The Daily Beast – by Arsalan Iftikhar
Imagine how millions of peace-loving Christians would react if they saw a subway advertisement during their morning commute showing cherry-picked Bible quotes such as “I come not to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34) or “I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled” (Luke 12:49-51), trying to wrongfully portray Christianity as a religion of violence. I think it would be fair to say that most fair-minded Americans would be able to see right through the sinister veneer of these blatantly ridiculous advertisements. Now imagine that we are talking about Islam instead of Christianity.
Controversial anti-Muslim blogger Pamela Geller has just purchased new advertising space in several subway stations in the New York area so she can display her newest anti-Islam message. According to The New York Observer, Geller’s latest slate of anti-Islam ads seem to “feature a panorama of the sky the moment the World Trade Center burst into flames [on September 11], accompanied by a quote from the Quran that reads ‘Soon shall We cast terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers.’” Geller is no stranger to Islamophobia.
Geller is clearly trying to cherry-pick a verse of the Quran out of context in order to stoke anti-Muslim fears amongst ordinary Americans. First of all, her cherry-picked quote from Quran 3:151 above actually refers to the famous Battle of Badr, where the Prophet Muhammad had to defeat back attacking pagan Arab idolaters. Most importantly, this verse (and most other verses dealing with historical battles) refer to hostile pagan idolaters who attacked Muslims and they do not refer to Christians or Jews (who are referred to as “People of the Book” or Ahl Al-Kitab in Arabic) who all believe in the same monotheistic god of Abraham as Muslims believe.
Geller recently came to many Americans’ attention in September 2012 when she bought her first round of anti-Muslim subway ads which stated, “In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat Jihad.” The controversial advertisements were roundly condemned by most people around the country, including by prominent national Jewish organizations who were quick to call out her Islamophobia.
To those like Geller who think that Islam is more of an ‘inherently violent’ religion than other major world religions, Professor Philip Jenkins, author of the book Jesus Wars, once said during a March 2010 interview with National Public Radio (NPR) that, ”By the standards of the time, which is the 7th century A.D., the laws of war that are laid down by the Quran are actually reasonably humane.” He continued: “Then we turn to the Bible, and we actually find something that is for many people a real surprise. There is a specific kind of warfare laid down in the Bible which we can only call genocide.” Professor Jenkins even went so far as saying during his March 2010 NPR interview that, “Much to my surprise, the Islamic scriptures in the Quran were actually far less bloody and less violent than those in the Bible.”
But none of us should cherry-pick. Our holy books all have plenty of messages of tolerance, which we should use to help bring people together and not let fear-mongering bigots like Geller rip us apart as a nation.
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Arsalan Iftikhar is an international human rights lawyer, founder ofTheMuslimGuy.com and author of the new book Islamic Pacifism: Global Muslims in the Post-Osama Era.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/12/11/pamela-geller-s-new-subway-ads.html
i hear the rocks and trees screaming…
Jews pit two masters against each other, don’t be a dull tool in someone elses shed. Hitler was the son of a Jew. Stalin was a Jew. Here are a few more hate filled Jew writings:
Jews are commanded to weaken and destroy gentiles any way possible – Jewish Talmud.
How to kill gentiles and influence people – Rabbi Yizhak Shapira
“In any situation in which a non-Jew’s presence endangers Jewish lives, the non-Jew may be killed even if he is a righteous Gentile and not at all guilty for the situation that has been created…When a non-Jew assists a murderer of Jews and causes the death of one, he may be killed, and in any case where a non-Jew’s presence causes danger to Jews, the non-Jew may be killed…The [Din Rodef] dispensation applies even when the pursuer is not threatening to kill directly, but only indirectly…Even a civilian who assists combat fighters is considered a pursuer and may be killed. Anyone who assists the army of the wicked in any way is strengthening murderers and is considered a pursuer. A civilian who encourages the war gives the king and his soldiers the strength to continue. Therefore, any citizen of the state that opposes us who encourages the combat soldiers or expresses satisfaction over their actions is considered a pursuer and may be killed. Also, anyone who weakens our own state by word or similar action is considered a pursuer…Hindrances—babies are found many times in this situation. They block the way to rescue by their presence and do so completely by force. Nevertheless, they may be killed because their presence aids murder. There is justification for killing babies if it is clear that they will grow up to harm us, and in such a situation they may be harmed deliberately, and not only during combat with adults.”…In a chapter entitled “Deliberate harm to innocents,” the book explains that war is directled mainly against the pursuers, but those who belong to the enemy nation are also considered the enemy because they are assisting murderers. – Rabbi Yizhak Shapira
My Fellow Americans:
These posters,.. that is, the strategy of these posters has three objectives:
1) Re-inforcement: These posters are designed to reinforce the gov’ts fantasy that 9/11 was committed by muslims,.. and is trying to cover up the truth that 9/11 was committed by the US Fed Gov’t with the help of Mossad and MI6.
2) Sympathy/Support: To generate sympathy/support for Israel by playing the victim.
3) Generate Fear: By using the image of 9/11 (as described in the article),.. Geller is attempting to revitalize fear in peoples mind, thereby causing people to “allow” the continued rise of the Police-Terror-State in order to,… (laughing very hard….)…. “protect us”.
This is a perfect example of Bernaysian Condtioning via Mass-Media (posters in this case).
Edward Bernays would be proud of how these people are manipulating the masses with their messages and imagery.
JD – US Marines – How about a poster of Israel’s ass getting kicked?,.. I’d appauld that!
Well put, JD.
Oddly, when I first read about this I did a search and every time I got to this article the screen went blank after 2 seconds. I wasn’t able to read through the first sentence, until after I emailed Henry/Admn. about the story and my problem reading this particular article. Bloomie Censorship?
Hi Angel,
I tend to have similar problems,.. especially after I post something truthful about 9/11 or just how criminal the US Fed Gov’t actually is.
A lot of time, my computer comes under attack, and is either corrupted (meaning I have to reload some programs), or my computer shuts down all on its own!
Its amazing how it happens mostly when I post highly critical analysis on, From The Trenches.
Yeah,… thats NOT the CIA (who own Google, Skype, MS and so forth) at work!
JD – US Marines – This gov’t is far, far beyond repair,.. all we can do to save ourselves and our country for our posterity, is to abolish this perversion called the Fed Gov’t, and re-institute the Constitution. Anything less simply won’t work.
That happens to me, too. Big Brother is definitely watching.
One might as well support the savage. The civilized man is biologically the same as the savage: he only has better clothes and tools.
Haha! Nicely put, Tatiana.
Let Pam Geller post THESE verses:
Israel worships a WAR God.
The Nazis copied the Jewish “Manual” point by point
KILL THE SICK and CRIPPLED
Numbers c.5 v.2-4
KILL HOMOSEXUALS
Leviticus c.20 v.13 well, really the whole chapter
KILL ALL DISSIDENTS:
Exodus c.32 v.27
Numbers c.11 v.1-2
Numbers c.16 all
Numbers c.21 v.5-6
Numbers c.26 v.10
KILL anyone who engages in “DIVERSITY” or “INTEGRATION”
Numbers v25 v.4-8
Deuteronomy c.14 v.2
DEHUMANIZE and then EXTERMINATE ALL NON-MEMBERS:
Numbers c.21 v.03 Canaanites
Numbers c.21 v.24 Amorites
Numbers c.21 v.33-35 Bashan
Numbers c.31 all Midianites
Numbers c.32 v. more Amorites
Deuteronomy c.2 v.34 People of Heshbon
Deuteronomy c.3 v.6 really the whole chapter. threescore cities
Joshua c.12 A list of victims of Israeli GENOCIDE
Where are THEIR “holocaust” Memorials!
OCCUPY YOUR VICTIM’S DWELLINGS/LAND
Numbers c.21 v.25
Numbers c.32 v.39
Numbers c.33 v.53
(just to name a FEW)
GENOCIDE CODIFIED IN THEIR RELIGION
Numbers c.33 v.31-34
Deuteronomy c.7 v.2
Deuteronomy c.12 v.28-30
Deuteronomy c.20 v.11-16
TERRORISM CODIFIED IN THEIR RELIGION
Deuteronomy c.2 v.2
Deuteronomy c.7 v.1
Jews SELF-anointed “The CHOSEN People of GOD”
Nazis SELF-anointed “The GENETICALLY CHOSEN People of God”.
From the minds of s very sick and mentally disturbed people. My deepest concern is, as their “civilization” begins to deteriorate rapidly, they will attack like a rabid dog peaceful nations with their nuclear stockpile for spite.
Pamela Geller is quite a disgusting person. I imagine a flower that looks pretty from a distance, but upon approach, is infested with bugs and fungus. Pamela Geller is a VERY disgusting person.