Programming America: A Lesson from the Park 51 Controversy.

Programming America: A Lesson from the Park 51 Controversy.
by Dawoud Kringle

On Tuesday, August 24th, I was a guest on Fox Business Network’s “Scoreboard”, hosted by David Asman. The interview was originally supposed to be one on one, but at the last minute, I learned that I was to share the program with Andrew McCarthy, former US prosecuting attorney (who had prosecuted the 1993 WTC bombers, and ultra right wing anti-Islam propagator).

Mr. McCarthy is a man of astonishing intelligence and aptitude, good manners, natural charm, and exhibits an easy and confident manner (I understand he’s a big Mets fan too). But there are some things I must admit I find disturbing.

My biggest mistake was preparing for the appearance in terms of an interview with, say, Bill Moyers where discussion and content are opened in a spirit of inquiry. Fox News, the land of sound bites, where there is a political agenda with a closed point of view that wants to avoid all real discussion and communication does not, and cannot operate like this. I underestimated them. The fact that the moderator, and his other guest sided with each other to discredit what I was there to represent, and me as a person.

When they questioned me point blank if Hamas was a terrorist organization, I knew they were setting a trap; but I wouldn’t play their game. Frankly, I was shocked by the question because I saw it as utterly irrelevant to the discussion at hand – as if we were discussing the weather, and they had suddenly shouted “I found a drowned mouse in my Pepsi! How did you explain this?” Mr. Asman did in fact, shout at me. He has very bad manners.

My answer was that I believed that Hamas was guilty of terrorist acts. But they are a political and not an Islamic organization, and that anyone who commits terrorist action violate Islam’s most sacred articles of faith. They interpreted this as an evasion. I “evaded” the Hamas question and looked for a way to bring the discussion back to the spiritual dimensions of Islam, and how it is applied in a practical social situation; and to help defuse the volatility of the 51 Park Place controversy. As it turned out, this was a double sided trap.

The backlash from the show occurred when McCarthy wrote an article for the National Review Online. In it, he emphasized that I was another “moderate” Imam (whatever that, and other terms the Islamophobes invent to try to label and classify us is supposed to mean) who wouldn’t admit that Hamas is a terrorist organization. In publications such as the Washington Examiner, jihadwatch.com and other several other ultra right wing publications, I’m portrayed as a pitiful, naive eccentric who has been duped into apologizing for terrorists. In fact, the online publication Yes But However even made mention of some facebook posts I made.

Mr. McCarthy’s articles go on to list a number of articles in Hamas’ publications where they stated an intent upon destroying Israel. While it is clear that Hamas is a terrorist organization, as defined by the US State Department, (there, Mr. McCarthy: I said it) they also function as a political body. They are now a democratically elected party. I am reminded of a recent study published by the Rand Corporation wherein they compiled statistical information on every terrorist organization of the last 65 years. They found that every terrorist group that is based on a religious ideology has failed to achieve its objectives. Of course, this is not surprising. I find myself wondering if Hamas simply realized at some point that terrorism is as ineffective as it is immoral, and are attempting to implement change in order to insure the survival of Palestine.

Survival! Mr. McCarthy stated that Israel simply wants to survive as a nation. Well, so does Palestine. But Israel cannot allow that. I quote a young Ariel Sharon “I vow to burn every Palestinian. I will not rest until they are dead. The men are a lesser threat than women and children, because they insure there will be future generations.” Does this sound like terrorism? Or perhaps Sharon was simply attempting to follow his Scripture, as outlined in Deuteronomy 20:13-14, 28:53, Ezechial 9:4-6, Judges 21:10-12, 1 Samuel 15:3,7-8, or Hosea 13:16.

And, with all due respect, people of Mr. McCarthy’s ilk have not the courage or honesty to admit that Israel itself has a long history of terrorist actions. The Stern Gang, who helped found Israel, were a gang of thugs who committed terrorist actions against an innocent population. The policy of the Israeli government seems to be not justice, but for every Israeli killed, 100 Palestinians must die. Israel is the only country in the middle east that possesses a nuclear arsenal, have the most efficient secret police force in the world, and are one of the largest manufacturers and exporters of weapons and torture technology. They hold the world’s record for violations of UN Security Council Resolutions. The list is so exhaustive that one is forced to ask what has happened to God’s Chosen People.

The Zionists (I simply cannot bring myself to call them Jews,,,) could have established a Jewish nation in any number of places, but they wanted absolutely nothing except Palestine, not because the Dead Sea water by evaporation can produce five trillion dollars of metaloids and powdered metals; not because the sub-soil of Palestine contains twenty times more petroleum than all the combined reserves of the two Americas; but because Palestine is the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and constitutes the veritable strategic center for world power and political control. This is what Mr. McCarthy pledges his support and considerable resources to. His rhetoric is a thin disguise of his real intentions.

I would like to take a moment to address the sentiments of those who, while not opposed to an Islamic community center, are sensitive to its nearness to the WTC site.

It would be utter hypocrisy, and well as needless cruelty, if I didn’t acknowledge the feelings that the survivors of the 9/11 attack, and those who lost loved ones in the attack, are burdened with. I, too, wept for the innocent who were murdered that day. You are doubtless aware that almost 1/3rd of those murdered were Muslims. But if any of these people are reading my words, please permit me to share a perspective that you may not have been exposed to. All I ask is a fair hearing.

You may be taken aback by this, but I do not believe that those who follow the religion of Islam are responsible for the 9/11 attack. Doubtless the first thing you are thinking about is the theories that many have that the attacks were an inside job. I will not burden you with a list of forensic evidence (which would require volumes to present). I will only say that those who us “conspiracy theorists” believe perpetrated the attack had easy access to the technology, the organizational processes, the economic resources, and most important, the motive to accomplish this plan. And these people do not practice Islam.

That aside, the second fact, if we were to accept that 19 men staged a coordinated hijacking, is largely overlooked. Every single action, every motive, and every ideology that inspired their actions is the antithesis of authentic Islam. As with the “inside job” previously mentioned, it would require volumes to qualify this. Suffice it to say that these ideologies have their basis in kuffar (“infidel”) ideologies that historically have been rejected by Muslim religious scholars. In fact, the practice of suicide bombing was invented by 19th century Russian anarchists. We must also not forget that these “martyrs” were seen cavorting in a strip bar, drinking and getting lap dances the night before their mission. No Muslim would do such a thing if he knew he was to meet his Lord the following day (even if he believed that insanity about suicide bombing making one a martyr for the religion)! All things considered, these 19 men were not acting in the name of Islam – and whatever words came out of their mouths are irrelevant.

No matter how you look at it, no real Muslim could have committed the 9/11 attacks. Therefore, the religion of Islam is not responsible. Yet we are taking upon ourselves the responsibility to heal the wounds of that horrible day. The pain you are experiencing regarding 51 Park Place Community Center is nothing more than a crisis of healing. Please allow us to heal this wound – and don’t allow others with overt political agendas to manipulate your pain to their ends. I promise you they do not love or respect you; and to them, you are mere cannon fodder.

Now, I must return to the problem of the controversy.

It is interesting how this ignorance and fear were, suddenly, exacerbated out of nowhere – especially considering how the building at the center of the controversy has actually been functioning as a mosque for almost a year.

But one must wonder why this outcry happened. It is not outside the realm of possibilities that some other real estate developers want that property (there is a lot of empty real estate there. The proposed community center would surely stimulate the local economy). Knowing that an Islamic organization is planning its own project there, it would make sense to stir up Islamohobia among the more easily manipulated elements of society. Eventually the pressure would become so great that they would be forced to abandon the project – and another agenda could be pursued. But this is speculation.

Recently, Fox has been “wondering” where the funding for the “GZ Mosque” is coming from; and accused Imam Feisal al Rauf (a man I’ve known for years as one of the finest men of my acquaintance) – with no proof – of accepting money from terrorist organizations and states: including Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Iran, and the Kingdom Foundation, owned by Saudi prince Al-Waleed bin Talal.

As it turned out, bin Talal is also the second largest shareholder and investor in News Corp; the parent company of Fox News.

Monty Python couldn’t have come up with anything more absurd. The only possible explanation for this is Fox News is playing both sides against the middle, using their co-owner to ensure the existence of the mosque for the purpose of hosting nightly Islamophobic “Two Minutes Hate” as well as all manner of neuro-linguistic programming. This guarantees increased ratings while consolidating a fringe right wing population that will obey any command, repeat any slogan, dance to any tune, and buy whatever useless trinket is dangled in front of them.

You will have no doubt heard of the recent stabbing of Ahmed Sharif, the Muslim cab driver by a drunken and mentally unbalanced Michael Enright in NYC. You may also have heard of a recent pipe bombing attempt at another mosque, and a drunk urinating in yet another mosque. The emotional rhetoric that the Fox Propaganda Machine and its other right wing publications and spokespeople offer could have been instrumental in causing such reactions among the more unstable elements of their followers.

Will we expect more such hate crimes?

And it is these followers, whether simply frightened, seduced by corporate propaganda, or genuinely emotionally unstable, are not motivated by logic or reason. They are motivated by emotion.

This culture of “dumbing down” Americans, and then whipping them into a feeding frenzy is the support that they rely on. Because if one were to see their manipulations for what they really are; we would have to question what they are attempting to sell. But they are not asked such questions by their followers. They use, admittedly brilliant, methods of manipulating opinion and judgment: the same used by all despots throughout history. They hammer sound bites into the consciousness of the people, until the people not only repeat and believe the sound bite’s message; they cannot remember a time when it was not part of their thought processes.

Consider the following:

“I reserve reason for the few and emotion for the many. If I approached my audience with reasoned arguments, they would not understand me. Their intelligence is small. I must reduce my philosophies to four or five simple points that I repeat again and again until my words become like commands under hypnosis”

Does this sound at all familiar? Those words were spoken by a right wing politician named Adolf Hitler.

It may interest the reader to know that despite all I have said, I actually agree with the right wing on a few points. I am a great admirer of Sen. Ron Paul; and he is a republican. If he makes it to the primaries in the 2012 election, he has my vote. There are also elements of the left wing of American politics that I agree with, and disagree with. I am neither left nor right; I have my own views that fall under no specific existing category. There are other things that I believe the right wing of the American political spectrum is on point about. And I am convinced that there are many, even a majority, on both sides of this spectrum who are good, sincere people who are caught up in a fear and rhetoric driven controversy. How could I have any animosity toward them, even if I vehemently disagree with their political ideas? This especially since I believe in the freedoms promised by the US Constitution and Bill of Rights.

In fact, I am not even opposed to the protests themselves insofar as 1. people MUST be allowed their right to freedom of political speech, and 2. if handled properly, the two parties could come to a better understanding of what each other believes. This later is important because it has been my experience that all too often in the most violent of arguments, neither side had a truly clear idea of what the other is talking about. In fact, a recent development happened where a controversial Florida Christian, Pastor Bill Keller, announced his intention to build a church near “ground zero.” I vehemently disagree with Pastor Keller’s views and opinions, but he has every right to build that church in that neighborhood. I wouldn’t go so far as to say I support him; he may expect no donations from me, nor is it likely we will display anything but a forced cordiality if we ever meet. But I support his right to build a church. And if anyone tries to violate that right, I will speak up!

So, what I am dealing with here is something entirely different that what the media would have us believe.

There is something disturbingly Orwellian about the methods and motives of those at the helm of all this. It is a perfectly admissible argument that the rabid anti-Islam right is a precursor to a totalitarian order that could replace the freedoms we hold dear in the United States of America. In order to preserve freedom, they will destroy it. They employ the worst – as well as the most subtle and disingenuous – of hypocrisies and methods of tyranny and oppression that probably have George Orwell spinning in his grave fast enough to generate electricity. The logic of their position demands that if they had a shred of honesty, they would admit that they are, for all intents and purposes, the very thing they claim to hate.

What is most disheartening about the rabid opposition to the 51 Park Place community center is the provable and indisputable fact that the majority of the Islamic community have been active in opposing terrorism, with their words and deeds (which Fox and its like will never report). If “moderate” Muslims have been essential in the apprehension and prosecution of criminals, such as the “patriotic Muslims” Mr. McCarthy mentioned having helped him prosecute the 1993 WTC bombers in the interview / debate I had with him, how do they expect “moderate” American Muslims to continue to defend our country from criminals if they do not allow us a strong foundation to work from? The opposition to the 51 Park Place Community Center is cutting off a first line of defense.

It is not surprising that their “enemy” is Islam. An authentic Islam is the biggest obstacle to their goal of driving the human and social nexus to slavery – and ultimate extinction. We are what they fear most because, as Allah said in Qur’an, truth stands clear of falsehood.

I went on Fox (and got worked over by two professional thugs) not with the intention of fighting anyone, but to bring a measure of peace to the controversy regarding the proposed Park 51 community center in New York City (I must echo Keith Olbermann’s words and state that there is no”ground zero mosque”). I went into hostile territory and offered a gesture of peace. As is befitting the Deen al Islam. This was the only thing that interested me. I accepted the offer to appear on Fox because it was a national forum and if I simply got my point across, I would have done my job. The only way to properly expose people to the truth is to eliminate their ignorance and fear. What I was attempting was impossible; but I had to do it. That was my agenda; and I wanted to bring this message into a place where there may have been no other possibility that it could be spoken.

In my interview / debate, I spoke the truth. It was all I had, and all I needed. I leave it to Allah to judge me.