The entire premise is still nonsense. NRO's Matthew J. Franck takes a look at a study being hawked by the Islamophobic crowd and comes up empty:
"That’s all there is to the Center for Security Policy’s “Top 20 Cases.” Thirty-five years’ worth of American law, and we have a whopping seven cases in which some “foreign law” was honored (not even Sharia in every case), and not enough information even to tell if something truly unjust happened in any of the seven. In the other thirteen cases, Sharia-law principles were rejected either at trial or on appeal. Some Top 20."
Somebody tell Pam Geller. I can't wait to hear her spin this.
"Centering around a exhibit of Danny Goldfield’s photographic essay of the multinational, multi-cultural scope of New York City’s children, the Park 51 Islamic Community Center has opened its doors to give the City a taste of things to come. A small orchestra of Middle Eastern musicians played in the background as people representing the breadth of New York’s ethnic mix mingled and admired the photographs."
Goldfield's work is remarkable. The exhibit and the space are a great contribution to New York and, frankly, the world. This is something to proud of.
The occasion of its opening is also time for those of us who fought in defense of Park 51's very right to exist to loudly and forcefully shame those that opposed it. They are worse than mere bigots, racists and Islamaphobes.
Their battle against this community center was, and is, un-American.
Do you remember when Larry Klayman wrote that its construction was a "dastardly scheme" and that it was "crazy and evil?"
I do. Feel free to contact him on Twitter HERE. Or, you can call him at 310-595-0800
Do you remember when Dick Morris wrote that "It would be — as many mosques throughout the nation are — a terrorist recruitment, indoctrination and training center"?
I do. Feel free to contact him on Twitter HERE. Or, you can e-mail him HERE
Perhaps you might recall RedStaterushing to the defense of the ADLafter they had publicly smarmed that building the center was "not a question of rights, but a question of what is right."
Before I proceed, let me just say that I am ashamed to be in the position of having to write about this at all. The relentless and racist pursuit of our President by some of our own citizens, the "birthers," will long be remembered and not kindly.
The Obama Administration has finally caved to the American fringe. Yesterday morning saw the sitting President of the United States ultimately demean himself by going to the White House briefing room to announce formally that he is an American citizen.
Not only is Herman Cain a bigot with a questionable sense of America's heritage as we noted last week. He's also delusionally paranoid.
"How dare a judge come in and go against the will of the people." Well, Mr. Cain, when the majority attempts to impose patently unconstitutional restrictions on the minority, that's exactly when the judiciary steps in. That's called America.
Introducing a new friend here at The Hand, David Klopp.
Herman Cain sure has raised some excitement on the right. He is the latest darling of the Tea Party. How is he winning their hearts and minds? How has he suddenly thrust himself upon the national stage? What kind of pronouncements are firing up that beleagured TP base?
Well, things like this: Mr. Cain has essentially alleged that all Muslims in America have a duty to either "convert" or "kill" non-Muslims. But, rest assured xenophobic and fearful patriots... he's pushing back!
From The Daily Caller: "The role of Muslims in America is not to convert the rest of us to the Muslim religion. That I resent,” Cain said in an interview with Christianity Today. “I push back and reject them trying to convert the rest of us. And based upon the little knowledge that I have of the Muslim religion, you know, they have an objective to convert all infidels or kill them."
What "little knowledge" is right.
Our newest contributor, David Klopp fights back with humor: "I think we should put some statistics to these claims about converting so that we can report them to the proper authorities... and Sean Hannity."
"Last month when I was jogging in the park I was beckoned by a darkish complected man to accompany him into a public bathroom near City Hall. I assumed that is where the ceremony would have taken place. I also was boldly approached at home by several seemingly "normal" heavyset women who attempted to lure me into their Islamic snare by referring to their religion as the Jehovah Witness branch of Islam. They feigned confusion about my question regarding the funding of terrorism, and claimed their headquarters were located on Mississippi Avenue, and not in Mecca. They must have deigned that I was on to them because they left rather quickly, though they handed me a Koran described as a bible. I assumed it was a Koran because everyone inside it was smiting or had smote someone in the not too distant past."
As Rep Peter King (R-NY) continues his manipulation of the homeland security committee for cravenly political purposes, TPM has some cynically informed coverage with a definite HOTY nominee:
Peter King Hearing Focuses On Whether Peter King Hearing Was A Good Idea
"The four hours of testimony yielded few new ideas about how to deter homegrown extremism, or insight on the breadth of the problem. Instead, members of Congress fixated on a somewhat moot point -- whether the hearing was such a brilliant idea in the first place.
In his opening statement, Kinghit backat those who've been critical of the limited scope of the hearings. He justified his decision, saying that the threat of neo-Nazis and lone mad men don't compare to the threat of al-Qaeda. "Despite what passes for conventional wisdom in certain circles, there is nothing radical or un-American in holding these hearings," he said."
The events unfolding throughout Egypt are provoking an interesting variety of responses from the right. First, there is this very sober and thoughtful essay in The National Review by Duncan Currie:
"The history of democratic Christendom," (Reuel Marc)Gerechtwrotein TheWeekly Standard, suggests that "you don't get to arrive at Thomas Jefferson unless you first pass through Martin Luther."
Hey, Washington! Crazy is still on the bus. The Crazy Bus is still on it's way and it is getting awfully gol-darned close. As a matter of fact, it's pulling into town today. This is going to be quite the hoedown.
Never before have I seen so many rabble-rousing yahoos trumpeting their love for the U.S. Constitution while planning a full frontal assault upon it. The good times are rolling in and everyone better hold onto their hats!
Three days ago, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas hosted a dialogue in New York City for 60 prominent Israeli politicians, activists and social leaders. The event was Abbas' idea, starting with an invitation from him, and the group was notably not limited to the more liberal players or the usual peace proponents. Discussions ran the range from territorial boundary disagreements to the potential details of a two-state solution in the world's most consistently troubling conflict outside of the Koreas. It was, in my view, a tremendous example of the progress we have made. A little less than a quarter century ago, when the Intifada was fully raging, it could not have been predicted that something of this kind might ever be possible.
But, stunningly, it didn't rate much as news. Aside fromThe NY Times, it counts as arguably the weeks most underreported story so far.
Exclusion from coverage is not enough for some conservative outlets. Nope. Simply not reporting a positive action on the part of the Palestinian leadership doesn't suffice for our media's Neo-Cons. My case in point is Tucker Carlson's rag, The Daily Caller, which devoted not so much as a paragraph to the gathering or it's potential. Not one line. What The Caller did make time for, however, wasa piecethis morning reminding us that Jerusalem's Grand Mufti from 1921 to 1948 and infamous anti-Semite, Haj Amin al-Husseini, was a real great friend to Adolph Hitler.
It is more important, apparently, for Mr. Carlson to "report" to his readers about Palestinians who were complicit in the Holocaust 70 years ago than to report on those who are struggling for peace today.
Well, it actually was news that The Murdoch Device's viewers have some fairly interesting opinions. Just last week, there were reports about a University of Maryland study that demonstrated the disconnect between their loyal demographic and facts. There has been a response from the network as was reported in the New York Times:
"Asked for comment on the study, Fox News seemingly dismissed the findings. In a statement, Michael Clemente, who is the senior vice president of news editorial for the network, said: “The latest Princeton Review ranked the University of Maryland among the top schools for having ‘Students Who Study The Least’ and being the ‘Best Party School’ – given these fine academic distinctions, we’ll regard the study with the same level of veracity it was ‘researched’ with.”
Figures.
We are adding a link to our Reader's Companion list on the right that is worth checking out. It is simply a watchdog called Fox News Comments. If only as a reminder for progressives to stay motivated and push back, it is well worth a click every couple of days or so. We also are following them on Twitter
North Carolina Republican Congressional candidate Renee Ellmers adds fuel to the fire. Her most recent campaign ad is simply brazen.
"NARRATOR: After the Muslims conquered Jerusalem, and Cordoba, and Constantinople, they built victory mosques. And, now, they want to build a mosque by ground zero. Where does Bob Etheridge stand? He won't say. Won't speak out. Won't take a stand.
ELLMERS: The terrorists haven't won. And we should tell them in plain English, 'No, there will never be a mosque at ground zero."
Steve Chapman of Reason Magazine seems to think we're blowing all this talk of Islamophobia out of proportion. I find his metric curious.
"Most people don't perceive all Muslims as a lurking danger. Asked whether Islam is more likely than other religions "to encourage violence," 35 percent of Americans said yes—but 42 percent said no."
If 35 percent of the public openly endorsed the concept that Jewish bankers run the world, would he also argue that was no big deal as long as 42 percent didn't think so.
Over at The Hill, Bernie Quigly has written what may be one the most poorly constructed Obama hit-pieces we've ever read. It rambles through the usual rightist memes while adding to the new victim-culture that is rotting away the conservative movement.
Then, there is this jaw-dropper ridiculing NY Mayor Bloomberg's very principled defense of the first amendment. "This is fetishistic and cultish: constitutionalism unanchored from reality to become a pseudo-or-secular religion and a crazy one."
Read that again. The basic support of our most cherished principle is "fetishistic and cultish"?
While taking a moment to review further some of the poll data from the last month, I found this ugly nugget over atTime Magazine.
"Twenty-eight percent of voters do not believe Muslims should be eligible to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court. Nearly one-third of the country thinks adherents of Islam should be barred from running for President."
Just do me the old time favor of re-reading that while inserting the words "Jews" or "Catholics" for the word "Muslim." Feel sick yet?
