One shouldn't judge Tufts' Hillel too harshly. After all, when Edina Lekovic and I were on the O'Reilly Factor with Laura Ingraham guest-hosting, Ingraham spent a great deal of time praising Lekovic for her moderation -- right before Lekovic began lying about what I stand for. And that, of course, was before Steven Emerson caught Lekovic lying more boldly, about her association with the Muslim publication that printed the praise of Osama bin Laden noted below. Details here. Yet even after being thus thoroughly exposed, Lekovic continues to enjoy uncritical acceptance as a "moderate" from careless non-Muslim individuals and groups. So something like this was bound to happen.
"Department of Homeland Security's funds bring Islamist sympathizers to Tufts," by Daniel Halper for the Tufts Daily (thanks to all who sent this in):
Regardless of how noble the ends might be, government-funded programs often fail to achieve their stated objective. One such example has resulted in federally funded support of jihadists at Tufts University.In 2006, Tufts' Hillel received part of a $1.6-million Department of Homeland Security (DHS) grant to promote "inter-faith and intercultural dialogue." The program's intentions are noble and its goals laudable, since it is best to resolve conflict through dialogue.
But this past fall, Tufts' Interfaith Initiative, "Pathways," used its federal money to sponsor a dinner and dialogue by Edina Lekovic on "Women, Faith, and Women."
The problem is that Lekovic is a radical Islamist sympathizer who has gone so far as to defend Osama bin Laden.
A former managing editor of "Al-Talib, a Muslim publication at UCLA, Lekovic was on the masthead when it published an editorial - signed by the Al-Talib staff - praising and defending Osama bin Laden.
The editorial stated, "When we hear someone refer to the great Mujahid, Osama bin Laden, as a 'terrorist,' we should defend our brother and refer to him as a freedom fighter; someone who has forsaken wealth and power to fight in Allah's cause and speak out against oppressors. We take these stances only to please Allah."
When confronted on national television about it, Lekovic initially denied any participation in the publication. Yet recently, she has admitted her involvement - claiming, however, that her position was insignificant, though it was listed as second highest on the masthead. She furthermore remained on the publication for the next three years and attributed the editorial to a printing mistake....
from wikipedia:
Why is the Department of Homeland Security funding "inter-faith and intercultural dialogue" at all?
The editorial stated, "When we hear someone refer to the great Mujahid, Osama bin Laden, as a 'terrorist,' we should defend our brother and refer to him as a freedom fighter;
I'm reminded of George Carlin (pbuh). "Crime fighters fight crime, firefighters fight fires, what do freedom fighters fight?"
"inter-faith and intercultural dialogue."
-- from the depressing article above
Inter-faith Healers: it's the latest racket. Elmer-Gantries galore. Or worse. All Elmer Gantry wanted was money and women. While Muslims, wherever they conquered in the early centuries of conquest, certainly seized women and loot (just like their Model of Conduct, their Perfect Man), nowadays they don't want just that, but to remove all obstacles to the spread of Islam. And that means everything that makes the West the West, beginning with such things as individualism and the guarantees of freedom of thought and speech, and equal treatment, legal equality, for women and non-Muslims, and freedom of artistic expression, and the free and skeptical inquiry which is punished in Islam, and encouraged in the post-Enlightenment West, and without which the enterprise of science cannot continue.
No doubt the Hillel rabbi was quite proud of himself for his "broad-mindedness." Yes, moral preening. But that word can cover a wide variety of things.
Right now I fondly recall a scene from the first version --- the one with James Mason -- of "Lolita." There he was, living at the house of Charlotte Haze, and attending the school prom, and Jean Farlow is dancing with him, and she explains, endowing the phrase with a meaning that her partner, world-weary Humbert, chooses to ignore, that once he gets to know Jean and her husband, he will find, Humbert, that "we are extremely broad-minded."
Perhaps the Hillel-House rabbis from sea to shining sea should put down their latest handouts from some Interfaith group, or whatever it is they picked up at their last visit on Outreach Night at a local Mosque ("What Is Islam Really All About?" or "Is Something The Matter With Islam?" or "Can't We All Just Get Along?") or possibly that last issue of Tikkun with that "hopeful" piece -- positively rivetting, wasn't it? -- by Cornell West, and do something really unexpected. How about this? How about reading, sitting down and reading, Qur'an, Hadith, and Sira, and then reading the great Western scholars on Islam -- Joseph Schacht, C. Snouck Hurgronje, Arthur Jeffrey, Henri Lammens, St. Clair Tisdall, and so many others who studied and wrote before the age of the Great Inhibitioin.
And then there is one more thing these eager Interfaith-Healers (Hillel Rabbis Division) might do. They just might read what Maimonides wrote about Islam and the treatment of Jews under Islam (see "Epistle to the Yemen"), and then, to really do something wild and crazy, they might actually re-read, or possibly read for the first time, Rabbi Hillel.
You know, the one who wrote "If I am not for myself, then who will?” What a crazy idea. What a wild idea. Maybe it’s time, it’s long past time, not only for the Hillel-House rabbi and his charges at Tufts, but for the denizens of the entire Western world, to start thinking about, and then taking, that excellent advice.
"When we hear someone refer to the great Mujahid, Osama bin Laden, as a 'terrorist,' we should defend our brother and refer to him as a freedom fighter; someone who has forsaken wealth and power to fight in Allah's cause and speak out against oppressors. We take these stances only to please Allah."
Edina, the best stance you can take to please my "Allah" is if you buggered off and went back to one of the sharia states in the Middle East where you can be subjugated as you want to be subjugated.
Edina is a liar. Enough said. If she isn't a liar she would come and say "I hate Osama bin Laden", but she doesn't, like so many other "moderate" Muslims.
Hugh's commentary above is EXCELLENT. "Moral preening" is a wonderful phrase and absolutely accurate. And Rabbi Hillel's thought should be tattooed on our foreheads. Self-defense is a most noble enterprise unless the self is evil; our values, as Hugh notes, are clearly the opposite of evil, and they too deserve and require the strongest of defenses.
A nasty piece of work, this Lecovic. A typical Muslim then...?
Its the same when you get on to some of these blogs where rabid Islamaniacs lie and deny and put lipstick on a pig, but never address the issues and in typical troll-fashion deposit a turd on your front lawn, but never clean up!
Had one of them yesterday who claimed that Muhammad 'only killed less than 200 people in his whole career'- and that he never killed any of the poets that ridiculed him. When I posted this here I never heard back:
http://answering-christianity.com/killing_of_infidel_poets.htm
"She furthermore remained on the publication for the next three years and attributed the editorial to a printing mistake...."
...yep, the article was intended only for publication for Muslims...it was a mistake to allow Infidels to read it....
..Ban Muslim Immigration...
Honestly, how do we expect to win when those who entrust with our survival are utter morons.
"Why is the Department of Homeland Security funding "inter-faith and intercultural dialogue" at all?"
Posted by: justamomof4
The same reason the Pentagon with Gordon Englands at the helm and the Iraqi Survey Group advocate Robert Gates are doing the same thing reaching out to Muslims at the request and advise of those like Mr. Hesham Islam.
Islamophobe "harrassment" alleged by LSU Reveille columnist;
Now, shut-up and submit!Why am I NOT surprised to read that Laura Ingraham did not challenge this woman? I turn off the O’Reilly Factor when she’s on. She doesn’t appear to do a whole lot of research on a guest unless they serve as a tool to further one of HER issues. Not much of a no-spin there. I’ve seen Laura invite people on the show only to humiliate them and interrupt them any time they try to make a point. Laura is a nudnik and I won’t watch her or listen to her. I sure wish they’d bring back Michelle Malkin. Laura can take a hike.
Hey Sheik..
I checked out the link that you gave.. hilariously.. these islamos who are "answering Christianity" are openly and unabashedly saying how wonderful that mahomet "killed pagan poets".
For those who didn't click the link, this might get you interested.. see below:
[you simply cannot make this stuff up]
Having said that, some of the pagan Arabs, who were very skilled in poetry, wrote powerful poetries against the Prophet and Islam. These poetries could've been used as weapons to enrage the infidels against the Muslims as in pre-Islamic and even post-Islamic era, poetries were causes for wars between tribes. So they were dangerous weapons for those who were very skilled in them. So to make a pagan seriously think twice about writing a poetry against Islam, the Prophet, peace be upon him, ordered the Muslims to execute some anti-Islam poets, and by Allah Almighty's Divine Grace and Mercy, the strategy worked and Islam prevailed among the Arabs as more than 95% of them today are Muslims.
That's it! The infidels died and they're now rotting in Hell, and their descendents are all saved from their deceptions and evil pagan worships through Islam. All Praise and Glory are due to Allah Almighty alone!
In the 2006 Federal election the Jewish Americans cast 87% of their votes for the Democratic Party. http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2006/pages/results/states/US/H/00/epolls.0.html
Islamophobe "harrassment" alleged by LSU Reveille columnist;
Muslim columnist's work misinterpreted by readers
by Shirien Elmasraya
"It's one thing to disagree with a person, but it's another thing to terrorize a public forum.
Yup, I said it - terrorize.
When I applied for this job, I knew I was going to get a lot of hate mail. After all, I do primarily write about Islam and the Middle East. What I didn't expect was crazy people harassing me and stalking me.
If anyone has ever read any of my columns online at lsureveille.com, the first thing they probably notice is how many comments my work generates. The next thing they notice is most of these comments come from ignorant people who come from anti-Islamic Web sites, like www.jihadwatch.com... They will regurgitate everything they learned from Robert Spenser, the creator of jihadwatch.com and one of the most deceptive people alive.
=====
Further, I want these people to be aware that if I continue to be harassed I will go forward with legal action. And that, bigots, is the American way.
For everyone else, be on lookout. I expect you'll see my point very soon. Peek-a-boo, Islam-o-phobes, I see you."
Now, shut-up and submit!
Posted by: Terp Mole at February 1, 2008 11:20 AM
Yeah, go f*** yourself, shirien! We're not submitting to your terrorism, you little creep.
Peek-a-boo, Mohammedan Terrorists, we see you!
Most people look for liberation, self-determination, and the ability to self govern affairs. Most people coexist harmoniously and peacefully. But religious, political, and cultural supremacists will promote intolerance, and slave cultures will lead to atrocities.
Females are exchanged for camels and used as gifts. They are victims of polygamy. They are left out of decision-making. They cannot defend themselves. They are marginalized and displaced. Females are relocated and deported, when they are considered un-pure. Females, children, and elderly villagers are abducted and sold into slavery. Some tribes are annihilated or disappeared.
Socialists would have you believe white tobacco and cotton farmers invented slavery. The white slave structure actually proved to be incompatible with European and American values, morals, ethics, and culture. The U.N. condemns slavery, although some members consider slavery only the internal affairs of specific countries. Efforts against slavery are limited. An insignificant number of voices express concern about African slavery. Black Nationalist movements, such as the Nation of Islam, only discuss the European and American history of slavery. They do not explore contemporary African slavery, or the Arab Islamic roots of slavery.
Slavery is still practiced in African countries, such as Mauritania. Evidence is verifiable. Since ancient times, owning slaves is considered their cultural prestige. Some African tribes adhere to Arab culture and own slaves. Slave Masters are not white Europeans. Large landowners, allied with regimes, own slaves. They hold non-Arab Muslim and non-Muslim slaves. Many slaves are indigenousness peoples. Differences are not tolerated. Slaves are divided. They fall into the lowest caste. They are indoctrinated into Islam. They lose their language and culture.
There is a relationship between Master and Slave. Many are born into slavery. Slave children are denied basics such as clothing, education, and food. Slaves have similar names and perform menial tasks. Slaves pick crops, earn no wages, cannot leave, and receive a meal in the evening. They perform household and agriculture work. Slaves toil year round, and take harvests to Masters. Masters generate profits off slaves. Slaves are bought, sold, and are part of commerce.
Arabized Africans control money, power, and natural resources. To change anything, outside tribes must get their permission or approval. Only Arab blood is considered pure. They have an obsession with purity. Jihad is waged against Muslims and non-Muslims. Pure Islam is only found where strict Sharia is enforced. The world is divided between the land of Islam and the land of war. They must spread Islam by population and battle. Outside religions or civilizations are not considered worthy. Non-Islamic houses of worship are destroyed or left to decay. They believe they must save the world from atheism. They say there will be no peace until Islam and Sharia dominate all lands.