Editor's Letter

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Waking Up To Jihad

www.jarc.org

New Year.

T

he vow by American Muslim organizations to call
extremism."
out radicalism in their community was a hoax per-
"But instead, according to the ADL, the convention 'served
petrated on gullible non-Muslims across the nation.
as a forum for religious scholars and political activists to rail
So declared the Anti-Defamation League and reported
against Jews."'
last week by Charles Jacobs, founder of the David Project
Jacobs cited specific ADL examples of Jewish and Zionist
for Jewish Leadership, a Boston-based agency dedicated to
canards that, when bolted together, issued what he termed "a
inspiring strong, educated voices for Israel.
clear call for the annihilation of the Jewish state." For good
Should the "sham," as the ADL
measure, books and CDs by radical sheiks were on sale at the
described it, be a surprise? Hardly.
conference.
So-called mainstream Muslim
Jacobs goes on to say the Airs belated, but welcome con-
groups go out of their way to appear
demnation of the two American Muslim organizations stands
sensitive to mainstream American con- to echo across the nation — "and I hope here in Boston,
cerns, the chief being Islamic terrorism. where a multimillion-dollar, Saudi-funded Islamic Center,
There's no better way to gain traction in built by the Islamic Society of Boston, is now rim by the
the quicksand that is intercultural rela-
Muslim American Society"
tions than to "attack" America's greatest
Jacobs is now president of Americans for Peace and
threat, the thinking seems to go.
Tolerance, a Boston-based nonprofit striving to build peace-
Deception, of course, is a frontline
ful coexistence in America. He's a smart and savvy proponent
tactic of such groups — one reason
of the organized Jewish world creating more friction at the
the ADL jumped on it, although belat-
grassroots level to expose what he calls "Islamist penetration
edly, according to Jacobs. The red flag raised by the ADL
of American society"
underscores the danger in organized Jewish groups freely
engaging seemingly moderate Muslim organizations in hopes
Stepping Up
of building multicultural bridges of understanding.
In closing his piece, Jacobs urges our leading Jewish organiza-
Jacobs put it well in a powerful commentary published Jan.
tions to stand up straighter in exhorting civilized people of all
15 in the Jewish Advocate in Boston: "Around the country,
faiths and beliefs, including truly moderate Muslims, to trigger
Jews and others have entered into dialogue with Muslim
a groundswell challenging the Saudi lobby, campus hate, anti-
groups, some directly linked to the Muslim American Society
Western lies, congressional indifference and the rest of the dan-
and the Islamic Circle of North America. Jewish public accep-
gers trademarked by Islam's radicalization.
tance is a chief goal of radical Islamist groups,
Internationally, "moderate" Palestinian leaders
which, in effect, get a key to the city when given
continue to play the game of speaking of peace,
a 'pass' by its Jews."
compromise and coexistence while plotting and
I don't subscribe to the belief that every
honoring terrorism and calling for Israel's destruc-
Muslim or every Muslim group is the enemy.
tion. Just last week, Palestinian Authority President
The problem is that the radicalized threads
Mahmoud Abbas told the Arab world that there is
within have tainted the larger fabric of the
no disagreement between his Fatah party and the
American Muslim community. Jacobs reports
Gaza Strip's ruling terrorist organization Hamas
that "the society, according to federal authori-
over belief or policy — or about use of violence.
ties, is the American face of the Muslim
Meanwhile, high-profile groups like the Council
Brotherhood' — the ideological and opera-
on Islamic-American Relations (CAIR), centered
tional center of the global jihad."
in Washington, should raise its internal bar
So it behooves American groups seeking
and
condemn not only Al Qaeda for acts of ter-
Zionist Char! es Jacobs
real dialogue to do their research to get to
ror and intolerance, but also Hezbollah, Hamas,
really know whom they are dialoguing with. Such dialogue
Islamic Jihad and other Middle East elements that preach
is important — if its genuine on both sides. The exposed
anti-Semitism, religious bigotry, oppression and violence. All
sharp edges dividing the Jewish and Muslim communities on
these overseas-based groups are strongly anti-American. By
a national level should not overshadow the Jewish Federation
not denouncing them by name and calling out their ideology,
of Metropolitan Detroit-sponsored mitzvah that local Jews
CAIR appears more concerned about PR than fighting hatred
and Muslims performed on Christmas Day to help Christians
and terror. U.S. senators, counterterrorism experts and mod-
enjoy the holiday with their families.
erate Muslims alike have positioned CAIR to be a radical fun-
damentalist front for terrorist groups, reports Daniel Pipes, a
Prime Example
respected national commentator on the Middle East.
As proof of its troubling declaration, Jacobs wrote, the ADL
Inflammatory rhetoric and Islamist terror still haunt
shared what it learned about national Muslim American
Jewish-Arab relations, which is why Jewish advocacy orga-
organizations pledging to address the problem of homegrown nizations, as a safeguard, must become more skeptical and
"radicalization" — specifically, more and more American
questioning before working alongside Muslim groups. ❑
Muslims becoming involved in terror plots.
This is where the organized Muslim community in America
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could have shined. Instead, it cast a pall over the land and set
La Are Jewish advocacy organizations too timid?
national trust back several notches.
In
F_
As Jacobs tells it, national Islamic groups planned to take
Z Z
—
Are Jews too quick to accept Muslim outreach?
action "at a major Muslim convention last month:' The confer-
0 0
ence chairman called for Islam to be "clean and clear of all
IL 0

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January 21 • 2010

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