Kaufman: S.I. Rosenbaum - Biased and Irresponsible

Joe Kaufman of Americans Against Hate responds to S. I. Rosenbaum's hit-and-run attack in the St. Petersburg Times, with this letter to the Times:

Recently, I called up one of your writers to complain about two of the articles she had written for your publication, dated December 31st and January 1st. Both of the pieces insinuated that my appearance on Fox News, an article I had written for Frontpage Magazine, and my group's website, AmericansAgainstHate.com had caused death threats to come to a Tampa-area Presbyterian-owned campgrounds (Cedarkirk) and a Muslim organization (Muslim American Society of Tampa) that was planning on using the campgrounds for a "retreat." This was irresponsible journalism at its worst, as the violent nature of the organization and its speakers were given a pass.
Following my complaint, the writer of the articles, Sara Rosenbaum, sent me an e-mail saying that she wanted to do a piece on me. I agreed, understanding that, given the past two, it was probably going to be biased against me, and unfortunately, I was correct. In 'Are bloggers against hate, or feeding it?' dated January 16th, once again, Rosenbaum insinuated that I had caused the threats. She went as far as to say that images placed on my group's website had been responsible for death threats "pouring [sic] in to the Tampa Muslim American Society." No mention was made of the material found on MAS-Tampa's website discussing the murder of Jews or about the waging of holy war against Christians and Jews. No mention was made of the fact that one of the speakers of the "retreat," Mazen Mokhtar, had created a website that raised funds and recruited terrorists for Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, or that his website was also used as a portal to the official site of Hamas. All of this information was presented to Rosenbaum, but once again, I was the bad guy, and the terrorists were given a pass.

Miss Rosenbaum devoted much of her article to quoting Ahmed Bedier, a spokesman for the organization CAIR. She quotes him as calling me a "vigilante" and a "bigot." She quotes him as saying that I am "spreading lies," when she knows that I put extensive links to source material in every article that I write and every press release that I send out. None of this was challenged by Rosenbaum. Nowhere does she say that this man is a member of a group that is the defendant in a 9/11 lawsuit, a group whose former representatives include those that have been convicted in and/or deported from the United States for terrorist activity, a group that was created by a front for Hamas. Nowhere does Rosenbaum mention that Bedier recently stated that, prior to 1995, there was "nothing immoral" about Palestinian Islamic Jihad. She gave him a pass as well.
To many readers, Rosenbaum made it seem as though I was using my feelings towards the anti-Semitism I experienced growing up as a catalyst for my present activities. Nothing could be further from the truth, as none of the incidents I cited had anything to do with the Muslim community. Rosenbaum also laced her article with inaccurate information. She stated that I was considering contacting an old Palestinian friend of mine but then I "thought better of it." I never said that I was not going to contact this individual, who happened to be my best friend in high school. That was fabricated by Rosenbaum to bolster her story and to vindicate her bias.

My work has contributed greatly to the safety and security of America. From what she has written, by making light of my work and by giving a forum to those that threaten American society, it appears Miss Rosenbaum has shown that she is oblivious to the threat of terrorism. In doing so, her distortions, which were spun as fact, have misled the readers of the St. Petersburg Times. Miss Rosenbaum owes me and all of those counter-terrorism experts, which she derisively labeled and dismissed as "bloggers," an apology. This includes Robert Spencer, an accomplished author whose present book about Islam was on the New York Times Best Seller list for 15 weeks.

In the future, the St. Petersburg Times should thoroughly scrutinize and 'fact check' its writers' work, so that your publication does not become synonymous with this type of sloppy journalism.

Sincerely,

Joe Kaufman
Chairman
Americans Against Hate

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12 Comments

Alarmed Pig Farmer | January 17, 2006 6:58 PM

Whaddya wanna bet that the death threats were concoted by a few would-be aggrieved Moslems?

Joe Bananas...in Pyjamas | January 17, 2006 7:55 PM

Unfortunately a "mushroom cloud" over miami will only further convince these ding bat journalists that it was all "our" fault in the first place.

They refuse to aknowledge the obvious for reasons that are not even known to themselves, except maybe to feel good about it.

This type of person will never change, even if their asses were on fire they would still doubt it.

Nariz | January 17, 2006 8:37 PM

¿Que Va? Explica me por favor.

Isn't Sara Rosenbaum a Jew? Why on earth would a Jew be siding with those virulently antisemitic, death wishing Muslims?

Terrahawk | January 17, 2006 8:47 PM

Nariz, a last name does not a Jew make. Anyways, Jews who are Jews due to lineage and not due to religion tend to be on the left side of the political spectrum. Regrettably they tend to support the ignorant multiculturalist tripe that has gotten us into this mess.

Zeno | January 17, 2006 8:56 PM

Joe whined:

"Miss Rosenbaum owes me and all of those counter-terrorism experts, which she derisively labeled and dismissed as "bloggers," an apology.

Sorry to be harsh with you Joe, but know your enemy. These are Liberals -- whose religion requires them to love everyone equally, to never pass judgment, to be intolerant only of intolerance. You have the commited the unpardonable sin of passing judgment, of not loving everyone equally without regard to merit or virtue, and worst of all, showing intolerance. You are an apostate to the Liberal religion, Joe, and that is worse than being a mere mass-murderer, child molester, or rapist, since, unlike ordinary criminals, you openly deny their faith. That is unforgivable. It threatens the Liberal worldview. For your crime Liberals declare jihad against you, and they will not relent until you submit, or willingly pay the jizya. You shall be a dhimmi to Liberalislam, or die. Liberalislam-u-akbar!

Shinoliite | January 17, 2006 9:05 PM

It will be worth following up to see if there are any professional consequences for Rosenbaum, as this is clearly not her first strike in misrepresenting her sources. That will again pose the question of whether journalistic incompetence is somehow less repulsive to the profession if it errs on the preferred end of the political spectrum-- as in Memogate, if they want it to be true.

It sounds like she lacks the capacity to comprehend the facts of the story she's working on without boiling it down to a false and simplistic cause-and-effect explanation, and thus ramming quotes in to fit her narrow, politicized interpretation like square pegs into round holes (picturing that Fisher Price circle/square/triangle toy).

pythagoras | January 17, 2006 9:10 PM

Someone needs to tell this Rosenbaum lady that:

1-) Islam uses "hate" as a secret weapon with which it inspires Muslims to attack and kill non-Muslim people.

2-) The Qur'an is full of hate as no other document known in history. If this lady bothered to read it she might behave, think and write more intelligently and consistently to her stated goals than she now is.

3-) There are occasions when HATE is an appropriate and clearly justified reaction that need not be justified or defended. Who out there has any love of drunk drivers that kill innocent persons? Or pedophiles? Or mass murderers? or swindlers of aged, poor folk? Pick your atrocity. And find the armies of persons who loathe them and their atrocities. I think hatred of anyone who puts a living, screaming human being into a meat grinding device (as members of Saddam Hussein's dictatorship did) have RICHLY EARNED ALL HATRED HEAPED UPON them. Rosenbaum is playing with semantics if she claims not to understand any of this. She HATES hate, even though she won't use such terminology. Now is Rosenbaum guilty of the hate she claims to be against? By her personal understanding of hate crimes she could well be. Should we put a muzzle on HER? (Many might like to).

The left, one should think, would be aware of this, as it has unleashed almost unparalleled amounts of hate upon the remainder of American society for the US-led invasion of Iraq. I think we can all clearly gauge Rosenbaum is a leftist.

4-)Whether or not Jihad Watch posters are guilty of hate is academic, really. The majority of posters here in fact are loathers of the crimes Islam perpetrates and is in fact designed to perpetrate. Hating this and expressing revulsion at this is not a criminal act as some on the left would like us to believe. Would it be a crime to hate child abuse in addition to Islam? Which item is worse?

5-)And by the way which is more important: controlling people in order to stop hate? Or stopping people from acting out of hatred and committing crimes because of hate? It would seem that Rosenbaum is unable to decide which. So she has made a control freak of herself trying to wipe out 'hate' and everything that she sees is connected to it and ironically has set herself up to be justifiably hated in the process (stepping on human expression and free speech as if she hated those as well as the hate she abhors). If Rosenbaum were to stick to the latter choice (stopping people from acting out of pure hate) she might actually be doing some good for society. Otherwise she is wasting everyone's time especially her own. Attempting ot control what people feel is a waste of time. This lady should really be promoting understanding among people and societies. When people are informed they usually become less hateful anyway. But one suspects she is too ignorant to see this. Which is probably why she ended up defending Islam against (alleged) "hate" at Jihad Watch.

Action against Jihad Watch and other similar outlets of will have the insidious effects of 1-)letting Islam and its vast array of crimes against humanity off the hook and 2-)devaluing human life in the process, as Islam when unleashed, makes hash out of human life. One need only look at the Islamicized parts of the globe to see this.

Deliver us from Islam and the likes of Miss Rosenbaum.

Thumper | January 17, 2006 10:36 PM

The St. Petersburg Times has for years been victimizing the naive in Tampa Bay with their canardoscopic view of Islam. Blow away the smoke of the Times fluffy subterfuge and you get; West bad - Neocons bad - Jews bad - Christians bad - bloggers verrrrry bad.

Try a little spelunking in the archives
of Ms. Rosenbaums partner in spin, the Times senior correspondent Susan Taylor Martin. http://www.sptimes.com/columns/stm.shtml

Infidel Pride | January 18, 2006 2:54 AM

¿Que Va? Explica me por favor.

Isn't Sara Rosenbaum a Jew? Why on earth would a Jew be siding with those virulently antisemitic, death wishing Muslims?

Nariz

Ever heard of Stanley Cohen? He is a lead lawyer for Hamas, both in US and Israel.
Isn't he a Jew? Why on earth would a Jew be siding with those virulently antisemitic, death wishing Muslims (like Hamas)?

Infidel Pride | January 18, 2006 2:55 AM

¿Que Va? Explica me por favor.

Isn't Sara Rosenbaum a Jew? Why on earth would a Jew be siding with those virulently antisemitic, death wishing Muslims?

Nariz

have_mercy | January 18, 2006 3:43 AM

¿Que Va? Explica me por favor.
Isn't Sara Rosenbaum a Jew? Why on earth would a Jew be siding with those virulently antisemitic, death wishing Muslims?
Posted by: Nariz:

Jewish Americans as a group in comparison to the rest of American society are more economically better off and far more highly educated. Furthermore, most Jewish Americans as evident by electoral and social politics tend to be far to the left of the American mainstream, espousing the so called progressive activist agenda, and going out of their way to propagate it. This I believe is caused by the Ivory tower syndrome suffered by those growing up with wealth and privilege, attending the most prestigious universities, and attaining advanced degrees. It is tragic that the grandchildren and decedents of those hapless Jews who came streaming to these shores to escape the bigotry and poverty of the old world, working their backs off to become part of this great unique experiment called America to improve themselves and to give to their descendents the fruits of liberty and prosperity, only to have those descendents out of insane intellectual ideological mambo-jumbo, turn their back on America, working in earnest with its most dangerous foes. Such are the bitter fruits of the intellectual and moral bankruptcy of the elites, born with a silver spoon in their mouth.

The curious fact is that patriotism and sense are to be found in America for the most part among the humble people of the land, the farmers, the working stiffs, and those who did not have much in life in a way of privilege or opportunity, going no far in education more than the minimum required by compulsory schooling.

epg | January 18, 2006 9:34 AM

It's hard to believe that in the latest wave in the very old war of Islam against the rest of the world, and four years + after 9/11, some that are supposed to be intelligent and well educated, still don't understand that we are in an existential war against a well-practiced predator.

Apparently this reporter, and many others, didn't pay attention or were denied the information on the lecture day about Islam in school. Reporters have a responsibility to have studied and to have background information before writing a piece. This one doesn't seem to have an inkling and is clueless about Islam.

FrontPageMag.com

Books by Robert Spencer

The Muslim Brotherhood in America, by Robert Spencer

Islamophobia: Thoughtcrime of the Totalitarian Future

Muslim Persecution of Christians, by Robert Spencer

The Ground Zero Mosque: Second Wave of the 9/11 Attacks

“My comrade-in-arms, my pal, my buddy.”
— Oriana Fallaci

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— Bat Ye’or

“Robert Spencer is indefatigable. He is keeping up the good fight long after many have already given up. I do not know what we would do without him. I appreciate all the intelligence and courage it takes to keep going despite the appeasement of the West.”
— Ibn Warraq

“America's most informed, fearless, and compelling voice on modern jihadism.”
— Andrew C. McCarthy, Senior Fellow at National Review Institute

“Robert Spencer is the leading voice of scholarship and reason in a world gone mad. If the West is to be saved, we will owe Robert Spencer an incalculable debt.”
— Pamela Geller, Atlas Shrugs

"The consummate Islam critic and expert." — Bruce Bawer

“Over the years, we have become friends, and I have received his assistance on several pieces of legislation I proposed.”
— Former Congressman Tom Tancredo

“Few people are capable of applying scholarship, analytical reasoning, and objectivity to their topic -- while simultaneously being readable and witty -- as can Robert Spencer.”
— Raymond Ibrahim

“A national treasure...The acclaimed scholar of Islam.”
— Frank Gaffney, Center for Security Policy

“I am indeed honored to call him my friend.”
— Brad Thor, novelist

“A top American analyst of Islam....A serious scholar...I learn from him.”
— Daniel Pipes

“A brilliant scholar and writer.”
— Douglas Murray

"One of my best teachers."
— Ashraf Ramelah, Voice of the Copts

“Thank God there’s at least one man with balls left in the West.”
— Kathy Shaidle, Five Feet of Fury

“I read people like [Mark Steyn] and Bob Spencer and the rest of them, and I say, ‘Boortz, you’re pretending you’re an author. These people really are. They really write some entertaining, some standup stuff.’”
— Neal Boortz

“Robert Spencer is the Stephen King of Jihad.”
— Chris Gaubatz, Muslim Mafia

“Armed with facts and fearlessness, Spencer stands up for Western civilization.”
— Michelle Malkin

“Widely read in conservative foreign policy circles.”
— New York Times

“Widely read in many quarters in Washington.”
— Washington Post

“A canny operative who likely has the inside track on the State Department’s Middle East affairs desk should the tea party win the White House.”
— New York Magazine

“A hero of the American right.”
— Karen Armstrong

"The leading anti-Islamic intellectual in the United States....The go-to Islam expert for the right wing."
— Salon Magazine

“Robert Spencer is an Edward Said turned upside down.”
— Stephen Suleyman Schwartz

“One of the nation's most notorious Islamophobes.”
— Hamas-linked CAIR

"Geller and Spencer are probably the most important propagandizing Islamophobes in the world. These people's voices speak very loudly — not just here in the United States but overseas."
— Heidi Beirach, Southern Poverty Law Center

“Satanic ignoramus.”
— Khaleel Mohammed

“The Likud anti-Christ.”
— Dar al-Hayat newspaper (Saudi Arabia)

“Zionist Crusader, missionary of hate, counter-Islam consultant.”
— Al-Qaeda’s Adam Gadahn, “Azzam the American”