I would like to introduce each blogger to you .

Claroline Glick: Grew up in Chicago, emigrated to Israel in 1991, became a captain in the IDF, worked in the Israel Antiquities Authority, became Assistant Foreign Policy Advisor to Binyamin Netanyahu and then became senior fellow for Middle Eastern Affairs at the Center for Security Policy in Washington, DC.

Stephen M. Walt: Is a Professor of International Affairs at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, resident associate of the Carnegie Endowment for Peace, author of Taming American Power: The Global Response to U.S. Primacy and co-author of The Israel Lobby.

Sultan Knish: Is a blogger, columnist and freelance photographer born in Israel but currently living in New York City.

The Truth About The Moshiach: Is authored by a blogger calling himself Bar Kochba. He states that his current location is in Canada. The theme of the blog revolves around Judaism and the Messiah.

The Urban Grind: Is authored by a conservative woman from Manhattan who blogs about current events, politics and life in general.

I hope you take time to go over and visit these blogs.

If you have blog of your own that concentrates on subject matter similar to Islam And The West and want it adding to the blogroll here, please e-mail me. I will see what I can do.

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Geert Wilders has been a regularly mentioned on this blog over a number years. For those who do not know Wilders is the Islam-hating leader of the Dutch “Party For Freedom.” He has made numerous statements against Islam including comparing the Qur’an to Mein Kampf and calling for it be banned in the Netherlands.

Wilders will be charged with incitement to hatred and discrimination and insulting Islamic worshippers. They relate to Fitna an anti-Islam “film” made by the Dutch politician.

The decision to prosecute Wilders comes courteous of the Appeal Court in Amsterdam overturning an earlier decision by the Dutch Prosecutor’s Office not to charge him:

“Party for Freedom (PVV) leader Geert Wilders will be prosecuted for “incitement to hatred and discrimination” and “insult of Islamic worshippers”. The appeal court in Amsterdam ruled yesterday that the Public Prosecutor’s Office (OM) must bring a case against the MP….

…The appeal court considers “that the contested views of Wilders (also as shown in his movie Fitna) constitute a criminal offence according to Dutch law as seen in connection with each other, both because of their contents and the method of presentation. This method of presentation is characterized by biased, strongly generalizing phrasings with a radical meaning, ongoing reiteration and an increasing intensity, as a result of which hate is created.”

Furthermore, “most statements are insulting as well since these statements substantially harm the religious esteem of the Islamic worshippers.” (…) Also, “the instigation of hatred in a democratic society constitutes such a serious matter that a general interest is at stake in order to draw a clear boundary in the public debate.”

…In an opinion piece in De Volkskrant, Wilders wrote among other things: “I have had enough of Islam in the Netherlands: no new Muslim immigrants anymore. I have had enough of the worship of Allah and Mohammed in the Netherlands: No more new mosques. I have had enough of the Koran in the Netherlands: Ban that Fascist book.”

….The appeal court concluded that “the way in which the public debate about controversial issues is held, such as the immigration and integration debate, does not fall within the ambit of the law in principle indeed. But the situation changes when fundamental boundaries are exceeded. Then criminal law does appear as well.” (Source: NIS News Bulletin)

Its rather amusing that a man who wants to ban the Qur’an as he sees it as being inflammatory would then go on to bleat about his own lack of freedom to express.

For more on Greet Wilders see:

• Geert Wilders Says “I don’t hate Muslims”
• Even Christians Turn On Geert Wilders
• Now Dutch Business Turns On Geert Wilders
• Freedom Of Expression: Geert Wilders Versus Bruno Guigue
• E.U. Parliament Bans Wilders Attempt To Spread Fitna
• Video: Geert Wilders Takes On BBC’s Hardtalk

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