50 Muslim organizations join call to drop Robert Spencer as speaker on an American Library Association panel
CAIR: Library Group Panelists Withdraw Over Role of Islam-Basher
Coalition of 50 Muslim organizations joins call to drop Robert Spencer as speaker
CHICAGO, July 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-Chicago) today announced that all other panelists scheduled to speak at an American Library Association (ALA) annual conference session on stereotyping of Islam have withdrawn in protest over the participation of Robert Spencer, one of the nation’s leading Islam-bashers.
The Council on Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC), a coalition of more than 50 Muslim organizations, also joined CAIR-Chicago, the other ALA panelists and a number of librarians and academics in calling on ALA to drop Spencer from the July 12 panel titled “Perspectives on Islam: Beyond the Stereotyping.”
Spencer is the publisher of the anti-Islam Internet hate site “Jihad Watch.” The independent national media watch group Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) identifies him as one of “America’s leading Islamophobes” who systematically “spread fear, bigotry, and misinformation.” A FAIR special report, called “Smearcasters,” provides examples of Spencer’s Islamophobic views.
No, they don’t. Their examples are of Spencer stating the truth:
Of course, the devil can quote scripture for his own purpose, but Osama’s use of these and other passages in his messages is consistent (as we shall see) with traditional understanding of the Quran. When modern-day Jews and Christians read their Bibles, they simply don’t interpret the passages cited as exhorting them to violent actions against unbelievers. This is due to the influence of centuries of interpretative traditions that have moved them away from literalism regarding these passages. But in Islam, there is no comparable interpretative tradition.
Unfortunately, however, jihad as warfare against non-believers in order to institute “Sharia” worldwide is not propaganda or ignorance, or a heretical doctrine held by a tiny minority of extremists. Instead, it is a constant element of mainstream Islamic theology. (Jihad Watch, 3/3/07)
Yep.
In his letters to the ALA, CAIR-Chicago Executive Director Ahmed Rehab emphasized that the issue is not censorship, but is instead about the need for the ALA to take responsibility for its misrepresentation of the event to the panelists and the public.
Sure it is.
Spencer recently supported a conference in Florida featuring Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders.
Oh no! Well, that settles it.
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Tags: Jihad Watch, Robert Spencer
