Score one for free inquiry. Heartfelt thanks to the police and security personnel who were out in force last night as I spoke at Gettysburg College. They ensured that Left-fascists would not disrupt the event as they did Monday at the University at Buffalo. I made the case that the concept of Islamophobia was making it impossible to have an honest discussion of a real problem, took the usual hostile and moronic questions from Leftists in attendance, and that was that. All in all, it was a great evening, thanks to the courageous students of YAF who invited me and the security team. My hat is off to them. I think the event was videoed and will post the video if I can get it.
“Jihad Watch leader’s speech, Muslim support rally coincide in Gettysburg,” by Dustin B. Levy, Hanover Evening Sun, May 4, 2017:
(Gettysburg) — Gettysburg College played host to two events that presented starkly different visions of Islam on Wednesday night.
The impetus was a presentation from Robert Spencer, the director of a blog called Jihad Watch. Spencer’s appearance, requested by a student group, sparked controversy on the campus for his beliefs that Islam is more inherently violent than other religions based his readings of religious texts.
Spencer spoke to a filled room in the College Union Building about the dangers of the stigma of Islamophobia and how it can make people afraid to speak out when they are aware of a terrorist threat.
Just across a courtyard, hundreds of students and faculty gathered for a Muslim Solidarity Rally in front of Pennsylvania Hall. The outdoor rally featured music from a band called the Nawaz Brothers, playing songs like “Bailamos” by Enrique Iglesias and Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon.”
Attendees sat in chairs or on the grass and some eventually got up to start a jubilant dance party in front of the steps of Penn Hall.
The purpose of the rally was “to show the Muslim members of our community that we support them, that we love them and that we’re there for them,” said Pearson Cost, a member of the College Democrats at Gettysburg College.
The rally came in response to the university’s affirmation of allowing Robert Spencer to speak on campus. Student senate originally approved the $2,000 required to bring Spencer to the college.
Spencer’s speaking engagement came with a significant law enforcement presence on Wednesday. The college decided to close his speech to the public because of safety concerns. By comparison, the rally had one or two police officers on hand.
Spencer acknowledged the backlash that predicated his speech, noting a lack of tolerance given to “intellectual diversity.” He accused the college’s president, Janet Riggs, of pressuring students not to attend.
In Spencer’s view, this all plays into stigmatizing those who share his views with labels of “Islamophobia.”
“The idea is to make everybody who speaks about the nature and magnitude of the Jihad threat honestly so toxic that other people are afraid to speak out,” he said.
Spencer read from the Quran and Sharia law to justify his beliefs. He maintained the quotes he read were what “the vast majority of Muslims believed.”
“Did I write that?” he asked. “Did I make that up?”
Spencer responded to charges apparently made by Todd Green, a speaker at the college on Sunday night, on several occasions. The school scheduled Green, an associate professor of religious studies at Luther College, to make remarks and give students the choice in listening to opposing voices on the issue.
Spencer sarcastically referred to himself as a “vicious gargoyle” and “hate-filled Islamophobe.” He described a “wave of fascism on American campuses,” specifically from the left wing.
A college or university “ought to be a place where free inquiry is prized above all,” he said.
Green did not think Gettysburg College should have felt obligated to host Spencer in the name of free speech.
“At a time in which you can make the most outrageous claims and insinuations against Muslims, our nation needs academic institutions to raise the bar intellectually and morally when it comes to how we talk about Islam and those who practice it,” Green said in an email.
Some of the students attending Spencer’s presentation did not share his beliefs, but were merely curious and wanted to listen….
“Guest speaker at Gettysburg College with controversial views on Islam delivers presentation; opponents demonstrate peacefully,” by Felix Rodrigues Lima, Fox43, May 4, 2017:
GETTYSBURG, Pa. – A guest speaker at Gettysburg College who drew calls for boycott because of his views on Islam, as well as a larger police presence because of anticipated protests, was allowed to make his presentation.
Robert Spencer, author and director of Jihad Watch, made light of the controversy during his talk to students, saying they were not going to get the sideshow they may have been looking for, but rather his assessment of Islam and what he calls the dangers of the faith.
“What we have in this situation is actually a very determined effort to make it so that the point of view that I represent is not examined,” Spencer said.
The Young Americans for Freedom group at Gettysburg College invited Spencer to speak and were approved even as the college brought in an opposing speaker earlier this week and amid calls from the college president to boycott the event.
“I think it’s very important to have this kind of perspective on every campus,” Scott Moore, the chapter’s president, said. “It’s obviously an issue that the entire country and the entire world is going to be facing and has already faced for decades.”
But there was a different vibe from what has happened across the country in response to conservative speakers on college campuses. Students held a “Muslim Solidarity Rally” to demonstrate support for Muslims in the community, featuring speakers and music.
“The way that we would counter this is by just having a celebration basically of Islamic culture,” Davis Healy, one of the rally’s organizers, said. “We just wanted to bring people out and have people be together because that’s what we think is the best way to show what we think in response to Mr. Spencer.”
Demonstrators say they hoped to counter the negative views of Islam from Spencer with greater cultural awareness….
gravenimage says
Despite Left-fascist attempts to block event, Robert Spencer speaks at Gettysburg College
…………………..
Thank you for persevering, Mr. Spencer.
mortimer says
Part of Robert Spencer’s speech:
https://youtu.be/8rkRA2eJ64E
mortimer says
“The Political Ramifications of Islamic Fundamentalism” by Robert Spencer at Gettysburg College
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-592pIo7wk
PRCS says
At 5:36–the common error. Although the YAF president started off by addressing Islamic “Fundamentalism”, he then referred to “radical” Islam.
Think. Think. Think.
Custos Custodum says
+10
miriamrove says
Good for you and great for our cause! Keep up the good and brave work! M
JawsV says
“moronic questions from Leftists” is so right. But, RS perseveres!
What’s wrong with Todd Green? Someone dropped him on his head as a kid?
dwight hogg says
it never ceases to amaze me how leftists are so adamant when it comes to shutting down free speech – do they not get it that if someone is a racist, a bigot or promoting violence that it is best for this to be out in the open. I have faith in ordinary people to be able to reject racism and bigotry but leftists have always shown they want to shut down debate unless it conforms to their superior ability to evaluate what is right and wrong for the rest of us. There were 1400 young girls raped and abused in Rotherham England and then sold as prostitutes by Muslims. They were terrorized and violated but the MSM and the world was silent. They were recently convicted and sent to jail – when they head their sentence their reply was naturally “Allahu Akbar”. But we mustn’t speak of this. In Canada Imams have been caught calling for the killing of Jews – silence. But someone who reports on issues like these is taken before the Canadian Right Tribunal at the insistence of Muslim organizations.
patriotliz says
It never ceases to amaze me how PASSIONATE the Leftist atheist commies who don’t want ANY contamination from religion in public life, who HATE religion as a whole (i.e., fantasy, make believe, fairy tale) but YET are soooo adamant that ISLAM, of all the world religions (the most destructive, the most evil), gets such a strong defense from these Leftists…in the name of “freedom of religion”…ya’ think? What is it about THAT “religion” that the Leftists love so much?
Tjhawk says
Davis Healy, organizer of the opposing rally, wants to celebrate a very limited view of Islamic culture. He will, however, conveniently ignore every aspect of islamic culture that Robert is discussing. He just pretends that these things don’t exist because the muslims he knows seem nice. Then he probably accused Robert of being unaware of how nice muslims really are. He probably doesn’t even realize that he is setting up a straw man because he completely believes the fiction. Davis Healy will have smugly signaled his virtue, but he will have also perfectly demonstrated his ignorance.
mortimer says
Davis Healy is the classic useful idiot, defined as one who blindly acts as a propagandist for a cause of whose goals he is not fully aware, and who is cynically used by the leaders of the cause; one who is naive and susceptible to manipulation for propaganda or other political purposes.
It is almost certain that he has not done the BASIC READING LIST of primary Islamic source texts, but PREPOSTEROUSLY, Healy presents himself as a SPONTANEOUS, UNSTUDIED EXPERT on Islam.
Robert Spencer has written 16 books, thousands of articles and made hundreds of speeches and interviews about JIHAD. He is a world-renowned expert on the topic of JIHAD.
Has Davis Healy read ONE of Spencer’s books? Is he merely GUESSING about the contents of those 16 books? Since Healy is GUESSING, his denunciation is as SHALLOW and UNINTELLECTUAL as one can get.
duh swami says
The purpose of the rally was “to show the Muslim members of our community that we support them, that we love them and that we’re there for them,” said Pearson Cost, a member of the College Democrats at Gettysburg College.
That’s a whole lot of self destructive insanity there…If they love Islam and Muslims so much, why not report to a mosque and do he dance of death…the shahda tango…
Tjhawk says
After the shahada, the ladies can line up for a clit slitting, get properly covered, then take their place at the back.
Wellington says
Seconded, duh swami, you filthy, lousy, close-minded, general hater and fellow Islamophobe.
As ever I remain,
Incorrigibly, supportively and non-Islamically yours,
Wellington
Dawn says
Stand your ground Robert ! Speak the truth !
terry says
Yesterday ( May 3, 2017) WSJ BLOG– BEST OF THE WEB- (at least the freebie edition-which is not the complete story)
ABOUT YALE UNIVERSITY STUDENT POLL ABOUT SPEAKERS.
BY SOLID MAJORITIES (74% ON ONE ISSUE, 82% ON ANOTHER) STUDENTS WANTED SPEAKERS WITH DIFFERENT VIEWS.
AS THE WRITER/COMMENTATOR FOR THE WSJ POINTS OUT-NOW IF ONLY THE ADMINISTRATION (OF THE UNIVERSITY) WOULD AGREE TO THAT.
I SUGGEST ALL JW READERS GO AND FIND THE BLOG AND READ IT-NOT THAT LONG -IF SOMEONE KNOWS HOW TO DOWNLOAD- GREAT. ( I AM NOT THAT COMPUTER LITERATE)
carpediadem says
It’s easier to read comments that are not composed of all capital letters.
Please type normally.
John A. Marre says
Great going, but the battle is tough. The left is fooling itself into thinking that Islam is just a religion like all others – people doing silly but harmless things.
Islam is not a religion like all others. It is an all-encompassing system that includes law, medicine, literature, science, culture, philosophy and worship.
terry says
Two items:
1. Aren’t singing and dancing ESPECIALLY MIXED COUPLES (IE. MALES AND FEMALES) FORBIDDEN UNDER ISLAM?
2. FRANK SINATRA- ” FLY ME TO THE MOON”– ARE THE STUDENTS AWARE THAT FRANK SINATRA, A CATHOLIC, WAS VERY PRO-JEWISH PRO-ISRAEL, AND, AS AN UNKNOWN SINGER, IN 1947-48– HELPED RAISE AND DELIVER MONEY TO THE JEWS IN ISRAEL. THE MONEY FOR ARMS TO SUE AGAINST THE MUSLIM TERRORISTS WHO ATTACKED THE ISRAELIS.
(One of Mr. Sinatra’s children, among others, has confirmed this; often in Jewish and/or Israeli papers and websites, among other places).
Adrian says
Shame on Gettysburg College President and alumni for attempting to silence Mr. Spencer by calling him “controversial” and bringing up the despicable SPLC.
marina says
It was nice to see from the video that Robert was not shut off by the fools. At least they let him speak. Please Robert keep up the good work. You are so valuable.
Ashley says
Perhaps the rude brats at the University of Buffalo will take note of the common human decency displayed at Gettysburg College…
Shmooviyet says
Where was the gutless PC Todd Green? He should have been there to personally call out Robert Spencer on his “most outrageous claims and insinuations against Muslims”, and provide examples of HIS claims.
Mr. Spencer shows class and grace to the ignorant loud-mouths who can’t stand truth being spoken in their presence.
Norger says
“A celebration of Muslim culture.” Great. Let’s not forget the death penalty for apostasy, death penalty for adultery, death penalty for homosexuality, death penalty for blasphemy, misogyny, sex slavery & FGM, hostility to free speech, daily blood letting between Shia and Sunni, second class citizenship for non-Muslims (the most vile of created beings), 9/11, Boston, San Bernandino, Fort Hood, Orlando, Madrid, London, Paris, Mumbai, Munich…. Maybe next week we can celebrate Nazi culture.
Michael Ray says
Perhaps a breakout session on the myriad forms of lying to non-muslims. Always a treat…
Wellington says
Good that matters worked out as well as they did, no thanks to the uninformed coward who is now President of Gettysburg College, one Janet Morgan Riggs, whom I noticed in her bio was formerly a professor of psychology at said college (also a graduate of said college too), which helps explain a lot since the finest professor of history I ever had, one Robert Green of The Pennsylvania State University (my alma mater), and who is now deceased, observed that one majors in sociology if one secretly hates society and one majors in psychology if one secretly hates oneself.
And, partially helping to sustain Professor Green’s point here, it has definitely been my personal experience that sociology and psychology majors tend very much to be flaky, abstract in silly ways, factually challenged, and deficient in the areas of common sense and moral intelligence. In short, two of the most bogus majors of all, and there are competitors to be sure like Gender Studies, Women Studies, Latin American Studies, Afro-American Studies, et al.——-actually most any “Studies” program since Studies programs are wrapped up not with the search for truth but rather with victim-oriented thinking and pushing an agenda——are sociology and psychology. So, so fitting that Janet Morgan Riggs was, before President of Gettysburg College, a professor of psychology there.
Yeah, it all fits. It explains a lot. Not everything but a goodly amount.
Terry says
Hello Wellington,
I respectfully partially disagree with one and a half of your comments.
1/2-sociology-I minored in sociology, and do not ahte society ( and my main sociology teacher) also did not hate people-in fact, he ( was born wealthy, which helped) and worked for many charitable organizations to benefit less fortunate people.
2- Psychologits–the two psychologists I knew best-my brother-in-law and the professor I had in grad school- were psychologists to try and help individual children ( both worked for school systems) to help abused (more than one can imagine, in almsot all income levels, and education levels) children, and their families 9if the families were willing).
as to those in Lesbian studies; Adfrican studies, etc-i basically agree
Wellington says
Thanks for your reply, Terry. I would aver that what you noted were exceptions and not the rule about sociology and psychology majors. I believe my professor of old, one Robert Green, nailed it about these two majors long ago (back in the 1970s).
I remain to this day convinced both “disciplines” are largely bogus majors————-AND a route to NOWHERESVILLE for job purposes, which colleges and universities, one after another, hardly address while still putting forth these majors as worthy of majoring in while taking in huge amounts of tuition, which has gotten out-of-hand to be sure but which these moral and avaricious cretins now running places that used to be centers of higher education, but which are now, for the most part, centers of lower indoctrination, don’t give a damn about, protestations to the contrary by them notwithstanding.
Having taught at the college level for decades, I don’t believe that most people, including many sensible people like yourself, quite comprehend what has happened to so-called higher education in America. The current President of Gettysburg College, I submit (not meant of course in an any Islamic sense), serves as a case in point. The fact that she was formerly a professor of psychology tends to prove my overall point rather than yours, now doesn’t it?
You know, I want real majors at the college level. Sociology is not one of them and psychology has been so taken over by Leftthink that any good in it was lost long, long ago.
This is my take on the matter. And thanks again for your input.
Besides, if one just retains and keeps well lubed the built-in crap detector we were all born with (which is a decreasing event these days to be sure), then sociology and psychology majors need not exist in the first place. Put another way, such majors are AT LEAST redundant and unnecessary. At worst,……….
Monty says
A “celebration” of Muslim culture should look like a wake. We mourn the death of freedom, the death of liberty and the death of human rights anywhere that Islam prevails.
An aside: you think you have problems? Australia has a Human Rights Commissioner. She recently said that it was unfortunate that people could say what they liked around the kitchen table. She was awarded the “Voltaire Award” for her support of free speech. It’s like giving Kim Jong Il the Nobel Peace prize. Orwell was right: “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.” (1984) The prize was awarded by “Liberty Victoria” Fortunately the woman is on her way out.
gravenimage says
Grotesque irony, Monty.
Kessler says
Here is the entire speech.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-592pIo7wk
gravenimage says
Thank you, Kessler.
Jackson03 says
I wonder if there was a q&a section after Spencer’s talk. I would love to hear the results of someone from those who disagree with Spencer trying to logically dispute his claims.
silvergreycat says
Q&A portion… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPTHfGX2cSs
gravenimage says
Thanks for the link.
pennant8 says
The local press reporting on the event made mention of Robert Spencer’s “views” on Islamic texts. Quoting those texts verbatim is not a ‘”view’ it is a simple statement of fact. And that’s the problem, too many people in the West can’t get their heads around what Islamic scripture actually says. Even if they read it themselves they still can’t bring themselves to believe that this scripture actually says what it says.
gravenimage says
Very true. The denial runs very deep.
Pal says
Keep On – ROBERT SPENCER – KEEP ON !!
A NATION AWAKENER !!
IT IS THE BOOK – THE CORE – THE ORIGIN – THE INCEPTION – THE DESIGN – THE “RELIGION” ITSELF.
“Wolves, radicals, peacefuls, terrorists, mentals”
ALL THOSE ARE F A L S E SUBSTITUTES !!
Mike T says
Robert, I frequently read in your writing your grievance against the incessant ad-hominem attacks that your critics direct at you. I agree with you – such attacks did little to strengthen their legitimate points in whatever the debate may be. More often, their resort to ad-hominem attacks reveals the weakness of their positions.
Therefore, I suggest that we dispense with the apparently newly-coined label “left-fascist”, and refrain from using others of similar nature, and focus on substance.
Respectfully,
MikeT
Robert Spencer says
MikeT:
Labeling someone properly is not ad hominem. An ad hominem attack is saying, “You shouldn’t listen to x because he is a Left-fascist.” But saying “X is a Left-fascist because of these pieces of evidence,” and explaining the evidence, is not an ad hominem attack.
MikeT says
Sir, you are correct. Labeling someone is not, per se, an instance of argumentum ad hominem. But I believe it is effectively similar, and that this kind of rhetoric can distract from, if not undermine, the valid points in whatever your argument may be. That is all I intended to suggest.
Respectfully yours,
MikeT
Robert says
You may not be interested in jihad, but jihad is most certainly interested in you.
Politicianphobia says
The outdoor rally -listened to music together, danced to show support for their Muslim friends. Good. Why are Muslim parents in Canada pulling their children out of music classes?