FOXMAN AND ADL SHOULD END THEIR HATRED OF MUSLIMS IN AMERICA; CHRISTIANS IN TURKEY
Executive Publisher / Managing Editor
Issue # 1220
Thursday, August 12, 2010
As if the 2007 ADL-Armenian Genocide denial controversy and its
fallout wasn’t enough, now Foxman has sunk driven into a new low of
religious bigotry.
The Anti-Defamation League continued to be the target of public
backlash as a result of its controversial position last week against
the Islamic cultural center to be built a few blocks away from the
site of the 9/11 attack.
CNN host and Newsweek columnist Fareed Zakaria strongly criticized
ADL’s anti-mosque position.
Zakaria stated on CNN: “Ever since 9/11, the United States has
been trying to engage in a battle of ideas of radical Islam. In
fact many conservatives have argued that we should be engaged
in much more extensive efforts to find moderates to de-legitimize
violent and radical Islam. There are politicians who have shamefully
and shamelessly capitalized on the public’s weariness. The public
is weary, understandably because there is so much disinformation
about the [Islamic] centre. But perhaps the most puzzling stand was
taken by the Anti-Defamation League which was founded to support the
freedom of religion. The Director of ADL Abraham Foxman explained that
the victims of the 9-11 had feelings on this matter that should be
respected even if they were irrational. First of all, there were many
dozens of victims of 9-11 who were Muslim. Do their feelings count?
More important, are irrational feelings, prejudices, and hatred
OK because those expressing them are victims or see themselves as
victims? Will the ADL defend the rights of Palestinian victims to
be anti-Semites?”
“I have to say, I was deeply saddened by ADL’s stand. Because five
years ago, the [ADL] organization honored me with its Hubert H.
Humphrey award for First Amendment Freedoms. Given the position that
they have taken on the core issue of religious freedom in America,
I can not, in good conscience, keep that award. Later he wrote
in Newsweek: “I returned both the handsome plaque and the $10,000
honorarium that came with it. I urge the ADL to reverse its decision.
Admitting an error is a small price to pay to regain a reputation,”
he added.
“The much larger issue that this center raises is, of course, of
freedom of religion in America. Much has been written about this,
and I would only urge people to read Michael Bloomberg’s speech on the
subject last week. Bloomberg’s eloquent, brave, and carefully reasoned
address should become required reading in every civics classroom in
America. It probably will,” he concluded.
Taking the ADL to task were diverse leaders and ethnic American groups
including a many righteous Jews — cantors, filmmakers, lawyers,
authors and musicians, who posted a letter in the Huffington Post in
response to ADL National Director Foxman’s highly insulting statement
against the building of the Islamic center. They wrote: “We can
relate to these ‘irrational feelings’. … Many of our families lost
members to the Holocaust. And yet we believe that your position on the
Cordoba House is wrong and that it goes against the ADL’s description
of itself as an organization that fights ‘all forms of bigotry.'”
ADL’s intolerance is nothing new to the citizens of Massachusetts and
thousands of anti-genocide activists throughout the United States. It
is not limited to religion but it also entails ethnic and racial
prejudice. Back in 2007 several MA municipalities protested against
ADL’s hatred against Armenian-Americans and their heritage.
Over a dozen MA municipalities categorically rejected ADL’s siding
with Turkey in its denial of the Armenian Genocide. They canceled
their joint sponsorship of ADL’s discredited “No Place For Hate”
programs. David Boyajian of MA who led the successful “No Place For
Denial” campaign, condemned ADL’s bigotry.
Interestingly, there is a subdued link between ADL’s and Turkey’s
religious intolerance. While ADL does not tolerate an Islamic center
in New York, Turkey’s deep state despises not only the Christian
religion but also the Muslim faith.
ADL’s Turkish allies have even gone further.
The Armenian Genocide was primarily masterminded and executed by
secular Turks who continue to be in power in today’s Turkey; and
closely co-operate with Foxman’s ADL in furthering genocide denial
in the United States.
Are Mr. Foxman and his organization aware that contrary to the
genocidal secular Turks, devout Muslim Turks – especially of Konya,
the center of Turkish Holy Islam, were among several righteous Muslim
Turks who at the risk of losing their own lives saved many Armenians
from certain death?
Does he care to learn that thousands of deported Armenian survivors of
the 1915-1923 Genocide were embraced with open arms by Muslim Arabs
in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, other Arab countries and in
what was then Palestine?
Uprooted orphaned Armenians were also given refuge in predominantly
Islamic Iran.
The exiled Christian Armenians were granted rights to build their
churches alongside mosques all over the Middle East.
During the last millennium no church has been forcibly converted to a
mosque by Muslim Arabs or Muslim Iranians in the entire Middle East,
except in Turkey.
ADL’s ally Turkey is the only country in the Mediterranean basin
that has illegally confiscated thousands of Christian Armenian,
Greek and Assyrian places of worship, heritage, and higher learning,
and converted many of them into mosques, warehouses, and stables.
Mr. Foxman and his ADL should end their hatred of Muslims in America
by recognizing an Islamic center’s right to exist — not on ground
zero, but a few blocks away from it.
They should also end their prejudice against Christians and other
minorities in Turkey by encouraging tolerance among racist Turks
through the creation of genuine “No Place for Hate” programs in
municipalities all over Turkey.
From: A. Papazian