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On this Thanksgiving Day, Nidra Poller recalls a notorious Halloween incident:
OK, it was Halloween, but the incident didn’t occur in the heart of a black forest. University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann stood next to a shahid and didn’t see anything wrong with the photo-op. The shahid, who claims to have meant no harm, was so proud he splashed the slideshow on his blog with touching honesty, showing how the fairy tale enchantment of the intelligentsia opens the way to further jihad hijinks. He played the role to the hilt, mocking beheadings, enrollment of child soldiers, rape of liberty… And we are to believe it was just a student’s prank?The reaction of academics, with rare exceptions, is as distressing as the incident. So calmly academic, so academically willing to explore the issue from the podium of every appropriate disciple, so patient, so collegial even in the harshest situations. As if we had 80 years to work out the kinks in our response to jihad.
President Gutmann apologized? And when she saw that her first apology hadn’t quite done the trick, she ironed it out—like her princess costume—and apologized again, better, less ambiguously. If she were a woman she would have resigned. And the student apologized too? Now all we need is an apology from Osama bin Laden and all our little cartoon characters can go back to their peaceful pursuits in fairyland.
In fact, President Gutmann’s first apology was the sincere one: the young man has the right to wear a mass-murderer costume and we have the right to say we don’t like it. Never mind the logical extension: mass murderers have the right to kill us and we have the right to say we don’t like it.
What elixir put this distinguished university president to sleep? May I suggest that she swallowed the “I am against the war in Iraq” one-shot ethics pill? What war in Iraq are they against? The war of the very jihadis honored by Saad Saadi’s cute costume and ghoulish re-enactments? No, not that war. Are they against the war of Iraqi against Iraqi, the war of Iranians, Syrians, Palestinians and assorted umma jihad legions against the possibility of decent life in Iraq? No, they are not against that war. Are they against the 3-week war in Iraq that toppled Saddam Hussein? Are they against the war in Iraq that keeps jihadis from fighting us in downtown Manhattan or Desmoines, Iowa?“I am against the war in Iraq” is a window shade drawn over a terrifying reality: someone is at war against us. Someone would be at war against us if Jews were not in Israel, Americans were not in Iraq, and Europeans were not in Europe. Behind that window shade atrocities occur, mass murder is plotted, networks expand, Jew-hatred boils and, at the end of the day, Israel is being groomed to play the sacrificial lamb.
Time is running out. There is nothing academic about the danger that breathes down our necks.
What destroyed the vigilance of President Gutmann, whose father escaped from the Nazis? What does the academic community in the U.S. share with European societies? Why are we unable to clearly identify and effectively combat this lethal blindness? What will become of us if our citizens cannot break out of this one-crop ethics and learn again to discipline their minds?
President Gutmann did not SEE the shahid because she lives in an intellectual community that cannot see the shahid. The student who came to the party dressed as a shahid should not be gently scolded or suspended for a semester; he should be excluded from the university and all institutions of higher learning in the United States. A university president can’t see a shahid? A student can play the shahid and pretend he didn’t mean to offend? And it’s nothing more than a topic of discussion?
“So you’re saying that on Halloween it’s okay to dress up as a ghost or a witch or a Frankenstein monster but shahid costumes are verboten? So what about the Mohamed cartoons? Weren’t they offensive to Muslims? Where do you draw the line?”
A U of P student cannot come dressed as a shahid because we are at war and shahids are enemy combatants. It’s not funny at the moment. It may be funny one day, like pirates, after we have won. When we don’t understand the distinction we cannot draw the line and we don’t see the truth right in front of our noses.
Intellectual tricks have made people believe that the war being waged against us—the jihad—is an automated response to our own faux pas. “I’m against the war in Iraq” is a code name that means “We have no right to fight back because we are guilty, we deserve to be destroyed.”
So, which shall it be? Trick or treat?
Posted by Robert at November 23, 2006 8:09 AM
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It truly SCARES me, to think of how many of the Americans around me live in La-La-Land.
Well said, Nidra Poller.
Please, submit this to a major newspaper's Op-Ed page. It needs wider dissemination.
Posted by: Vee![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/nav-commenters.gif)
at November 23, 2006 10:04 AM
I believe many people will wake up but some people will only wake up when a friendly neighbourhood jihadists blows up their apartment and others will go down in islamically created flames (like some british media types) saying "problem? what problem? as the fire burns their body)
Posted by: THE ALLIES SHALL WIN at November 23, 2006 10:28 AM
It is starting to sound like a broken record, but the main problem with the Bush administration, since 911, has been its failure to educate the public about our enemy. To name the enemy. The only way the public gets educated is when an explosion goes off and they see who the perps are or were, or when there is one of these culture-clash issues like the Mohammad cartoons.
Naming the enemy, explaining the historic nature of the enemy, is crucial. People joke about how political correctness about radical islam is killing us but it is true.
Posted by: sparrow at November 23, 2006 10:38 AM
Whenever the MSM allows the truth about our enemies to be broadcast, that is a small victory as important a military victory. For example, Glenn Beck--of radio talk show--has become a commentator on CNN. Glenn understands the threat and talks about it. So this exposes the CNN audience to something they would not hear very often.
Posted by: sparrow at November 23, 2006 10:46 AM
“I am against the war in Iraq”
Me too. I'm against the war there being waged by crazies against the people who freed them from Saddam and tried to bring them a little civilization. It would be nice if the Muslims would quit "thanking" us by killing our troops every single day.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Posted by: ISLAMSFORLOSERS at November 23, 2006 11:12 AM
Nidra Poller claims:
"A U of P student cannot come dressed as a shahid because we are at war and shahids are enemy combatants. It’s not funny at the moment."
The reason the student got away with it and his Dean rushed to defend him was because everybody realized he was not satirizing Islamists, but was instead emulating them in this year's version of "Radical Chic." If it had been the student's intention to make fun of Islamists, not only would his Dean have denounced his "insensitivity" but he might have gotten death threats from Muslim students.
Do you remember the movie shorts that the Three Stooges made satirizing Nazism? With Moe as Hitler and Curly as Goering? Nazism wasn't funny either, but the Three Stooges' satire was a way to ridicule Nazism. Everybody realized Moe wasn't emulating Nazism, but ridiculing it.
at November 23, 2006 12:08 PM
Ever since 9/11, I've wondered why our governments have taken pains to portray Islam as "a religion of peace". Can it be partly because the Muslim organizations were ready and rushed forward with their message that a distinction had to be drawn between the rare extremist and the more common moderate or else there would be rioting and blood in the streets?
What if our governments told us, "Hey, it's in their holy book to kill us and to dominate those they allow to live. It's in their holy book to control people with a Muslim government and here is how they really treat women, children and non-Muslims. Remember when German and Polish and French neighbours suddenly turned against their Jewish friends after the Nazis took over? Get ready, because even the quiet Muslims who don't bother you now will stomp on your head and take what's yours if given the opportunity."
What would happen if our governments and media told the truth about the Koran and about what is happening between Muslims and non-Muslims throughout the world?
I suspect it would be worse than someone writing a quiet, little note to a flight attendant.
Posted by: Josephine at November 23, 2006 1:33 PM
at November 23, 2006 1:51 PM
I read Voyager's link. The Muslims burned a cross? Do you know what that symbolizes?!?!
Posted by: JadeDragoness at November 23, 2006 2:26 PM
To learn more about Saadi, go here. This site is very charming and ironic and sophisticated, is it not?
WARNING. Do not follow this link if you're easily revulsed, or cannot bear to peer into an unabashed and alien mind.
Note that sound loop! It's very sophisticated, very charming, is it not?!
Note the video labeled "Bite" welcoming us on the upper left. It's a short film of Saadi 'biting the hand that pets him'. At the end it says "Pet gently". Oh! He's very dry! dear reader. It's very ironic, is it not? Charmant!, Saadi, charmant!!!
Note the cartoon of his apparent inner thoughts while he eats meat. We learn, through the mechanism of one of those clever cartoon bubbles, what a fierce predator he thinks himself while he eats meat... What is that bloody mass the lion is marauding in the picture? Oh -- it's a dead zebra in a pool of blood -- Saadi the lion... Saadi the King of Beasts! It's very good, is it not? Very sophisticated, very provocative!
Now tap the green button at the bottom of his screen four times. It looks like this: ---->
Note his artistic use of the footage from the Zepruder film at the very moment the President's head explodes... It's very ironic.
Go there yourself, and see who wore that funny suicide bomber's costume next to President Guttman -- go and witness for yourself how charming and sophisticated today's Academia has become, and what excellent students are attending American University these days. Very edifying, very ironic, is it not?
Missing now (sadly due to public pressure) is the collage he had made from his Halloween jihadi hijinks. May I describe some of the pictures for you, dear reader? I may? thankyou.
In one labeled "My favorite" by Saadi, a hapless young white man dressed perfectly as an unsuspecting infidel, which means, dear reader, he wasn't wearing any constume at all, this photo, again labelled by Saadi "My favorite" with no further explanation featured Saadi in his bomber's costume standing over a student cringing in play terror while Saadi holds the play gun to his blond bowed head... It's a tableaus dramatique, showing Saadi about to blow, one can only imagine, some play infidel brains out on the President's floor. NO! Don't worry, dear reader. Everybody is laughing. Everybody is having fun! (It is very sophisticated, dear reader -- if you don't understand, you must at least pretend to understand lest you appear quite stupid...!)
In another, a young white (and very plump) girl dressed as the Statue of Liberty also quails in play terror before the playful avenging terrorist Saadi -- again he holds his play gun and his hand on the play button connected to the play bomb vest.... fat Liberty is about to 'get it', but she is smiling...
(My friend, if you don't agree, at least you must pretend you understand...!)
I am very sad I can only describe those photos, dear reader. I know you would have appreciated their cleverness, and the intellectually provocative spirit in which they were produced...
Go there, my friend. Poke around and enjoy Saadi's site for yourself... I know you will have a ball! Learn something from his wonderful tour de force of multiculturalism at work in America's Academe. Saadi shows us the splendid face of its accomplishments.
Posted by: jsla at November 23, 2006 3:05 PM
It would have been funnier and more appropriate to dress up for Halloween as a Moderate Muslim.
Posted by: remote_control at November 23, 2006 3:28 PM
remote_control,
I thought he was dressed as a moderate muslim. My bad.
at November 23, 2006 4:18 PM
jsla - I went to the site. Yuck, he does seem disturbed.
In his photos titled "Syria", he shows the street in Syria where he grew up.
You wrote:
"Now tap the green button at the bottom of his screen four times. It looks like this: ---->
"Note his artistic use of the footage from the Zepruder film at the very moment the President's head explodes... "
Each time the poor President's head explodes, up pops another letter until "Saad Saadi" is spelled out. It looks like he is identifying himself with this violent murder. What a creep.
Posted by: Josephine at November 23, 2006 4:59 PM
It would have been funnier and more appropriate to dress up for Halloween as a Moderate Muslim.
Posted by: remote_control
LOL I wonder what THAT costume would have looked like. Maybe this: a happy face mask (like the famous one from the 1970s) and hidden underneath
it red devil faced mask that you cannot see unless the happy face mask is taken off.
Moderate muslims are moderate for as long as they are a minority --if they hit that imnportant 20% threshold in your country the radicals among them agitate for sharia law and the moderates say nothing. Truly a subversive political movement of Nazis like similarities. Hitler never directly attacked any authorities or opposers when he had a small party before the 1930s...
Posted by: THE ALLIES SHALL WIN at November 23, 2006 5:11 PM
What destroyed the vigilance of President Gutmann, whose father escaped from the Nazis?
Robert, that was so VERY well-written and to the POINT. I've been accused of being a "nazi" because I've brought up exactly this dynamic. And I am glad i didn't bow but fought back telling them the nazis are those who suppress freedom of ideas, freedom of thought and ultimately freedom of Speech. I asked do you mean to say that because i am a German i have no right to use the full logical facilities of my brain regardless of where my thinking will lead me? Are you asking me to self-censor myself? And more than once I have been answered yes, that is what is expected of me. I was in complete shock [but not in awe] upon hearing such sentiments. When people are confronted with an uncomfortable truth which they seek to keep quiet inside their own mind - they will resort to anything. Too bad I'm not French or they couldn't have played the nazi card on me. However since i am not a nazi I continue to think and speak freely. And I even continue to support the State of Israel as I've been doing ever since I was old enough to know what the State of Israel is and what it represents. :-)
No I won't back down.
Happy Thanksgiving, you turkeys!
at November 23, 2006 6:20 PM
In his photos titled "Syria", he shows the street in Syria where he grew up.
Posted by: Josephine
Van we find out where he lives and collect money to buy him a one-way ticket right back to that street in Syria...
oh and I still remember how those bombers used to make me smile. Drove my chevy into Levy - the detonation was WILD!
So I say bye-bye, Miss Syrian Pie..
Good riddance.. may we please offer you a one-way ticket home? You really don't seem to like your life here very much.
Nothing you can do about it.. Americans will continue to love their American Football and the Dallas Cheerleaders.. we Europeans will continue loving to kick your islamic asses in Football. :-) WC 2002 Germany - KSA: 8-ZIP! Just the highest of all the results against your sorry "teams". All our Eurpean teams routinely kick your asses even the smaller ones! Take it! This is how things play out when each side has to play by the same rules! You punks just can't handle it.. case in point when Switzerland eliminated tuurkey form the World Cup 2006 in turkey and the turkish team AND THE TURKISH SECURITY ganged up on the poor Swiss and tried to lynch them on their way to the locker room after the game! You never play by the rules when you don't have to, you punks!
Posted by: germaninamerica at November 23, 2006 6:33 PM
Robert--
A GREAT post!
I can tell you from my years in grad school that you are right.
One will not be asked to leave a party of Ivy and small liberal arts college for speaking in defence of "our brothers in Ramallah." One sure way to get disinvited from polite company is to say something patriotic or mildly positive about the very Western Civ that is the only culture that builds (or built) and promotes the lifestyle of such academic venues.
Will feminism turn its eyes away from the concerns of wealthy white city women with alternative lifestyles (could there be a gay lifestyle without the US Army protecting it? Of course not)?
Will academics wake up to the fact that Islam is not a race and that Muslims are not cute, cuddly brown people to be pitied and not taken seriously?
Not sure, but I am glad that you are going to take them to task by asking it on your widely read site. Knowing you as I have come to, you will not be stopped until you make your point.
Posted by: tokyobk at November 23, 2006 7:01 PM
Remember when German and Polish and French neighbours suddenly turned against their Jewish friends after the Nazis took over?
[...]
Posted by: Josephine
I am afraid, Josephine that many of us Germans, Poles and French have still not learned our lesson - one that was taught in blood - and now many of us are ready to sell out Israel, our "Jewish friends". Next time the ones to pay the price will be US. And we will have noone to blame - but OURSELVES! All I can do is speak out every chance I get. I wish i could do more. It is my very survival that is at stake - BUT MORE than that - it is my morality and my conscience. I wasn't around during the Third Reich so I wasn't faced with the choices then, but i am here now and I find that the choices I face right now are cowardice or the courage to stand for what is right. This time around none of us can claim ignorance. We are wasting our SECOND CHANCE, brothers and sisters! We MUST speak up instead of running along with general opinion.
at November 23, 2006 7:29 PM
germaninamerica - The pressure to conform can be really strong. I've had a hard time knowing if I should speak up when one co-worker said something that I considered racist. ("Should I say something? What if she gets mad and is mean to me at work? What will it accomplish? I won't change her mind.") As I get older, it gets easier. It takes courage and doesn't always come easily. I hope I can be courageous when I need to be.
Posted by: Josephine at November 23, 2006 8:24 PM
My dear Dad wanted to dress up as a Muslim bomber for Holloween. He went to the costume store and found out that ‘bomber’ costumes are not offered (we wouldn’t want to offend anyone). He managed to improvise and pull it off with a series of rags, black cloths, and toilet paper. He was over for Thanksgiving today and I got to see the pictures. Nothing too fancy but I was proud of his efforts.
Posted by: limes at November 23, 2006 9:31 PM
How would have FDR or Winston Churchill characterized this silly charade of apologies? They would have called it plain what it is, that we do not coddle the enemy. Islam won't even let us have fun anymore, that sick minded leprous ideology of their cruel evil god invented by their demented prophet of doom.
We have become a nation of mental lepers, when we need mental giants.
Posted by: Battle_of_Tours at November 24, 2006 12:18 AM
Would these open-minded and well-educated individuals be as humored by a student dressed as a Nazi beating students dressed as concentration camp victims? Ha ha ha. How about a student dressed as a western cowboy shooting students dressed as Native Americans? Wouldn't that be a hoot? They obviously have a very sophisticated sense of humor, one that is over my unmatriculated head.
Posted by: special_guest at November 24, 2006 12:37 AM
Sorry limes -- but I fail to see the humor in your dads costume.
Posted by: champ at November 24, 2006 1:01 AM
I think it will take either another generation (waiting for the radicalized 60s crop of professors to retire or die) or a nuke dropped (by mistake) on one of the ivy campuses to wake up these liberal zombies. What is it about Islam that seems so peaceful & appealing to the iggorant lefites? Maybe they need a few Allah Akbars & a suicide bomber or two to light that much needed firecracker under their sorry beehinds... Better yet, make reading the Koran (Qu'ran or however it's spelled in Arabic!) MANDATORY on every campus!! Every day - or, at least, twice a week - they must gather in small groups & read a chapter or whatever they call it in their wholy book. If it doesn't put the kids to sleep, it might make them very angry: as in, whaddaya mean, 72 WHAT?!?
Anyone else have some useful suggestions how to wake up the PC world of academe?
Posted by: Joy at November 24, 2006 2:54 AM
at November 24, 2006 4:17 AM
If you were in a jam and needed help, who would you trust? President Gutmann or a truckdriver picked at random at an all-night diner?
Posted by: MP at November 29, 2006 1:30 PM
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