Fear Inc. exposes the recession-proof Islamophobia industry

[oberliner]

A six-month research project by the prominent think tank, Center for American Progress has resulted in a 130-page report appropriately named Fear Inc.: The Roots Of the Islamophobia Network In America. This is the first in-depth investigation into Islamophobia, and it sheds lights on how a small group of bigots linked to conservative and Zionist causes each play a role in the seemingly lucrative industry of Muslim hatred and bashing Islam.

Seven foundations donated £42 million over 10 years, which was filtered down to self styled “experts” on Islam whose job it is to churn out Goebbles-style propaganda against Muslims. Of these, eight of the most prominent are Robert Spencer and Daniel Pipes who claim to be scholars, Frank Gaffney who runs Center for Security Policy and Steve Emerson founder of Investigative Project on Terrorism. A Maronite Christian Brigette Gabriel heads Act for America and as an Israel Hasbara speaker has a large following of Christian Zionists who faithfully disseminate her bigotry through various chapters dotted around the nation. Millions are influenced by their TV appearances, the favored mouthpieces being the conservative and religious right radio and news stations including Fox News and the Christian Broadcasting Network. More ominously, lucrative speaking engagements at civil and military institutions provide the credibility they crave, all duly reported in the print media including the National Review magazine and The Washington Times. Most of these media outlets have websites which increases the exposure.

Lending his legal expertise is David Yerushalmi, an Israeli American lawyer and religious settler whom the New York Times recently exposed as a being the favorite legal counsel to the Islamophobia industry and the brains behind the “Ban Shariah Law” campaign. One of his clients include Pamela Geller of Atlas Shrugs and the hate group Stop the Islamization For America (SIOA). Fanning the flames of all this hate are politicians, including Republican Congressman Allen West, who when asked to comment on Keith Ellison's religion stated that it is the “antithesis of the principles upon which this country was established.” West is a recipient of the Saudi Arabia Kuwait Liberation Medal W/Palm Tree award.

Further down the hierarchy, an assortment of paid charlatans posing as ex-Muslims like Walid Shoebat (Christian Palestinian) and Wafa Sultan (Alawite Syrian) to Nonie Darwish (Egyptian convert to Evangelism) breath the “we have lived through it” life to the otherwise dead lies these “experts” produce. Last but not least are the bloggers and their readers whose importance should not be underestimated in a world where Anders Breivik took his prime inspirations from the Internet. Right-wing blogs are littered with comments that dehumanize Palestinians, call for the genocide of Muslims and to end Islam. Cherry picked and distorted “news” is regularly parroted by tea party activists and on the Zionist blogosphere assisted by the likes of Brigette Gabriel and her minions of Christian Right followers. Whilst promoting anti-Muslim hate, radical Zionism and Israel being a victim of Islam are presented as fact.

http://arabnews.com/opinion/columns/article514690.ece