No this is not a continuation of my arguments against Michelle Bachmann. I feel that most people already know what the problem is and quite frankly there are other (and more subtle) means of fearmongering going on.
So starting today in New York City, the American Freedom Defense Initiative led by Pamela Geller has its posters up on public transportation. Specifically, this is what the posters are of:
There is both a overt and subversive message in those posters and it relies on two conditions for the poster to resonate with people: (1) people are not very well read on Islam and the tenets of the faith, and (2) people feel threatened by a religion and culture that is very different from their own.
To start with, the message creates a false dichotomy and bigotry. I make my case in simple points:
1. The ad is not about calling jihadists savages. It calls people who practice jihad savages. The “ist” while it may seem like a minor distinction makes all the difference. Jihadists is a term that is used to describe individuals of the Muslim faith who advocate the use of violence to promote their version of Islam, however it may be (and even the jihadists have their differences but the essence is the same). All those who practice the Muslim faith are not jihadists, and in proportion to the total population of those who are of the Muslim faith, I would say that jihadists are a minority.
Jihad on the other hand is a concept in Islam that has to do with a “struggle.” For many Muslims, this means resistance from temptation and the struggle to maintain the tenets of their faith. This could range from premarital sex to not eating bacon. You get the idea right? This is no different from any other religion or even not having a religion. It has to do with self-control and self-discipline.
To put it simply, jihad is not necessarily a violent concept. Those who practice the Muslim faith practice jihad. Those who practice the Muslim faith and practice jihad with violence to coerce others are jihadists. This distinction is very important.
2. The bigotry lies in that the savage label is put on those who practice jihad (all Muslims), when not all are jihadists. Here is the real problem though. When confronted with “jihad” what was the mental image or impression that is being made? An important concept for all those who practice the faith gets lumped into that mental image. For those who are unfamiliar or not read on Islam (and even for those who know), the mental image is of what jihadists do: the violence. The advertisements not only reinforces this miseducation, it creates a false dichotomy.
3. The advertisement presents a dichotomy: Support Israel/Defeat Jihad. The subtle message here is: Support Israel/Defeat Islam. Not only is this an apples to oranges comparison (Israel is a state, Islam is a faith), but it is an attempt to paint all Muslims as jihadists. This subtlety might almost come off as a conspiracy theory if it wasn’t for Geller’s own campaigns.
Geller has advocated in the past to shut down an exhibit on Islam in Washington DC. What was wrong with it? Geller felt that the exhibit painted a “rosy and romanticized picture of Islam” (REF: Her own blog). What was the exhibit? It was on Islam’s contribution to science. For those that do not know, Islam did much to contribute to science, mathematics, and was also responsible for preserving western philosophy and history from the classical era, so…the exhibit wasn’t a concerted effort at fabrication. She has a habit of tying what did happen (the contributions of the Muslim World) with a foreboding sense of an Islamization of America (which can mean whatever she chooses that to mean).
OR
Just read her blog. I think most people will see her for what she is. I did write this because I was surprised that some people actually buy what she is selling, and actually agree with this campaign without putting much thought into it.
Filed under: New York City Local, bigotry, fearmongering, Islam, islamophobia
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