If I’m shut out of all platforms over the next few days, you’ll know why.
My friends, it could be time for me to be saying goodbye. Leftist and Islamic groups have been trying for years to silence all criticism of jihad terror and Sharia oppression of women and others, and in the New Zealand massacre they see the best chance in a long time to move in for the kill. I (along with other foes of jihad terror) could be banned from everything and rendered a non-person, a la Alex Jones, any day now.
This is no exaggeration. Meeting in Istanbul, the International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS) has called on non-Muslim countries to ban “Islamophobia,” which means criticism of Islam, including analysis of the motivating ideology fueling jihad terror. IUMS President Ahmed al-Raisouni said Friday: “IUMS calls on non-Muslim countries to ban the spread of hatred against Islam and Muslims.”
Since analysis of the motivating ideology behind jihad terror is routinely smeared as “hatred of Islam and Muslims,” this will likely outlaw all such analysis and make opposition to jihad terror effectively impossible.
And these bans are very likely coming. In America, they won’t take the form of actual laws forbidding criticism of Islam (although remember that Tom Perez, the current head of the Democratic National Committee, refused to rule out the implementation of such laws a few years ago, when he was Assistant Attorney General in the Obama administration). They’re more likely to take the form of a complete deplatforming. We will be able to speak, but no one will be able to hear us, as we won’t be allowed on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and the rest.
IUMS was not alone. Saudi King Salman tweeted: “The heinous massacre that targeted worshippers in the mosque in New Zealand is a terrorist act, and it reaffirms the responsibility of the international community in combating hate speech and terrorism that is not condoned by religions or the values of tolerance.” Apparently terrorism that is condoned by religions is fine with him, as in “strike terror in the enemies of Allah” (Qur’an 8:60). But by “hate speech” he almost certainly means honest discussion of how Islamic jihadis use the texts and teachings of Islam to justify violence.
Domestically, the call for censorship came from the Hamas-linked Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which has for years been trying to shut down all opposition to jihad violence and Sharia oppression of women, gays, and others. They have succeeded in fooling many people into thinking that it is “bigotry” and “racism” to oppose jihad terror, and have made those who discuss the motivating ideology behind jihad terror toxic in the public square. Now Hamas-linked CAIR is attempting to use the New Zealand massacre to achieve total victory: the complete closure of all media platforms to foes of jihad terror and Sharia oppression.
In its press conference on the New Zealand mosque shootings, CAIR top dog Nihad Awad (pictured above) named Donald Trump as responsible for the massacre, despite the fact that in the murderer’s insane “manifesto,” he asks himself: “Were/are you a supporter of Donald Trump?,” and answers: “As a symbol of renewed white identity and common purpose? Sure. As a policy maker and leader? Dear god no.” The “symbol of renewed white identity” part is all that the media is quoting. He never says he was incited to violence by Trump, or says anything about Trump and Muslims at all.
Awad also named Pamela Geller and me: “Years ago when another terrorist attacked in Norway he quoted islamophobes like Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller.” Yes, he also quoted Barack Obama and John F. Kennedy and Charles Darwin and a host of others. He said he was inspired to violent actions by al-Qaeda. Awad does not, of course, say anything about that.
Anyway, CAIR’s press conference was a full-court press for censorship, and it painted, yet again, a large target on our backs for increasingly unhinged and violent Leftists, as well as jihadis. CAIR calls for a total silencing on all platforms of so-called “hate groups,” i.e., those who dare to note that jihad terrorists are inspired by Islamic texts and teachings. It is likely that the social media giants will comply; it will not be at all surprising if they succeed in getting us completely silenced.
Not surprisingly, it was in Britain that police moved most swiftly on this. The BBC reported Saturday that “a 24-year old from Oldham” was arrested for a social media post “making reference and support for the terrible events” in New Zealand. Approving of a massacre is disgusting, and if he was calling for or approving of violence then there is no justification for that. At the same time, the BBC report says: “Social media firms and some news outlets have been criticised for sharing livestream footage of the attack and failing to address far-right extremism on their platforms.”
Calling for or justifying a massacre of innocent people is one thing. But that “failing to address far-right extremism on their platforms” is quite another. For years now, Leftists and Islamic supremacists have insisted that opposing jihad mass murder and Sharia oppression of women and others constitutes “far-right extremism.” So it is likely that those who will be shut down will not be limited solely to people such as this “24-year-old from Oldham” who was “making reference and support for the terrible events.” It will include foes of jihad terror.
If and when we are all silenced, however, the jihad will not stop. The multicultural paradise will not dawn on the planet; in fact, there will be more jihad violence and strife than ever. There just won’t be anyone around who dares to oppose it.
Robert Spencer is the director of Jihad Watch and a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center. He is author of the New York Times bestsellers The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades) and The Truth About Muhammad. His new book is The History of Jihad From Muhammad to ISIS. Follow him on Twitter here. Like him on Facebook here.
@ David melech:
A poor sort of a joke-if it was meant to be one as I assume. Ted is completely above board on everything he does a far as I can tell.. Having been a long-time lawyer inclines one that way -in a healthy respect for law.
As for Trudeau ….(now THIS has to be be part of a “joke) he can’t even stop TED’s OAP. ..But perhaps he can annoy him with Rev. Can. Only Ted can answer this and his private affairs are private –and uniquely his own…. Mine also. Yours too…
Everyone should read Seth Franzman latest column in today’s Jerusalem Post, which explains lucidly how the current wave of censorship of “‘racist” and “Islamophobic” communications on the internet, and the banning of its authors, actually promotes rather than discourages terrorism. Those sympathetic to terrorism simply go underground, where they can do much more harm. And if people are denied the opportunity to see with their own eyes how ugly terroism is, they are more, not less, likely to support it. if people do not know much about terrorism or terrorists, it will be much easier for terrorism-oriented groups to recruit them. Democracy and human rights depend on the people’s right to know.
If this had been a bunch of synagogues instead of two mosques, there would not have been any noise at all. Most “high-ranking” politicians like Putin and Erdogan would not have said a word. The obvious racist bias here is overpowering.
Better watch out Ted are they onto you? You could be next. Queen trudeau will not be in your corner.
I just don’t see it happening here in America.
From the Daily Mail article about the New Zealand teenager arrested and denied bail: “Teenager, 18, who has been accused of sharing a live-stream of the Christchurch massacre and writing ‘target acquired’ next to a photo of a mosque faces 14 years behind bars
An 18-year-old New Zealand man accused of Facebook sharing a live-stream video of the Christchurch massacre that killed 50 people has been denied bail.
Police have said the teenager – who cannot yet be named – was not involved in the attack on two mosques.
Australian white supremacist Brenton Tarrant, 28, has been charged with the Friday afternoon murders.
The accused teenage Facebook poster appeared in Christchurch District Court on Monday and was granted an interim name suppression order, but he was denied bail by Judge Stephen O’Driscoll.
The young man has also been charged with allegedly posting to social media a photograph of one of the South Island mosques being attacked with the message ‘target acquired’ along with other chat messages ‘inciting extreme violence’.”
The censorship is really getting hot and heavy. In New Zealand, an 18-year-old boy has been arrested and is facing an 14-year jail sentence for sharing the banned video with a friend online. He is in jail and denied bail. Facebook boasts of having removed 150,000 copies of the banned video from user’s files. See https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6820769/Teen-accused-sharing-livestream-Christchurch-massacre-faces-14-years-hes-denied-bail.html.