Over at PJ Media I explain why everyone who cares about free speech should be standing with Pamela Geller today:
“This is a showdown for American freedom,” said Pamela Geller about the abortive jihad beheading plot against her, and she was right. The showdown is right upon them now, and mainstream media talking heads have no idea of the significance of what is happening.
“They targeted me for violating sharia blasphemy laws. They mean to kill everyone who doesn’t do their bidding and abide by them voluntarily,” Geller added.
“It’s just beginning,” she warned. “ISIS is here. Islamic terrorism is here.”
That is all true. The jihad plot against Pamela Geller was an attempt to enforce Sharia blasphemy laws upon someone who does not accept them. If it had succeeded, it would have shown Americans that no one who deviates from Sharia norms is safe. It would have been a staggering blow to the continuation of the U.S. as a free society.
Heedless of these manifest implications, however, the mainstream media hasn’t caught on. The execrable New York Daily News couldn’t stop sneering at the heroic Pamela Geller — “conservative firebrand,” “Upper East Side right-winger” — even when she was a direct target of an Islamic State-inspired murder plot.
CNN’s Chris Cuomo, interviewing Geller, lectured her:
You can show the cartoon. People have the equal right to criticize your showing the cartoon as an overt provocation of a religion.
And he asked her:
Why not do what we often teach as a function of virtue — when we’re dealing with savagery — which is show that we are better than this? Not show that we can poke them in the eye in a way they don’t like it.
Geller rightly responded:
That’s not what you’re doing. You are submitting, and you are kowtowing. And they’re saying to you, if you draw a little cartoon; if you draw a stick figure and say it’s Mohammed, we’re going to come and kill you. And so you say, okay, we won’t — we won’t draw it. CNN won’t show it.
The Daily News and Chris Cuomo and the rest at CNN, along with their many colleagues among the comfortable media and political elites, are happy to throw her under the bus. They effectively say: “Free speech? Yes, of course, but not deliberate provocation.”
They don’t realize that whatever distaste they may have for Pamela Geller (and that distaste ultimately derives from the fact that she speaks truths they would rather ignore and deny), she stands for all of us now. Whether you’re as proud to stand with her as I am, or whether you wish she would go away, she is the figure today about whom one must decide: will I stand for freedom, or kowtow to violent intimidation? Will I submit to the tyranny of violence, or defend free society?
Remember Pastor Niemöller from World War II?
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out — because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out — because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out — because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me — and there was no one left to speak for me.
Well, here we are. Those days are upon us again, and as few, or fewer, people are paying attention to what is happening as were in those days….
Read the rest here.
Peter Buckley says
Read Douglas Murray’s take:
“……a seminal example of the mess the West has got itself into on these questions. The interviewer got herself into an oddly self-strangulating position from the start…..”
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/5904/free-speech-geller-boston
Joseph says
Freedom of the press? ? ? Freedom of speech? ? ?
There is no freedom when the truth CAN NOT/WILL NOT be told.
To the detriment and deaths of many; the American press will keep on pounding out this pro-Islam dribble. I just hope America wakes up before the battle will be barely tolerable.
In the end however we WILL win, we have to for the sake of the human race.
Susan says
People have no idea as to how far down the road of controlling speech America has gone.
underbed cat says
Joseph….excellent point there is no freedom of the truth.
Gerald says
Chris Cuomo is not only stupid in my opinion but totally ignorant of islam. Here is what islam’s twentieth century’s supposedly great thinker said, Islam wishes to destroy all States and Governments anywhere on the face of the earth which are opposed to the ideology and programme of Islam regardless of the country or the Nation which rules it… It must be evident to you from this discussion that the objective of Islamic ‘Jihad’ is to eliminate the rule of an un-Islamic system and establish in its stead an Islamic system of State rule. Islam does not intend to confine this revolution to a single State or a few countries; the aim of Islam is to bring about a universal revolution.”
—- Syed Abul A’ala Maududi (1903 – 1979)
underbed cat says
Gerald I agree that Chris Cuomo appears to be ignorant of Islam, whether it was lack of curiosity or no apparent skepticism of repeated terror attacks, I think if he had wanted to learn there were plenty sites on the internet. People I have conversed with, have often viewed any information I gave them as “hateful”, and that would most likely have stopped his investigation. The muslim brotherhood was very effective in misinformation and kept its denial going strong(in fact they deny they exist) except they do and also the information is so shocking it could be at first hard to believe the facts about a sharia law. The political pressure was to not offend so as to not put himself or the company in danger. Be interesting to watch if he gets smarter and ever talks about the “agenda” or reads the words of Maududi. Or your comment.
spot on says
History repeats itself. It is not pleasant to watch while no one else sees. Even the Pope and most leading clerics now seem to be more than happy to turn over their God given rights of free speech to Muslims due to their misguided application of the Golden Rule.
Somehow, people can’t remember that political movements of the past, such as the Nazis, took away citizen rights very slowly, one step at a time. (Islam is a political movement.) For example, in the 1930’s, Jews were first boycotted, then ridiculed, and later severely harassed. They were denigrated as pigs and monkeys. Then over time, Christians and Non-Aryans were included for special treatment. Jews were asked to pay a tax and leave Germany. If the Nazis hadn’t been stopped, all Jews, Christians, and non-Aryans would have been dispatched by the Nazis. This happened slowly as the supremacist and anti-Semite Nazis gradually gained power.
Today in Europe, supremacist and anti-Semite Muslims are gradually taking power. Today, they boycott, ridicule, and severely harass Christians, Jews, and non-Muslims. How long will it be until non-Muslims are asked to pay a tax or leave Europe. Similarly, they are now beginning to launch these same efforts toward the citizens of the US.
Pamela Geller is standing up to them and their stupid puppets in the liberal media. She is saying NO! Not here! No more!
God Bless Pamela for her courage.
Angemon says
spot on posted:
“History repeats itself. It is not pleasant to watch while no one else sees.”
As the saying goes: “Those who don’t know History are doomed to repeat it, those who know History are doomed to watch those who don’t repeat it.”
spot on says
Angemon,
As the saying goes: “Those who don’t know History are doomed to repeat it, those who know History are doomed to watch those who don’t repeat it.”
Another old saying: “Truer words were never spoken”.
PatnCats says
You are so on target with your analogy – yes the Jews’ citizenship was taken from them in the Nuremburg Laws of 1933, bank accounts stolen to only have 2,000 RM balance, then balances lower and lower – and leaving the country? One could only have 20RM with them – then no job treating Germans, no job TEACHING Germans —begins to sound more and more like islam – ”’Muhammed said in the koran that muslims are ‘only the BEST of peoples?” (pfffft). Of course he did, and low IQ, illiterate, backwards desert people have to believe they are better, and even to this day, what has islam given us? Science? Math? Medicine? Literature? Nobel Peace Prizes? Didn’t think so. The earth is flat and drink camel piss for illnesses, and all water is clean, even if there are dead animals floating in it. Science Muham style!
Bruce says
All those who desire to control the world start out the same . First ,they show favour and allow certain things to come to pass, then they slowly push their rules and regulations on the so-called free world and declare their intention to take over cities ,countries ,and the entire world .They declare they are willing and able to destroy all those who stand against them .Such is the Muslims manner of bringing sharia law to the U.S. and eventually the whole world . Having a muslim president in the white house does not help , but the people of the U.S. had better wake up before their freedom is gone . Is it Allah or Jesus ? Your choice.
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
The key to the Geller debate is simple, but yet somehow never comes up: the cartoon contest and all criticisms of Islam are the truth.
All this stupid debate about the provocation, the purpose of an act of speech, the motives of the speaker, the degree of criticism, the tone… all of that is a waste of time. Telling the truth is an inherently good thing. Sensibility and gratuitously my royal Irish ass. Give me the damned truth.
Since when is the truth subject to sensibility?
To wit: Wilders, Fallaci, Steyn.
RonaldB says
Haha. You’re correct about the truth being the primary value to protect.
But, there’s another truth to consider. The Muslims were attacking our society on various pretexts long before blasphemy of the robber-pirate-murderer-torturer Muhammad became an issue.
The reason Muslims commit violence is part of dawah – to soften us up before the systematic imposition of sharia. The lone-wolf attacks, organized attacks, and systematic political subversion, will continue with or without a cartoon exhibition on Muhammad.
Islam is an expansionist political and theological system. It has to be. It’s a classic parasite: it consumes it’s host and depends for its life on finding new hosts. Therefore, almost by definition, Islam must try to spread itself to new countries. Islam itself produces no art, no science, no philosophy, no architecture, no music, and no technology. Every Islamic country counts as its treasures the coopted relics of its preIslamic past. There are no treasures produced in any country since Islam took over.
So, it’s delusional to think that the aggressive actions of Muslims are caused by cartoons or anti-Islamic statements. The violence against the cartoons, the books like “The Satanic Verses” have one purpose: to break down the defenses of the west at their strongest point: individual freedom and liberty. Sharia law ultimately forbids any discussion of Islam at all by kafirs…that means, no archaeological investigation, no textual analysis, no logical analysis, no comparison, however academic, of Islam with other religions….nothing. Also, it will ultimately be forbidden to investigate aspects of religions that conflict with Islamic doctrine. For example, Islam considers the concept of the trinity to be blasphemy. Once they do away with Pamela Geller, they’ll begin with the academics and end with the ministers and priests. Or maybe the other way around.
silvergreycat says
Ronald,
*…Islam is an expansionist political and theological system. It has to be. It’s a classic parasite: it consumes it’s host and depends for its life on finding new hosts.* Richard Fernandez adds…
* The arrival of the Islamists in the West, like a new gang arriving in town, has changed the dynamic considerably. They are given a wide berth by the Left, not merely out of a shared hatred for America, but out of fear…The moribund Left knows who is boss and is selling the only thing they have remaining: access to media and cultural institutions, which suits the Islamofascists just fine. A division of labor has been established in which the Left provides the paralyzing injection on Western society leaving the jihadis a clear field within which to operate.*
http://belmontclub.blogspot.com/2004/03/ichneumon-wasp-european-left-has.html
RonaldB says
It was a fascinating and chilling article, and very valuable information on the relationship between the left and Islam.
My interpretation is that the left (any resemblance to classical liberal is coincidental) is all about power. They’re entranced by power. The causes they take up are simply camouflage. A leftist cares no more for gays than for women. But, they are fascinated by a movement that will openly kill and makes no apologies for it. The contradiction between the leftist advocacy of gay groups and the leftist silence on Muslims systematically killing (the open) gays is only a contradiction if you take leftists at their word.
The leftists will ally themselves with Islam, even though they are perfectly aware of the fact that the Ayatollah destroyed the Iranian Communist party as soon as he was able to. The fact, which cannot be hidden, that the leftists are enabling their own killers makes them more, not less, supportive of Islam.
In terms of the article you linked to, it’s as if the caterpillar is chasing the ichneumon wasp, perfectly aware that the wasp will slowly and painfully suck out his insides.
I don’t pretend to have any idea of the internal mental state of such people, but the behaviors are stable and predictable. That’s all we need, really.
mortimer says
Cuomo said: ” an overt provocation of a religion”
No. It is DEFIANCE, rather than provocation. The first goal of counterjihadists is to WAKE UP the sleeping, naïfs like Cuomo who believe they are experts without having studied Islam.
Cuomo is ‘arrogant’ because he is speaking through his hat. He has not made any effort to understand SHARIA LAW’S blasphemy regulations which require the DEATH SENTENCE. Furthermore, CUOMO and those similar to him in arrogance do not realize VIGILANTISM is normative Islam supported by Sharia law and the sacred example of Mohammed. All Muslims are potential vigilantes. They simply need enough faith to do so. Islam clearly teaches that vigilantes will be rewarded in paradise with eternal sex after they murder blasphemers and apostates.
Shmooviyet says
Mortimer: perfect word, “Defiance”.
So many of these teevee ‘journalists’, including most on FOX, repeat the same old thing– that Pamela is ‘provoking’ the jihadis and others– making her the attacker, claiming she is to blame for causing hurt feelings and angst among the koran-readers. Whether they are violent or plot revenge or not, they are ‘victims’ of her ‘racism’ against muslims. They call her the ‘anti-muslim’, etc. She is the bad guy.
There are plenty of peaceful-appearing mulsims walking the streets of our city; doubtless many of them mightn’t hurt anyone personally. But would they stand by and watch as someone is beaten for being not like them? And what happens in their homes? What demands are being shrieked in the mosques? What do they hear others in their ‘communities’ saying? And why do so many of them say they believe in Sharia for America, and that they would rather live in Somalia or the ME, when asked by an interviewer whose video appeared here last week?
isabel steffens says
I back Pamella Helñler . She is right.
Beware of muslims!!!!
mortimer says
Chris Cuomo and surrenderists like him have CONFLATED criticizing an ideology with condemning people. They disguise their intellectual torpor and moral cowardice by sitting on a HIGH HORSE (in the words of Obama).
Chris Cuomo would not defend the terrorism of Black Panthers, white supremacists, Nazis, Maoists, the KKK or the Mafia, but he shields the terrorism of Islam for some reason. He assumes that while most Muslims do not say they support terrorism, that we do not need to criticize the terrorist groups supported by 15% of Muslims.
One out of six Muslims support terrorism. One Muslim out of 7,000 is a terrorist.
FIFTEEN PERCENT of Muslims is actually a large number. Almost TWO HUNDRED MILLION Muslims support terrorism.
Mr. Cuomo, is it not right to be concerned about the ideology of 200 million people who support terrorism? Or is that bigotry?
thelmalou says
Here’s a question I would really like to have answered re who does and doesn’t support Pam Geller. What has the ACLU had to say about this? My daughter and I had a tiff over this. (She loves the ACLU) I cannot find any clear cut policy statement from them on Pam Geller. I told my daughter I would financially support them only if I saw they were not turning a blind eye to the Draw Mo issue.
My theory? The ACLU is anti Israel and Pam is pro. Frankly i see Israel as neither here nor there when it comes to drawing Mo in Texas. There are some things I don’t like about Israel, and many things I do. But to me, Israel is irrelevant when it comes to free speech in the USA.
Can anyone clue me in here?
Grumplyoldguy says
Pamela lives the creed of Live Free or Die Well – as should we all.
Bravo, Pamela!!!
al fabeech says
People on this site and many sites, and found on youtube are brave, selfless heroes. Pamela Geller’s and the attack Boston Police attack was not even covered on PBS News. Why?……
1. Is it suspicious that the Treasury Department has the final say on what terrorism is? If damages are less than $5,000,000 than it’s not a jihadist attack? It’s my understanding the Boston Marathon Bombing was not terrorism so that insurance companies don’t have to pay damages to property owners? Is that all it is?