RacecardIsrael and Palestine
Is anti-Zionism the same as anti-Semiticism? Can gentiles legitimately criticize Israel? Are Israelis or Zionists "playing the racecard" to quell legitimate opposition?
20031023
Double Standards: Listening to Mahathir
Listening to Mahathir: "Listening to Mahathir | By PAUL KRUGMAN | Published: October 21, 2003
"The Europeans killed 6 million Jews out of 12 million. But today the Jews rule this world by proxy: They get others to fight and die for them.' So said Mahathir Mohamad, the prime minister of Malaysia, at an Islamic summit meeting last week. The White House promptly denounced his 'hate-filled remarks.'
Indeed, those remarks were inexcusable. But they were also calculated ...
...
And bear in mind that Mr. Mahathir's remarks were written before the world learned about the views of Lt. Gen. William "My God Is Bigger Than Yours" Boykin. By making it clear that he sees nothing wrong with giving an important post in the war on terror to someone who believes, and says openly, that Allah is a false idol — General Boykin denies that's what he meant, but his denial was implausible even by current standards — Donald Rumsfeld has gone a long way toward confirming the Muslim world's worst fears.
----------------
General Won't Quit Over Islam Remarks, Officials Say | Reuters | Friday, October 17, 2003; 3:32 PM |
By Will Dunham
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A senior Pentagon intelligence official facing criticism for his comments that Muslims worship an "idol" does not plan to quit his post and believes his remarks have been taken out of context, U.S. defense officials said on Friday.
Army Lt. Gen. William Boykin, deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence and war-fighting support, has "decided to tone things down" although he "feels that his comments have been taken out of context," said one defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Boykin has used speeches at churches and prayer breakfasts to portray the U.S. battle with Islamic radicals as a clash with "Satan," saying they sought to destroy America "because we're a Christian nation." Referring to a Muslim fighter in Somalia, Boykin said that "my God was bigger than his. I knew that my God was a real God, and his was an idol."
Rumsfeld on Thursday declined to criticize Boykin's remarks and praised the three-star general's military record, and Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he did not think Boykin broke any rules.
---------
and Bob Doornan on FOX's Neil Cavuto October 22, 2003 paraphrasing
" Shias have had this martydom thing ... since the troube with Ali and the Sunni's 1400 years ago ... You can't trust any Shia nation" ... try reading these statements using the words Jew and Christian.
Listening to Mahathir: "Listening to Mahathir | By PAUL KRUGMAN | Published: October 21, 2003
"The Europeans killed 6 million Jews out of 12 million. But today the Jews rule this world by proxy: They get others to fight and die for them.' So said Mahathir Mohamad, the prime minister of Malaysia, at an Islamic summit meeting last week. The White House promptly denounced his 'hate-filled remarks.'
Indeed, those remarks were inexcusable. But they were also calculated ...
...
And bear in mind that Mr. Mahathir's remarks were written before the world learned about the views of Lt. Gen. William "My God Is Bigger Than Yours" Boykin. By making it clear that he sees nothing wrong with giving an important post in the war on terror to someone who believes, and says openly, that Allah is a false idol — General Boykin denies that's what he meant, but his denial was implausible even by current standards — Donald Rumsfeld has gone a long way toward confirming the Muslim world's worst fears.
----------------
General Won't Quit Over Islam Remarks, Officials Say | Reuters | Friday, October 17, 2003; 3:32 PM |
By Will Dunham
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A senior Pentagon intelligence official facing criticism for his comments that Muslims worship an "idol" does not plan to quit his post and believes his remarks have been taken out of context, U.S. defense officials said on Friday.
Army Lt. Gen. William Boykin, deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence and war-fighting support, has "decided to tone things down" although he "feels that his comments have been taken out of context," said one defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Boykin has used speeches at churches and prayer breakfasts to portray the U.S. battle with Islamic radicals as a clash with "Satan," saying they sought to destroy America "because we're a Christian nation." Referring to a Muslim fighter in Somalia, Boykin said that "my God was bigger than his. I knew that my God was a real God, and his was an idol."
Rumsfeld on Thursday declined to criticize Boykin's remarks and praised the three-star general's military record, and Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he did not think Boykin broke any rules.
---------
and Bob Doornan on FOX's Neil Cavuto October 22, 2003 paraphrasing
" Shias have had this martydom thing ... since the troube with Ali and the Sunni's 1400 years ago ... You can't trust any Shia nation" ... try reading these statements using the words Jew and Christian.
20031022
Double Standards: Pentagon to Probe Remarks Made by General
Pentagon to Probe Remarks Made by General (washingtonpost.com): "Boykin Angered Muslims, Lawmakers | By Bradley Graham | Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 22, 2003; Page A02
The Pentagon is launching a formal investigation into statements by a high-ranking Army officer that cast the U.S. fight against terrorists in religious terms, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld announced yesterday.
...
Some specialists in military law have pointed to several regulations that Boykin may have violated, including limits on political activity.
...
Aside from legal questions, Boykin's comments have generated a political problem for the administration, which has tried to convince Muslims that the war on terrorism is not aimed at their religion. The Boykin case has received wide coverage in Muslim countries and has led to angry editorials in newspapers from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan.
...
Akbar S. Ahmed, professor of Islamic studies at American University, said Boykin's remarks are reinforcing the outrage that Muslims felt when the Rev. Franklin Graham called Islam an "evil and wicked" religion and the Rev. Jerry Vines called Mohammad a "pedophile."
Pentagon to Probe Remarks Made by General (washingtonpost.com): "Boykin Angered Muslims, Lawmakers | By Bradley Graham | Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, October 22, 2003; Page A02
The Pentagon is launching a formal investigation into statements by a high-ranking Army officer that cast the U.S. fight against terrorists in religious terms, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld announced yesterday.
...
Some specialists in military law have pointed to several regulations that Boykin may have violated, including limits on political activity.
...
Aside from legal questions, Boykin's comments have generated a political problem for the administration, which has tried to convince Muslims that the war on terrorism is not aimed at their religion. The Boykin case has received wide coverage in Muslim countries and has led to angry editorials in newspapers from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan.
...
Akbar S. Ahmed, professor of Islamic studies at American University, said Boykin's remarks are reinforcing the outrage that Muslims felt when the Rev. Franklin Graham called Islam an "evil and wicked" religion and the Rev. Jerry Vines called Mohammad a "pedophile."
20031021
Mahathir Speech: Anti-Semitism or Political Correctness?
Anti-Semitism or Political Correctness? (washingtonpost.com): Muslim and Western Media Focus on Different Parts of Mahathir Speech | By Jefferson Morley | washingtonpost.com Staff Writer |Tuesday, October 21, 2003; 1:35 PM
Anti-Semitic diatribe or overdue wakeup call for Islam? A violation of fundamental political decency? Or merely a breach of Western political correctness? Depends on which of the world's online commentaries you read.
The heated debate sparked by Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad's speech last week in which he said "the Jews rule this world by proxy" exposed a fundamental difference between Muslims and Westerners about which parts of the speech were noteworthy.
In the Islamic world, online commentators lauded Mahathir - - but less for his criticism of Jews than for his harsh assessment of the failures of Islamic governments. In the West, President Bush and French President Jacques Chirac, not known for agreeing on much, both denounced Mahathir's comments.
...
The Daily Times, a daily in Lahore, Pakistan, praises Mahathir for his "plain-speak."
Mahathir's speech "has 4,223 words and 59 paragraphs. Out of these, his direct or indirect references to the Jewish people, the Palestinian problem, Israel, Zionism and Western policies only make up 373 words. And these 373 words include the line: 'Even among the Jews there are many who do not approve of what the Israelis are doing'. This sentence alone should make clear to anyone accusing Dr. Mohammad of anti-Semitism of the absurdity of the charge since he makes a clear distinction between the Jewish people and the state of Israel."
The criticism of Mahathir is mostly an expression of Western guilt, the Daily Times says.
"The cruelties perpetrated by the Christian world on the Jewish people, the anti-Semitic ideas contained in classical Western literature and philosophy have created a guilt factor which holds together the West's new theology of political correctness. But the days of the Holocaust are over. From an oppressed people, the Zionist state of Israel has become an oppressor."
Anti-Semitism or Political Correctness? (washingtonpost.com): Muslim and Western Media Focus on Different Parts of Mahathir Speech | By Jefferson Morley | washingtonpost.com Staff Writer |Tuesday, October 21, 2003; 1:35 PM
Anti-Semitic diatribe or overdue wakeup call for Islam? A violation of fundamental political decency? Or merely a breach of Western political correctness? Depends on which of the world's online commentaries you read.
The heated debate sparked by Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad's speech last week in which he said "the Jews rule this world by proxy" exposed a fundamental difference between Muslims and Westerners about which parts of the speech were noteworthy.
In the Islamic world, online commentators lauded Mahathir - - but less for his criticism of Jews than for his harsh assessment of the failures of Islamic governments. In the West, President Bush and French President Jacques Chirac, not known for agreeing on much, both denounced Mahathir's comments.
...
The Daily Times, a daily in Lahore, Pakistan, praises Mahathir for his "plain-speak."
Mahathir's speech "has 4,223 words and 59 paragraphs. Out of these, his direct or indirect references to the Jewish people, the Palestinian problem, Israel, Zionism and Western policies only make up 373 words. And these 373 words include the line: 'Even among the Jews there are many who do not approve of what the Israelis are doing'. This sentence alone should make clear to anyone accusing Dr. Mohammad of anti-Semitism of the absurdity of the charge since he makes a clear distinction between the Jewish people and the state of Israel."
The criticism of Mahathir is mostly an expression of Western guilt, the Daily Times says.
"The cruelties perpetrated by the Christian world on the Jewish people, the anti-Semitic ideas contained in classical Western literature and philosophy have created a guilt factor which holds together the West's new theology of political correctness. But the days of the Holocaust are over. From an oppressed people, the Zionist state of Israel has become an oppressor."
20031018
Speech by Malaysian Prime Minister called offensive and inflammatory
Excite News: "Malaysian Explains Anti-Jewish Remarks | Oct 17, 9:08 PM (ET) | By SLOBODAN LEKIC
PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (AP) - Malaysia's outspoken leader accused Western countries of using a double standard for criticizing Jews and Muslims, and refused to apologize Friday for a speech in which he said Jews ruled the world.
'Lots of people make nasty statements about us, about Muslims,' Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said. 'People call Muslims terrorists, they even say ... Muhammed the prophet was a terrorist.'
"People make such statements, and they seem to get away with it. But if you say anything at all against the Jews, you are accused of being anti-Semitic," Mahathir told a news conference after the close of a summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the world's largest Muslim grouping.
Mahathir was reacting to a wave of international condemnation over his speech to the summit Thursday, in which he said "Jews rule the world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them."
[In October 2001, Sharon said something somewhat similar but it gets little press in the US for obvious reasons: "I want to tell you something very clear: Don't worry about American pressure on Israel. We, the Jewish people, control America, and the Americans know it.". ed.]
...
The United States, Canada, the European Union, Israel, Germany, Britain and Australia all condemned Mahathir's remarks about Jews.
State Department spokesman Adam Ereli called the speech offensive and inflammatory. Israel's Foreign Ministry said it was "a desecration of the memory of 6 million victims of anti-Semitism."
Britain summoned Malaysia's top diplomat in London to express concern, the Foreign Office said.
But Mahathir was unapologetic Friday - stressing that remarks by his foreign minister expressing sorrow over misunderstandings were not an apology for the speech - and he told the news conference he opposed terrorism, suicide bombings and Israel's policy of massive retaliation in response to Palestinian violence.
"What I said in my speech is that we should stop all this violence," Mahathir said, noting that historically, Jews had sought refuge in Muslim lands to escape persecution in Europe.
But since Israel was established a half-century ago, "there seems to be no more peace in the Middle East," Mahathir said.
Mahathir said most European leaders - in which he generally includes Australia and the United States - were biased and "feel that while it is proper to criticize Muslims and Arabs, it is not proper to criticize Europeans and Jews. Apparently, they think they are privileged people."
"I vow that if I was just an Israeli civilian and I met a Palestinian I would burn him and I would make him suffer before killing him. With one hit I've killed 750 Palestinians (in Rafah in 1956). I wanted to encourage my soldiers by raping Arabic girls as the Palestinian women is a slave for Jews, and we do whatever we want to her and nobody tells us what we shall do but we tell others what they shall do." Ariel Sharon, In an interview with General Ouze Merham, 1956.
Excite News: "Malaysian Explains Anti-Jewish Remarks | Oct 17, 9:08 PM (ET) | By SLOBODAN LEKIC
PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (AP) - Malaysia's outspoken leader accused Western countries of using a double standard for criticizing Jews and Muslims, and refused to apologize Friday for a speech in which he said Jews ruled the world.
'Lots of people make nasty statements about us, about Muslims,' Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said. 'People call Muslims terrorists, they even say ... Muhammed the prophet was a terrorist.'
"People make such statements, and they seem to get away with it. But if you say anything at all against the Jews, you are accused of being anti-Semitic," Mahathir told a news conference after the close of a summit of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the world's largest Muslim grouping.
Mahathir was reacting to a wave of international condemnation over his speech to the summit Thursday, in which he said "Jews rule the world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them."
[In October 2001, Sharon said something somewhat similar but it gets little press in the US for obvious reasons: "I want to tell you something very clear: Don't worry about American pressure on Israel. We, the Jewish people, control America, and the Americans know it.". ed.]
...
The United States, Canada, the European Union, Israel, Germany, Britain and Australia all condemned Mahathir's remarks about Jews.
State Department spokesman Adam Ereli called the speech offensive and inflammatory. Israel's Foreign Ministry said it was "a desecration of the memory of 6 million victims of anti-Semitism."
Britain summoned Malaysia's top diplomat in London to express concern, the Foreign Office said.
But Mahathir was unapologetic Friday - stressing that remarks by his foreign minister expressing sorrow over misunderstandings were not an apology for the speech - and he told the news conference he opposed terrorism, suicide bombings and Israel's policy of massive retaliation in response to Palestinian violence.
"What I said in my speech is that we should stop all this violence," Mahathir said, noting that historically, Jews had sought refuge in Muslim lands to escape persecution in Europe.
But since Israel was established a half-century ago, "there seems to be no more peace in the Middle East," Mahathir said.
Mahathir said most European leaders - in which he generally includes Australia and the United States - were biased and "feel that while it is proper to criticize Muslims and Arabs, it is not proper to criticize Europeans and Jews. Apparently, they think they are privileged people."
"I vow that if I was just an Israeli civilian and I met a Palestinian I would burn him and I would make him suffer before killing him. With one hit I've killed 750 Palestinians (in Rafah in 1956). I wanted to encourage my soldiers by raping Arabic girls as the Palestinian women is a slave for Jews, and we do whatever we want to her and nobody tells us what we shall do but we tell others what they shall do." Ariel Sharon, In an interview with General Ouze Merham, 1956.
