ADL Emphasizes ‘Islamophobia,’ Not Islamist Antisemitism, After Muslim Storms Synagogue

By Robert Spencer

(JANUARY 17, 2022 / PJ MEDIA) The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) claims that its mission is “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people, and to secure justice and fair treatment to all …” So you might think that after an Islamic jihadi stormed a Texas synagogue and took hostages, the ADL would be drawing attention to Islamic antisemitism, as well as to the targeting of synagogues by Islamic Jihadis in the past. Instead, it once again proves that it is more interested in preserving the Leftist narrative than in combating antisemitism: the ADL is very concerned that some of the reactions to the hostage-taking incident have been, in its view, “Islamophobic.”

In a long-winded article entitled, “Extremists Respond to Colleyville Hostage Crisis with Antisemitism, Islamophobia,” the ADL did admit that “Islamist extremists immediately expressed support for Akram’s actions. Online, prominent Al-Qaeda supporters described the hostage situation as ‘inspirational’ and a warning to their enemies. Others, including Anejm [sic] Choudary, a British-based pro-ISIS Islamist preacher, reiterated calls to free Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani woman convicted of attempted murder of U.S. nationals, who is serving an 86-year sentence at a federal facility near the Colleyville synagogue, and whom Akram mentioned during the standoff.”

Since Siddiqui’s imprisonment is a cause célèbre for many on the Left and the ADL is reliably Leftist, it hastened to add a caveat suggesting some sympathy for the issue over which Malik Faisal Akram just held Jews hostage for hours at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas: “Siddiqui’s release has been a focus for non-extremist groups, as well, who allege mistreatment and fabricated charges.”

Ever anxious to fortify the impression that there is a “right wing” threat that is equivalent to or even greater than the Jihad terror threat, the ADL added, “Right wing extremists are likewise attempting to exploit the Colleyville crisis to advance their own antisemitic, conspiratorial and bigoted ideologies – a clear indication that acts of antisemitism tend to inspire further expressions of antisemitism.”

The ADL’s primary concern, however, was that “anti-Muslim extremists used the hostage situation as an opportunity to peddle their bigoted views about Islam and Muslim people, as well as an opportunity to politicize the situation lobbing criticism at President Biden, Democrats and the FBI.” Virtually every part of this is vicious and defamatory. If it is “anti-Muslim” to oppose Jihad violence and Islamic antisemitism, then opponents of the Nazis during World War II were “anti-German.” The ADL calls these people “extremists” to imply that they are equivalent to Malik Faisal Akram himself and others like him, and are just the other side of the coin. This also sets them up for FBI scrutiny, as the government’s counterterror apparatus focuses not on “jihadis” or even “terrorists,” but on “extremists.” You know, like parents who protest Critical Race Theory at school board meetings.

The ADL then proceeds to adduce some statements that these “extremists” made that are absolutely true, but unpopular among Leftists. Laura Loomer, whom the ADL smears as “a far-right activist and anti-Muslim bigot,” is quoted as saying, “Jews need to stop voting for Democrats who are importing Jihadis who hate them.” Stephen Kruiser elucidated why this is good advice in his Monday Morning Briefing: “We were subjected last weekend to the zillionth Democrat production of ‘Pretend It’s Not Islamic Terrorism Even When a Five-Year-Old Can Tell It’s Islamic Terrorism.’ It’s one of the longest-running productions of the ‘Things Democrats Get Wrong’ theater.”

Another “extremist” the ADL quoted was Pamela Geller, who noted, “Islamic Jew-hatred is a central tenet of Islam.” Nothing false about that: among the many antisemitic passages in the Qur’an is the claim that the Jews are the strongest of all people in enmity toward the Muslims (5:82). The Qur’an also says that Jews fabricate things and falsely ascribe them to Allah (2:79; 3:75, 3:181); that they disobey Allah and never observe his commands (5:13); that Allah turned disobedient Jews into apes and pigs (2:63-65; 5:59-60; 7:166); that Jews are “the most vile of created beings” (98:6); and that Muslims should wage war against Jews and subjugate them under Islamic hegemony (9:29).

Ironically, the ADL’s quote from Pamela Geller adds, “Steel yourself for the all the attendant ‘fear of reprisal’ propaganda and ‘islamophobia’ lies.” Then the ADL quotes me saying, “However this tragic incident ends, the establishment media will use it to push their gun control agenda and hector Americans about ‘Islamophobia.’”

And here we are. The ADL isn’t the establishment media, but it is aligned with it and shares its agenda and goals. So in lamenting the “Islamophobia” that has supposedly followed the hostage incident in the Texas synagogue, the ADL has actually proven correct those whom it is busy defaming as “Islamophobes.” If Leftists weren’t utterly humorless and impervious to irony, even Jonathan Greenblatt would be able to see that.

Robert Spencer is the director of Jihad Watch and a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center.