Muslim bashers aren't new to art of hate for profit

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Gail Kerr: Muslim bashers aren't new to art of hate for profit

Commentary by Gail Kerr

THE TENNESSEAN • OCTOBER 26, 2010

Some people have no problem making a financial killing by spreading fear.

A two-day, front-page series in The Tennessean on Sunday and Monday by reporter Bob Smietana shone the bright light of truth on the people who are making millions of dollars perpetuating the current trend to hate Muslims.

They make a financial killing spreading fear.

They skirt facts and intellectual investigation by making stuff up. It's mind-boggling, both that any humans would want to spend their lives wallowing in such muck, and that thinking people fall for it.

Here are some of the highlights from Smietana's report:

• Washington-based SAE Productions, owned by Steven Emerson, collected $3.39 million in 2008 for "researching" alleged ties between American Muslims and terrorists. The money came from a nonprofit charity Emerson also started, which asks for donations by telling the ignorant they are in danger from Muslims.

The relationship between this nonprofit and for-profit appears to be a blatant violation of IRS laws. The IRS has strict rules about how grants are given and received, and what has to be disclosed. Emerson may end up paying a goodly part of his Muslim-hating windfall to attorneys.

• A Nashville-based for-profit group called the Center for the Study of Political Islam is led by a man named Bill French, a former physics professor. He leads a revival-like presentation outlining what he calls an ideology that undermines America. He points to a book as proof. He wrote the book. He made up the so-called Muslim ideology. He sells the book.

• A Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit called Center for Security Policy is run by a man named Frank Gaffney. He made a cool $288,300 in salary in 2008. He was a witness in the anti-mosque lawsuit in Murfreesboro, accusing local Muslims of having ties to terrorism. His evidence? His own report. Under oath, he admitted that he is no expert in Islamic law.

Which makes you wonder why Rutherford County Chancellor Robert Corlew would allow such fictional testimony, aimed solely at stirring up the already heated emotions over a mosque that is perfectly legal and properly zoned. And why on earth is he letting this case be continued ad nauseam. Make a ruling, for crying out loud.

Tactics were used before

Smietana's fine reporting pointed out a similar set of circumstances, when the Ku Klux Klan stirred up hate and fear about Catholics moving to the Murfreesboro area in 1929.

There's another obvious comparison: Hitler's Germany, which declared all Jews had to be eradicated from the Earth. At every phase of the world, every religion — including Christianity — has had a set of extremist nut cakes who preached hate.

It's just hard to fathom that we're still seeing this in 2010. How, I wondered out loud, do these people go to sleep at night?

On very nice sheets and down pillows.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

Sadly this author needs a reality check. 911 happened. Extremist Muslims made it happen. Fort Hood shooting happened. US Army Islamic Extremist made it happen. Times Square bombing happened but fortunately fizzled. Islamic Extremist made it happen but screwed it up. Muslim Extremists plotted multiple bombings, US Muslim Imam attempted to warn them the FBI was wise to the plan. Imam ejected from country, Islamic Extremists arrested.

Keep pretending there isn't a theme here...

[Sofiyya 1,687]

And you keep pretending that you aren't being brainwashed.