Mohammed Shafiq, Chief Executive of the Ramadhan Foundation, an interfaith organisation, was invited on to BBC 5 Live on Sunday night to review Monday morning’s newspapers. A quick perusal of Shafiq’s tweets revealed that he isn’t pro-Israel.
Here was one I really noticed:
A twitter exchange between us followed where I, more or less, accused Shafiq of being unfair to Israel and Jews, to which he responded that he was only “reporting what newspapers and tv news have said”. He sent me a link from CNN to prove it and demanded an apology.
But the CNN piece makes no mention of the settlers being “Jewish”. People know settlers are Jewish so why emphasise it, especially when the person emphasising it works for an interfaith organisation like the Ramadhan Foundation?
CNN’s article only refers to “Israeli extremists”, “radical Israeli settlers” and “extremists”. Mainstream commentators would, surely, refer to President Ahmadinejad as being “Iranian”, not “a Muslim”.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu condemned the act and investigations are still continuing to find the perpetrators.
I offered no apology but, instead, looked further at his tweets and found this:
So Shafiq has retweeted a message, which crudely refers to the Torah and Mein Kampf in the same sentence, to all his followers. It originated from IsraelTheNazis whose logo has turned the Star of David into something resembling a Swastika.
One of the Ramadhan Foundation’s values is “To be ethical and truthful” and one of its objectives is to “To enhance a better understanding between Muslims and non Muslims in the West”. One of the central messages of its Chairman, Muhammad Umar, is “to promote tolerance and peaceful co-existence.”
Let’s see how its Chief Executive puts all that out into the world:
1. When extremist Israeli settlers do something horrendous Shafiq puts emphasis on their Jewishness, so connecting ALL Jews with the crime.
2. Shafiq refers to Jerusalem as “occupied”. Not just east Jerusalem but the whole of Jerusalem, therefore, not allowing Israel to claim even a part of the city that is central to the Jewish faith.
3. Shafiq forwards a message from IsraelTheNazis which seems to imply that one of the Jewish holy books is Hitler’s Mein Kampf, while the logo of IsraelTheNazis includes the Jewish symbol, the Star of David, resembling a Swastika.
Will the BBC and other media outlets continue to use Shafiq as a social commentator? Of course they will!
For the sake of clarity I did ask Shafiq why he retweeted IsraelTheNazis hoping he might say it was a mistake or, possibly, apologise. Three days on there has been no response.
Meanwhile, even today Shafiq is trying to connect all Jews with wrongdoing. His latest pronouncement is to cite “Jewish donors” who have financed a film offensive to the Muslim community. Shafiq continues: “We call on the Jewish community to condemn this film and those that have donated to it.”
RichardMillett's Blog 
At least one blogger thinks the film might not exist. Another thinks “Sam Bacile” could be a Copt in Egypt. The “Bacile Family History” is a bit empty!
http://www.ancientfaces.com/research/surname/Bacile/bacile-family-history-and-family-tree#bacile-family-history-and-origin
Which reciprocal interfaith group is the Ramadhan Foundation talking to . Sternberg ?
These orgs almost invariably a cover up radical Islam so as to operate in the main stream . The BBC luvvies swallow it verbatim because it fits with their views and agenda .
It would be an idea to find out and follow up .
Any Jewish outreach organisation must be informed .
The act of vandalism took place at Latrun Trappist monastery, which is not in Jerusalem. So any discussion of Jerusalem here is irrelevant and gratuitous. Also Richard, forgetting the negligible jihadist moron on Twitter for a moment, you disregard the only thing worth considering here, the core problem of this story, which is the very ugly, deeply disturbing and irrational hatred of Jesus Christ in the religious Jewish community. It is particulary disgusting that the Orthodox Jews…not Buddhists…. who committed this crime, chose to target the Latrun monastery, a place that has contributed greatly to peace between Arab and Jew, not least by providing land for Neve Shalom, the unique Arab/Jewish community, a successful experiment in living together in peace and harmony. The Episcopalian settlers…whoops I mean Jewish land grabbers… who perpetrated this nasty act are enemies of peace and haters of peaceful co-existence. And WTF have Trappist monks got to do with the evacuation of Migron? These primitive birdbrain God-tremblers are out of control and should be treated with extreme prejudice by the Israeli authorities. They are a clear and present danger to what’s left of democracy in Israel with their zealous theocratic fanaticism. But if they are found, they will be told off gently and fined 10 shekhels. Why aren’t you upset about all that, instead of some insignificant cretin on Twitter?
You’re really embarrassing yourself more than usual with this post, ignoring the real malaise that threatens your beloved state.
How did the bbc observe the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 sneak attacK?
Did it mention that all 19 hijackers were Muslim, 15 from Saudi Arabia?
I don’t even remember, Infidel, so I imagine very little was said. I do think one of them mentioned how “little” money the BBC has now, Government froze the licence fee,
if the perpetrators haven’t been apprehended and haven’t published a confession of having committed the crime, shouldn’t one wait with phrases “orthodox Jews who committed this crime”? As best I know presumed innocent is valid in Israel also.
I don’t know the correct Anglo-word but as translated it would be “who are suspected of having committed …”.
As an aside a day or two ago I heard an hour long essay on Carl Schmitt who insisted to the end of his life that his anti-semitism was well secured in the Christian conviction re Jews and Jesus.
If somebody as eminent and as admired for clear-headedness would say that about me, I might I just might develop a bit of a hatred.
Roger, before you set yourself up as judge and jury and decide that this act of vandalism was committed by orthodox Jews, or “Jewish land grabbers” or that this was indicative of “the very ugly, deeply disturbing and irrational hatred of Jesus Christ in the religious Jewish community”, you should be aware of something: whoever wrote the graffiti used the Hebrew name “Yeshua” for Jesus. Now orthodox Jews in Israel never call Jesus “Yeshua”. It is always “Yeshu HaNotzri”. In my experience, the only people here in Israel who refer to Jesus by the Hebrew name “Yeshua” are Messianic Jews (or what used to be called “Jews for Jesus”). So it seems quite possible that someone is trying to frame those “Orthodox Jewish land grabbers” you hate so much (and is it only Orthodox Jews you hate, Roger? Is it only “settlers”?)
the graffiti also included the names of outposts like Migron. I am sure it was some kind of price-tag action on the part of settlers. We will see. Or knowing how the Israeli authorities cover up for settlers, we probably won’t see.
roger the rat,
Anyone can walk up and write graffiti on a wall. It’s like a roger the rat posting on a blog.
This graffiti sounds like a fraud.
” your beloved state”
You really are a spittle-flecked Jew-hating moron, aren’t you?
Richard, Richard, Richard. So this guy’s crime is to connect (wrongly of course) Jews and Israel? Jews and Israeli settlers? And who do you think taught him so? Who constantly conflates Israel with Jews and Judaism with Zionism? Well, that would be you and your merry band of loonytunes, wouldn’t it?
You’re forgiven, of course, because it’s a central tenet of Zionism to conflate these things and make out that Israel speaks for all Jews. Thus critics of Israel aren’t just critics of a country or its foreign policy, but they’re really anti-Semites, or so goes the ‘logic’. It goes on on these here pages ALL THE TIME.
Your culprit is guilty of toeing the official Zionist party line and of having swallowed hasbara without chewing.
As regards the donors to that latest piece of Ziocrapola Islamophobic misinformation, why can’t it be said they’re Jewish? It’s sad but true: among the [Islamophobic] fear mongers are a number of well known Jewish Zionists like Pampam Geller, Daniel Pipes, David Horriblewitz, to name but a few… Don’t shoot the messenger.
Dirt, Do you think that Islam has become associated with plane bombings, plane hijacking and suicide missions, death threats for artists and writers, suicide bombing.
Are checkpoints at airports to screen passengers and luggage Islamophobic?
‘Thank God I am an Imbecile’: yes, by people like you.
Not if they’re applied to everyone in equal measure.
Dirt, Who were Mohammed Atta and the other 18 jihadis of 9/11 infamy?
Buddhists? Amish? Jews? Christians? Hindus? Scientologists?
Dirt, Did the London bus and underground explode by themselves on 7/7/05, killing 52 innocents?
Did Pan Am 103 explode by itself?
Were these things caused by Islam? By all Muslims?
Should I hold Judaism responsible for the crimes of a few Zionists?
I hope not but that’s the point of my post. People like Shafiq end up tainting all Jews with the racism of a few idiots.
Dirt, When have Zionists hijacked four planes and flew them into buildings?
When have Zionists protested in the UK, waving placards that say;
“UK YOU WILL PAY, YOUR 9/11 IS ON THE WAY”.
http://www.usadojo.com/terrorism/islam-march-photos.htm
When have Zionists bombed London transport?
If Israel was the Titanic and the fateful iceberg was in sight, Richard would go and join the band that played on… His Zionism is an article of faith, it’s not based on rationality.
Dirt, Actually the modern day Titanic is the UK itself.
Islamists killing in the UK, honor killing in the UK, openly threatening people with massacres in the UK.
What happened to the country of Winston Churchill???
Dirt, Perhaps you and Mohammed Shafiq can take an autumn foliage bus tour of Aleppo Syria?
Stop hiding behind the corpses of dead Syrians. Assad’s crimes don’t absolve Zionists from theirs.
Dirt, 20,000+ dead Syrians. Is that latest massacre worthy of a few demos, boycotts of Syrian institutions by the “anti-war” crowd?
Is it “counter revolutionary” to oppose Islamofascism?
To save me time. Did said chief exec condemn the chaps I’m Oldham who were targetting the community on M\C with bombs etc.
I don’t understand why the BBC and its experimental wireless service still needs to be propped up by mandatory fees.
Why can’t the BBC sink or swim on its merits or take advertisements revenue from the Islamic Regime of Iran?
There’s a lot of things you don’t understand but explaining them to you would first require teaching you to read and that could take a while.
Only in your mind, Richard, only in your mind.
Well, I hope you’re right, Gert.
If I referred to Joseph Stiglitz as ‘the brilliant Jewish economist Joseph Stiglitz’ would I be praising ‘the Jews’ (collectively)? What if I referred to him as ‘the brilliant American economist Joseph Stiglitz’, am I praising ‘the Americans’ (collectively)?
Your guy may not be the sharpest tool in the box but you present precious little evidence for his alleged ‘connecting ALL Jews with the crime’, as far as I’m concerned.
Any views on the Swastika Star of David and the Jewish holy book Mein Kampf? Or am i going over the top/imagining things that aren’t there still?
Why hope someone is right when you know he is wrong?
And for the actions of the few a whole group has to be held responsible?
Zionists have done their fair share of bombing, including of innocents. Should I hold all Jews responsible?
It is all a question of statistics. Among terrorists’ population, Jews do not number more than their population share (0.2%). When 50% of terrorists are Muslims, questions MUST be asked, such as why are Muslims over-represented in this population, of course. Oppression? Jews have been persecuted for more time than any other known people on earth and still never went into the terror business. Arabs (among Muslims) have been most of the time the oppressors of the Jews and of many others, as we still see today. So ‘oppression’, ‘humiliation’ is a false answer to a real question.
There is no easy answer to the question, but religion is undoubtedly part of it.
And not only 50% of terrorists are Muslims, but these 50% are responsible for well over 95% of the deadly attacks…. Mostly on Muslims, by the way, because Jews have now taken such precautions as roadblocks and secutity fences.
Did you ever see such protection measures against radical Jews in any Muslim country? No, because most radical Jews are word producers with no action behind. Not so with radical Muslims. Switching into action requires only a flick of a finger. And of course, there are millions of them.
Comments like that should give the owner of a blog pause for thought: that this kind of mindless bloody mindedness is attracted to one’s writing.
Although it would be holding Jews to higher standard to expect otherwise, it never ceases to amaze me that among the members of a once persecuted group, there are people who seem blind to the racism directed at another group and that, just like at the height of European anti-Semitism, trying to hold these racist to accounts is only met with: ‘no, it’s true: they [insert maligned group of your choice] really are like that [insert stereotype(s) of your choice]’. In this silly game TGIAI is ‘it’.
I do understand your angst over the fact that the Israelis are not the unarmed Jews of WW2. That the Israelis are armed with weapons to defend themselves and punish their attackers.
And that’s not all!
The Israelis are also not the unarmed Jews of Khybar.
http://www.al-islam.org/restatement/29.htm
Now THAT”S a NAKBA.
You’re a walking, talking plattitude. Colonising land that doesn’t belong to you has nothing to do with self-defence or punishing attackers.
As if I needed further proof that ultra-Nationalism drives one barmy, there’s you… A nut and example of what kind of supporters this blog attracts.
This blog keeps attracting you, Gert!
And of course, the myth of colonisation (one cannot colonise a non-country) and the myth of the land belonging to someone else (the previous owners: the Ottomans?).
Gert will also play the apartheid myth (for apartheids, he can look in the surrounding countries and forget Israel for two millenia).
“I do understand your angst over the fact that the Israelis are not the unarmed Jews of WW2.”
I don’t think it’s angst: more like deranged, impotent rage.
“Colonising land that doesn’t belong to you ”
The Bridlington halfwit still hasn’t understood that you can’t ‘colonise’ your own country.
Leah: The only bonafide inhabitants of what is now the Unholy Land are the 4-legged and winged beings. They are the true descendants of the original inhabitants.Their home has been desecrated over and over again by the presence of sick psychotic humans driven by demented religious beliefs and collective narcissism. The Israelites brutally colonised the Canaanites’ land and the Arabs came uninvited in the 7th century. Looking at the big picture and the span of history, neither group has a moral right to be there. I checked this out with God this morning and She told me that neither people are worthy in their proud sinfulness but the innocent and pure-hearted native species are. The whole place should be emptied and made into a reserve for the wild life…and then we can call it the Holy Land. The only true place of pilgrimage I know of there is the Biblical zoo in Jerusalem. Nice peaceful place for God’s real chosen creatures. The Temple Mount should be decontaminated and made into an annexe of this zoo for humans of all nations to go to for inspiration. What d’ya think?
roger the rat,
Fiddling whilst the UK is burning?
as to the few perpetrators vz the decent lot – I have just one question. If the decent lot is so eager for the world to believe them that they are different why if that is so, are they so eager to adopt the dress code fancied by the perpetrators.
Maybe Almani who on her photo sports a head scarf cares to comment.
G-d, Silke, even by your standards that’s dim.
Why on Earth should those who have nothing to do with the perpetrators change their dress code?
Gert
remember the timeline, if remembering should be among the skills that are available to you
“G-d”
The Bridlington halfwit thinks it’s terribly clever to pretend that an English word is the Hebrew explicit name of the divinity.
Or maybe he is just very dim.
Well, I rarely have much good to say about Gert, but I do appreciate the respect he affords the Orthodox Jews on this blog by writing “G-d” with a dash in the middle.
http://www.jewfaq.org/name.htm
I also quite like the respect Gert shows for me by having to appeal to the divine before finding it in him to address me.
As to G-d or God or even gods I try to avoid the first two in this company because by chosing the first I’d feel like trying to suck up or ingratiate me and as to the second Gert’s use of it has made me very unsure that I might chagrin people I like.
Why has Life to be so complicated?
Had the perpetrators been wearing lederhosen, should current wearers of lederhosen desist?
Considering that quite a few Nazis were fond of their lederhosen, perhaps it’s a shocking crime lederhosen are still being worn at all?
you know nothing about the conversations we had about dress which of course helps you to be the ultimate expert on it.
See above my comments about statistics. Were lederhosen people overrepresented in the Nazi Pariy? Or do they refect the general population. Don’t transform statistical data into a collection of unrelated singularities.
I think I can pre-empt your defence: the lederhosen-boys aren’t Mooooslims!
TGIAI,,your not reading the correct sites or watching the best TV channels..If you watched a station like Press TV you would no that Zionists (Jews) are responsible for most of the worlds crimes. They also spread homosexuality http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/09/08/iran-media-claims-zionists-spreading-homosexuality_n_1867056.html
I haven’t seen the film that was apparently responsible for the murder of the US ambassador to Libya. If I get the chance, I’ll probably watch it. In the meantime I base my views on second-hand reports, something I dislike doing.
My attitude to the mocking of religious leaders and values, particularly by members of other religions is ambiguous. On the one hand I see nothing to be gained by my scoffing at Jesus or Mohammed as this can only upset other people; on the other hand I know that the right to express views that upset other people is implicit in freedom of speech. I’m old enough to remember the dispute that took place after the production of “Life of Brian” and cannot see why movie-makers should have the right to mock some religions, but not others. On balance I don’t think I want to climb on the slippery slope of selective censorship, but I’d always prefer to be one of the mocked rather than one of the mocking.
Specifically, regarding the rather idiotic contention that Mohammed was a “pedophile” that I’ve heard occasionally by Zionists and others, nothing could be more absurd. This is a classic example of an anachronism. At the time he lived such behavior was considered to be quite normative among most if not all civilizations. Without providing too much ammunition for racists like Roger to use against Judaism on a future date, let’s just say that classical Jewish Biblical interpreters have women marring at very early ages and a study of the Talmud attests to the fact that such practices were quite usual and in line with the morality of that era. Such marriages have been known among many Eastern and Western Jewish communities until very recently. Society’s attitude to child marriages has changed a lot in the past century or two and it is a clock that nobody wished to turn back. Of course, this does not mean that most of our ancestors were “pedophiles”.
To describe Mohammed in such terms is as anachronistic as to admonish Jesus for not paying VAT or to criticize Joshua for entering Israel without a valid Egyptian passport and a Canaanite work visa. If that is that and other similar applications of 21st Century Western values on the origins of Islam are the subject of the movie, then though it should not be banned, it is worthy of much condemnation.
Such condemnation should be peaceful and lawful and if Islamic demonstrators choose to break the law in order to express their views, by disrupting screenings of the movie, etc, such actions should be non-violent and their perpetrators should be given moderate punishment as is customary on such occasions. Needless to say, the murdering of foreign diplomatic staff is not an acceptable way to express such legitimate grievances.
Daniel
a little gem as to “pedophilia” – Yesterday I asked Wikipedia about the Age of Consent in European Countries, the Vatican’s is 12.
Germany’s is 14. At first glance our’s looked to me like not in synch with current morals but then saw that it has been last brought up to date in 1994 and has an incredible amount of very complicated and hard to establish sounding qualifications and that made me think a bit more and then I remembered that when you set the age of consent too high you’ll criminalise a lot of teenage shenaniganning.
Even though I heartily wish they’d wait until their minds have caught up with their bodies, I don’t want to see them in court for romps in the hay.
As to that film I seems YouTube has removed the long bit available. I watched about a minute, not my cup of tea, but then I can’t understand all that enthusiasm for Life of Brian, which lacks for me in LOLs as well as chuckles.
And one more while I think I notice a tendency to photograph all ages of definitely too young girls in highly suggestive ways in mail catalogues the condemnations for men who transgress get ever harsher with everybody posing as the perfect saint who has never ever had a Lolita-crush.
Summed up there is way too much hypocrisy out there
Hi Silke,
I queued up in Leicester Square on the first night that Life of Brian was publicly screened and bribed others with milk-shakes to let me jump line. Though I confess that I fell asleep watching it that night, I have seen it numerous times since and consider it a work of utter genius.
Regarding the age of consent, I would judge differently at two fifteen year old classmates having “consensual” sex than I would if the man was 40. I think that most judicial codes make similar distinctions.
Regarding pedophilia, I was born into a world in which homosexuality was generally considered to be either a crime or a sickness or both:
Today, those who such objections to homosexuality are often considered wicked or mentally ill themselves, therefore, I have no idea whether a future generation might legalize it or even recognize it as a legitimate life-style choice. I fear that a society which lives by the philosophy, “If both sides agree and it doesn’t cause any harm, why not?” could legalize many acts that we consider today to be immoral.
It is important to mention that sexual promiscuity is not a sign of progress or modernity and many ancient societies from Sodom, through Hellenism to ancient Rome permitted many acts that would still shock any of us. I think it is more correct to see it as a kind of wave that attacks the excesses of overly puritanical thought exposing its hypocrisy, becomes ever more extreme until it is eventually challenged by a new wave of puritanism. We can see women in Egypt wearing more and more, in the US wearing less and less while in many parts of Europe both revolutions often appear to be taking place almost simultaneously.
Daniel: Yes indeed, Life of Brian is a masterpiece of dark satirical humour…..an all-out attack on primordial tribalism and fanatical dogmatism. Given that you are a scriptural fundamentalist……..and don’t say you’re not, otherwise you wouldn’t be living in Maale Adumim and studying the Talmud every day waiting for the Messiah to come and redeem the land……..I cannot fathom why this film appeals to you. When it was released the Christians got uppity about it, but upon closer inspection, it can be seen as an antisemitic diatribe. And that’s something that makes me feel a bit uncomfortable. It portrays the Jewish inhabitants of the region at the time as a bunch of hypocritical, fanatical gormless morons and ingrates who only know double standards, divisiveness and conflict. What say you? Doesn’t its ridicule of religious particularism….specifically Jewish separatism and elitism, offend you? I mean, the Romans come across as patient endurers of the locals’ self-defeating and backward imbecility.
And call me Woger if you like.
As my pronoun usage was rather shoddy, I should clarify that when I said:
“…therefore, I have no idea whether a future generation might legalize it or even recognize it as a legitimate life-style choice…” – the “it” in question was a reference to pedophilia and not homosexuality.
Roger,
Your opinions regarding Maale Adumim and my lifestyle in general are of absolutely no consequence and I have not the slightest wish to discuss either with you. Forgive me, but I’ve seen what you write about both Jews and Arabs and consider you to be a rather tedious bigot and a racist.
I have absolutely no idea what your are asking me regarding the Life of Brian, but if you can construct a simple unloaded question, I’ll do my best to reply.
why do you like a film that subverts tribalism and organised religion…. your pillars?
“I have seen it numerous times since and consider it a work of utter genius.”
Finally we agree on something.
But it’s a very English type of humour.
“it can be seen as an antisemitic diatribe”
Doolaly with a cherry on the top.
Roger I don’t think you number among the decent Goys that Danny is shocked and surprised to meet.
Again in the personal attack business? I see you don’t even need my presence to go into it.
hmmmm
As anachronistic as claiming that it’s all ours because some late stone age/early bronze age folks that some of us sorta kinda have a vaguely similar ehnicity to used to hang around the place ?
You really are quite remarkably ignorant, Rich, aren’t you? Any idea when the early Bronze Age was in relation to the end of the 2nd Temple era?
And did you not know that there has been a continuous Jewish presence in Israel for 3000 years?
Regarding the film- This was sent to me-
Israeli Channel 10 reporter Nadav Eyal –
who claims to have spoken to the film makers –
says that ‘Sam Bacile’ is a pseudonym and that the film makers are former Muslims who converted to Christianity
– including at least one Iranian.
Thanks, Steve. If true let’s hope Shafiq apologises.
There is a good chance that this story is true. The film (I’ve seen excerpts) seems to be quite a sloppy work. The surname “Bacile” is clearly non-Jewish and could come from “Basil”, a name of… Arabic origin.
Richard are you relaxed about the racism that dominates your blog spot ?
“t the racism that dominates your blog ”
Rich A, You are a legend only in your own little mind.
Or do you not consider ” every time I meet a decent goy I am shocked and surprised” to be racism ?
Well, considering your racist views, “Armchair Quaterback, “Richard Armbach”, “Real Real Zionist”, etc., I recommend you takie a low profile.
Low profiles are not my strong point
Hose A quote me back one single racist comment I have ever made
All your statements about Israel are more or less antisemitic. Israel-bashing is antisemitism. You don’t realise that, of course.
Back to the subject, racist ‘experts’ have being bought positions in international agencies, media, by the Arab/Iranian lobbies. These ‘experts’ are chosen to be the most virulently antisemitic, Holocaust deniers, ‘Palestinian’ supporters as can be found. Better if they are ‘Jews’, like Richard Falk , so that they can hardly be blamed of being antisemitic. Or can they? It has been called “Jew-washing”. Dissolving anti-semitism by Jew-washing is hardly new. It began even before the Inquisition.
I mean if you can match ” every time I meet a decent Goy I am shocked and surprised ” that would be really cool.
ok Richard heres the deal. I am more than happy to engage with the obsessive online women stalker til the cows come home.I can understand that you prefer it happened elsewhere than on your blog.But if it is to happen on your blog than a level playing field is fair to ask ? If I am to be moderated and this ne’er do well in Milton Keynes with the wandering IP isn’t. Well that is hardly kosher is it ?
Take it somewhere else away from my blog please.
OK believe it or not I do have a soft spot for for your blog and my sense of your inherent decency. So I butt out of it. But you still have a HOSE A
prob. That is out of my control.
This Leeds United thing still worries me a lil tho
@Roger
“the graffiti also included the names of outposts like Migron. I am sure it was some kind of price-tag action on the part of settlers. ”
Yes, Roger, that’s precisely what you – and everyone else – were supposed to think. And it seems to have worked. However, you have absolutely no basis for your ludicrous claim that the Israeli authorities habitually “cover up” for “settlers”. When there is proof, they are brought to court. However, there isn’t always proof. Sometimes – strange as it no doubt seems to you – this lack of proof is because the “settlers” are actually innocent.
I realise, of course, that the lack of proof is a matter of indifference to you, where “settlers” and orthodox Jews are concerned.
Yes, accusations are easier when the supposed perpetrator is ‘evident’, like Jews or Muslims. Les take notice that Muslims have perpetrated hate crimes and put the blame on Christians or Jews, very recently. So;, now who can believe these accusation whithout thinking twice. If burning the Quran is acceptable to put the guilt on Christians, tagging a mosque to put the blame on Jews is even more acceptable.
So let’s avoid accusations without proof.
“Sam Bacile” is neither Israeli nor Jewish. He is an expat Coptic Egyptian called Nakoula Basseley Nakoula:
Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, 55, told The Associated Press in an interview outside Los Angeles that he was manager for the company that produced “Innocence of Muslims,” which mocked Muslims and the prophet Muhammad and may have caused inflamed mobs that attacked U.S. missions in Egypt and Libya. He provided the first details about a shadowy production group behind the film.
Nakoula denied he directed the film and said he knew the self-described filmmaker, Sam Bacile. But the cell phone number that AP contacted Tuesday to reach the filmmaker who identified himself as Sam Bacile traced to the same address near Los Angeles where AP found Nakoula. Federal court papers said Nakoula’s aliases included Nicola Bacily, Erwin Salameh and others.
…
Nakoula denied he had posed as Bacile. During a conversation outside his home, he offered his driver’s license to show his identity but kept his thumb over his middle name, Basseley. Records checks by the AP subsequently found it and other connections to the Bacile persona.
Nakoula is a convicted fraudster:
Nakoula, who talked guardedly about his role, pleaded no contest in 2010 to federal bank fraud charges in California and was ordered to pay more than $790,000 in restitution. He was also sentenced to 21 months in federal prison and ordered not to use computers or the Internet for five years without approval from his probation officer
Turns out the producer is an Evyptian Copt .
Now there’s a surprise !
Indeed. Like “Armchair Quaterback”, “Richard Armbach”, “Real Real Zionist”, etc. who pretends others do exactly what he does, this guy wanted the blame to be put on Jews. Maybe he is not even so Copt. Remember that Pakistani imam who is now accused of burning a Quran to put the blame on a poor mentally-deficient Christian girl?
If this continue, it will look like an islamic national sport.
http://washington.cbslocal.com/2012/09/13/us-identifies-anti-muslim-
I find myself rising at 4:00am to answer the question that Roger has asked me regarding the movie Life of Brian:
“why do you like a film that subverts tribalism and organised religion…. your pillars? (sic)”
I should preface my words by saying that I teach in one of Israel’s most orthodox and Right-wing Yeshiva high schools and have shown the movie on many times. There was no problem with its content, though I was obliged to skip over the nude scenes.
Firstly, I enjoyed the movie because it discusses the human condition and the need of man to do what everyone else is doing, which includes believing that he is an individual. It demonstrates man’s need to forever believe his salvation is near if only he can find the right messiah:
“BRIAN: I’m not the Messiah!
ARTHUR: I say You are, Lord, and I should know. I’ve followed a few.”
“BRIAN: I’m not the Messiah! Will you please listen? I am not the Messiah, do you understand?! Honestly!
GIRL: Only the true Messiah denies His divinity.”
It contrasts man’s potential for greatness with his inherent weaknesses:
“Reg, our glorious leader and founder of the P.F.J., will be coordinating consultant at the drain head, though he himself will not be taking part in any terrorist action, as he has a bad back.”
It explains why Man often admires those who oppress him as a convict explains that crucifixion was the best thing the Roman have ever done for Israel. We meet Tony Greenstein as the various factions for the liberation of Judea forget who their true enemy is as the bicker between them and we meet many anti-Israel bloggers who when their friend is about to be executed are still debating and passing resolutions, rather than getting off their asses and doing something about it. All those are just a few scenes that come to mind. There are many more.
Yup, there is some mocking of Jews or the forerunners to early Christianity, but subversion has always been at the basis of Judaism. Legend claims that it all began when Abraham broke his father’s idols and then claimed that they had destroyed each other. When his father said that idols are incapable of movement or action Abraham asked him, in that case, why he believed in them.
Many of our Sages condemn Noah for not arguing with G-d when he wished to bring the flood. Abraham challenged G-d’s decision in wishing to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah and Moshe reaches new heights when according to legend he metaphorically grabs G-d’s hand to prevent him from destroying us after the sin of the Golden Calf. Not only do our Sages legislate in contradiction to the word of G-d, but the Talmud describes a scene when they ignore his divine intervention telling a heavenly voice, “The Heavens are G-d’s, but the earth was given to man.” The Talmud reports that on hearing this G-d laughed with joy and said, “My children have defeated me!”
I cannot speak for Christianity, but Judaism is both a highly self-critical and in many ways subversive way of seeing ourselves and the world. Perhaps that is why Jews have been involved in so many revolutions; political, social, scientific, you name it.
It is the Jew’s mission to repair the world, but that must begin by repairing himself, which usually takes much more than a lifetime. Such work cannot begin without recognition of one’s own failures and weaknesses and it is often easier to confront them with tears of laughter than tears of anguish.
Finally, there is a subtle critique of Judaism in Life of Brian, parts of which are more accurate than others. We are, thank G-d, strong and self-confident enough to enjoy them all.
“It is the Jew’s mission to repair the world, but that must begin by repairing himself, which usually takes much more than a lifetime. Such work cannot begin without recognition of one’s own failures and weaknesses and it is often easier to confront them with tears of laughter than tears of anguish.”
Is it not time you made a start Danny ?
Huh, you speak for yourself, don’t you?
Repeat after me: “I will not use mutliple pseudos anymore and accuse others of precisely the same without any proof.”
That is just a minor offense, of course, but that’s a start. We’ll talk about your racism later.
Daniel: Repair the world? lol Well, charity begins at home mate. A good first step for Israel would be the complete withdrawal from the occupied territories, a formal apology to the Palestinians for stealing their land, destroying their villages and homes, and making their lives a misery for 60 years, a genuine atonement and not the empty hypocritical ritual of Yom Kippur, and the legislation of a Law of Return for the Palestinian refugees and their descendants. This means that you would have to walk the talk and put your money where your mouth is Daniel, and leave Maale Adumim, giving the land back to its rightful owners. It’s called humility. There’s plenty of room in Israel proper. You are in the wrong place for the wrong reasons at the wrong time. How do you sleep?
That wouldn’t be repairing the world, except if a second genocide of Jews would be the repair you’re looking for. Is it?
The ‘Palestinian’ misery has been imposed by the Arabs themselves and… the ‘Palestinians’ of course.
A “Law of Return” for the ‘Palestinians’ ? OK: as Arabs, they can return to Saudi Arabia, where they all came from.
Repariring the world requires to take care of very big problems before mending the small ones. The fact that Muslims make a big issue of the Jewish presence in the ME doesn’t make it so. It has always been a minor conflict in terms of number of lives lost. The Syrian regime has killed more people than the Arab wars against Israel have made in 20 years. Islamist terrorism alone claim dozens of times more lives than this conflict. Most of these victims are Muslims, but who cares while they are not killed by Jews? Not roger, for sure!
Jose, I don’t know why you or anyone addresses, Roger. It just feeds his hate.
^it just feeds his hate’ LOL
And Hose A, the Biggest Bore in the Blogosphere, is just overflowing with love for Muslims right?
Huh, I have no specific love for anyone whose main goal is to eradicate Israel, expresses antisemitism and hate of democracy.
It would be slanderous to state I hate them.
To Richard, if you let this sad troll express his racist hate on your blog, why would you be surprised that I answer him.
@Roger
What, exactly, do you mean by “Israel proper”? Are we to understand by your diatribe that you accept the legitimacy of the Jewish State of Israel within the pre-1967 borders?
Well, I suppose that’s a step in the right direction, at least.
No! Roger doesn’t accept the legitimacy of anything about Israel, Jews or Judaism. Ugh! A book of Roger’s pronouncements would actually show his ideology is from the far right. Last year his far right ideology was trying to take down the Palestinians. This year its trying to take down Jews.
How do I sleep?
Well, I woke up an hour early because for a moment, I thought that you had a serious question to ask me, which I endeavored to answer.
I was a fool because you did not have any wish to discuss Monty Python or anything of the like, but just to skim through my response looking for something that you could link to my living in Ma’ale Adumim in the most idiotic manner possible. I have already told you that your opinions regarding where I live are of absolutely no importance. If you don’t want me here go and picket a supermarket or better still volunteer for the Jihad – at least there may be a few virgins in it for you and I suspect they might be your first.
You see the days that Jews have to justify their existence or their right to live where they want in their own land have gone. You may wish they hadn’t – but but that’s life. We waited a long time for independence, for the day that we could elect an Israeli government and have an Israeli army to protect us, but now it’s done and sadly for you it will take more than an ignoramus called Rog with a chip on his shoulder against “organized religion” to turn that clock back.
If I sound angry, I am, though not at you, but at myself. How could I have wasted time on a non-entity like you?
but Daniel please remember, he isn’t your only reader
I see your point …
… maybe having watched the movie for the first time about half a year ago I came too late to it.
OTOH adoring Orwell as I do Animal Farm wasn’t what got me hooked and sure isn’t what keeps me so.
Back to the subject, there was another ‘incident” of the same type at the UNHRC when UN Watch discovered a newly-appointed ‘expert’ is a hero of Holocaust deniers, blaming Allies for a ‘genocide’ during WW II and condoning the Germans.
http://www.unwatch.org/c.bdKKISNqEmG/b.1288071/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?aid=518882
Just a comment on the expression “pre-1967 borders”. This expression is in itself a propaganda trick. First there has been no borders of Israel since Israel was created: there has been the green line in 1948, the 1967 lines POST-1967, all armistice lines and not borders.
That said, what does “pre-1967” means? 1966? 1965? No: it means 1948! More precisely, the “pre-1967 borders” expression is just meaning “1948 green line”. Precisely the one that Arab rejected and was the pretext of attacks on Israel and Jews all over the world.
So let’s stop the propaganda and speak of “1948 green line” instead of the false-to-facts expression that even Obama tries to impose on the world.
Hows your headache Richard ?
Suddenly got worse when you wrote.
Are you the same HOSE A that called me a racist and has failed to produce ONE SINGLE example of the expression of it ? I know that in the nut job blogosphere ” racist ” long since ceased to mean much. But in the real world it is a very heavy duty accusation indeed. Not to be hurled around casually. I call Danny a racist but the proof is there for all to see.You call me a racist but provide NOTHING .Put up or shut up.
Provide something. Otherwise I am gracious enough to accept your apology in the spirit in which I am sure it would be offered.
Sorry, every of your Israel-bashing statement is a racist one.
Before the racist “Armchari Quaterback” “Richard Armbach”, “Real Real Zionist” interrupted the adults on this blog, we were speaking about the self-styled “experts” paid by the Arab lobby to spread Jew-hatred.
A number of these operate in the UNHRC, an agency of the UN dedicated to Israe-bashing.
can’t find anything huh. Ok I accept your apology.
Well, you have a record for accepting stupidities or delusions.
Don’t worry Richard I am not a cry baby I won’t sue you over these scurrilous accusations of racism. Can’t speak for my alter ego Millis though. Oh I forgot it was yesterday I was Millis now I’m an American Football star.Well whatever.
In a way, that is like the Arab countries: they have lost each and every war but they behave just as if they won! LOL!
If all the money they spent in Israel-bashing propaganda was spent wisely to the benefit of their people, there would not have been any necessity for a “Spring” nor a ‘Palestinian’ refugees’ problem.
But they prefer being delusional rather than solve their problems themselves. Thus is “Armchair Quaterback” aka “Richard Armbach” aka “Real Real Zionist” aka etc.
Oh yeah, Millis! You’re right; he should be totally dishonoured to be confused with you, is that what you mean. LOL! What a good opinion of yourself you have.
Of course you won’t sue anyone with one of your personas or the other.
Threats of lawsuits have become the laughingstock of the blogosphere. That is the lamest attempts to shut up dissent. I remember that “Armchair Quaterback” aka “Richard Armbach” aka “Real Real Zionist” etc.”s lawfare buddies used to persecute Jewish leaders in UK to have them arrested under any excuse. With the legal loopholes, all they had to do is to find an obliging judge to issue a warrant.
Well, again, the racists lost that war.and UK does not allow anymore these problems to happen. Same thing with the BDS cult and the ISM terror-supporting organisation.
How’s your headache Richard ?
I think it was much better, just a second before you wrote.
I wish everyone a peaceful weekend and a happy new year/shana tova/peaceful new year.