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Title: It's time to fight back against death threats by Islamic extremists
Source:
Los Angeles Times
URL Source: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion ... reats-20100927,0,2267434.story
Published: Sep 27, 2010
Author: Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Daniel Huff
Post Date: 2010-09-28 14:57:02 by mirage
Keywords: None
Views: 238
Comments: 31
Earlier this year, after Comedy Central altered an episode of "South Park" that had prompted threats because of the way it depicted Islam's prophet Muhammad, Seattle cartoonist Molly Norris proposed an "Everybody Draw Muhammad Day." The idea was, as she put it, to stand up for the 1st Amendment and "water down the pool of targets" for extremists. The proposal got Norris targeted for assassination by radical Yemeni American cleric Anwar Awlaki, who has been linked to the attempted Christmas Day bombing of a Northwest Airlines flight and also to several of the 9/11 hijackers. This month, after warnings from the FBI, Norris went into hiding. The Seattle Weekly said that Norris was "moving, changing her name, and essentially wiping away her identity." It's time for free-speech advocates to take a page from the abortion rights movement's playbook. In the 1990s, abortion providers faced the same sort of intimidation tactics and did not succumb. Instead, they lobbied for a federal law making it a crime to threaten people exercising reproductive rights and permitting victims to sue for damages. The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, or FACE, passed in 1994 by solid bipartisan margins. A similar act is needed to cover threats against free-speech rights. A federal law would do two things. First, it would deter violent tactics, by focusing national attention on the problem and invoking the formidable enforcement apparatus of the federal government. Second, its civil damages provision would empower victims of intimidation to act as private attorneys general to defend their rights. Such an act is overdue. Across media and geographies, Islamic extremists are increasingly using intimidation to stifle free expression. In 2004, Theo van Gogh was butchered on an Amsterdam street in broad daylight for his film criticizing Islam's treatment of women. By 2006, it was reported that "dozens of people" across Europe were "in hiding or under police protection because of threats from Muslim extremists." Some targets, including the coauthor of this Op-Ed, fled to the United States, where it seemed safer -- and so it is, for now. However, the stark truth is the United States was never immune and the situation is deteriorating. In 1989, two American bookstores carrying Salman Rushdie's "The Satanic Verses" were firebombed. Spooked major chains took it off display. And there have been many more threats that received less publicity. Few have heard, for example, about Oklahoma atheist Sabri Husibi, who received death threats after writing a 2009 article critical of his former faith. His aged mother in Syria was warned she would never see him again. "Clearly shaken," he requested the paper that published his article clarify that he is critical of all faiths. These kinds of threats have had a formidable chilling effect. Mindful of the retaliation others faced, Yale University Press, the Met, the director of the disaster epic "2012" and countless others have decided to preemptively censor themselves. The kind of legislation we propose is essential if we are to win the war of ideas against extremists, who use threats to drive the moderate message out of public discourse. Existing state laws prohibiting intimidation are inadequate. On the criminal side, the heightened standard of proof deters prosecutors from investing scarce resources. Explicit grounds for a civil action do not always exist, and damages can be difficult to quantify. By contrast, the FACE Act, which provides the model for the proposed legislation, lets victims opt for preset damages. The "South Park" incident neatly illustrates the benefits. On April 15, following the first of a two-part episode mocking Jesus, Buddha and Muhammad, RevolutionMuslim.com announced that "[w]e have to warn Matt and Trey that what they are doing is stupid and they will probably wind up like Theo Van Gogh." The "warning" included the names, photos and work address of "South Park's" creators, a graphic image of Van Gogh's mutilated body and pictures of other targets of Muslim extremists. Overlaying this was audio of Awlaki preaching about assassinating anyone who defamed the prophet. Panicked, Comedy Central heavily censored the episode. This rather obvious threat could not be prosecuted. New York Police Department officials explained it did not rise to a crime. Were the FACE Act applicable here, a civil suit would have been available, and precedent suggests it would have been successful. In 2002, on very similar facts, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a civil award to abortion doctors who sued using the FACE Act. A fringe antiabortion group, ACLA, had in various public venues displayed "Wanted"-style posters bearing the names, photos and addresses of doctors who performed abortions. Their names were also posted on the Internet alongside a list of wounded and murdered doctors whose names were struck through. The 9th Circuit held that ACLA's activities constituted true threats unprotected by the 1st Amendment. If we leave our artists, activists and thinkers alone to weather the assault, they will succumb and we will all suffer the consequences. Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a former member of the Dutch parliament, is a resident scholar with the American Enterprise Institute and the author of "Nomad: From Islam to America." Daniel Huff is director of the Middle East Forum's Legal Project.
Poster Comment: Ok, defenders, come knock this down. Defend the death threats coming from the nutcases. Argue against protecting Free Speech.
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#1. To: mirage (#0)
Credible death threats have never been protected by the 1st Amendment.
BS Thanks for supporting more fascist legislation. Thanks for supporting the war on terror.
Maybe Finklestein could prosecute Dershoshits with this law? Horse Hockey! The Christmas bomber was a ploy/setup, with Michael Chertof immediately going around selling the world on airport XRay scanners which just happened to be made by a corporation represented by Chertof Group. Just a little bit of financial interest there and too convenient. Most of the War on Terror..War on Islamofascism..is BS. The incidents are staged and a convenient excuse for the surveillance state to ramp up the assaults on privacy and rights. The real enemy of America is runaway Zionism.
Big Amen!
So you support people making and carrying out death threats. Should be perfectly legal and acceptable as you see it. Thank you for supporting the First Amendment. You'll be first up against the wall when the Revolution comes.
Somewhere, Jimmy Carter is laughing and saying, "Finally! I won't be the worst President ever!"
So the Salman Rushdie thing was staged? The Van Gogh murder didn't happen. Riiiight.
Somewhere, Jimmy Carter is laughing and saying, "Finally! I won't be the worst President ever!"
In the minds of those whom defend muslims, everything muslims are accused of are "staged".
defend muslims? which muslims? all muslims? the tall muslims?the ones to the north?the southern inbred muslims? the ungratefull walled muslims?...... paulcj/mirage the schofield bible was printed/edited/ghost written by jews...you two know this ,yes?
So the Lavon affair did not happen? So the USS LIBERTY was a simple accident? So Jonathon Pollard was benign? Name an Islamic spy with the same level of damage as Pollard. We are sending assassin drones over Afganistan, Pakistan, Yemen and maybe other nations we know naught about. Islam is not innocent, but neither are we. Calling them the devil does not clean up our act.
the author seems to think that we should target people who do terrorism and who support terrorism. I agree with that and I think that our efforts to make war in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and Iraq are misplaced. I personally do not think we are fighting terrorists in those wars. But I also think that the overwhelming majority of 'terror' events are frauds in that an intelligence agency was behind it and not muslim 'terrorists'. We have laws to deal with people who murder. We don't need more laws there. Our government has been arresting muslims without cause and also has been making war without cause. Patriots should be concerned.
Psalms 137:1 By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
BOVINE EXCREMENT!!! We don't need any more legislation Mirage!! Sheesh, same ol' lame solution that solves nothing. Yeah, more laws....that's the ticket-- NOT!! When will this END? This will deter NOTHING. National attention on druggies hasn't stopped addiction. lol.....Just Say No Mirage. Dare to Say No Mirage.
"The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. ... We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of." Edward Bernays, Father of Public Relations
OK See, wasn't that easy? I knew I could do it. And I'm glad I did.
"One of the least understood strategies of the world revolution now moving rapidly toward its goal is the use of mind control as a major means of obtaining the consent of the people who will be subjects of the New World Order." K.M. Heaton, The National Educator
lol......I'm proud of you. : )
"The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. ... We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of." Edward Bernays, Father of Public Relations
Why won't Heysus help us?
WWGPD? - (What Would General Pinochet Do?)
Last I knew death threats were against the law already. So, do we need a new law saying no Muslim Death Threats? You are not making any sense. However, making tasteless remarks about someone's religion is stupid, and inflammatory. While I don't approve of death threats I don't have any great sympathy for the stupids who provoke them intentionally.
"One of the least understood strategies of the world revolution now moving rapidly toward its goal is the use of mind control as a major means of obtaining the consent of the people who will be subjects of the New World Order." K.M. Heaton, The National Educator
Thank you. "One of the least understood strategies of the world revolution now moving rapidly toward its goal is the use of mind control as a major means of obtaining the consent of the people who will be subjects of the New World Order." K.M. Heaton, The National Educator
No. No, and it isn't legal or acceptable. No problem. Which revolution? The one against the Muslims? The one against the "Terrorists"?
In your mind, anyone who disagrees with you is a jew. I was born christian. But with organized religions in the U.S. being control by foreign interests, the same ones controlling D.C. and you, seeking to destroy the U.S., I do not consider myself a member of any religion right now. Oh, I believe in heaven and hell. It is just that I will not support those seeking to destroy my family, my culture, and myself.
Threats are nothing compared to the cold-blooded murder from the Israelis on a daily basis in Palestine. A threat never killed anybody.
God is always good!
Then you can't support Israel then, they want to destroy everything western and Christian.
God is always good!
So, does China, so does Mexico, so does Russia, so does Saudi Arabia, so does the E.U., etc... The line forms to the left of all those of those at that want to destroy the U.S. And it is a long line. Solely focusing on Israel shows you are part of the problem, and not part of the solution.
Congratulations. Now you're beginning to realize that it is "and" instead of "or". At least in the US we can, on occasion, throw the bums out. In Islam, its in the Koran and it is there for all time.
Somewhere, Jimmy Carter is laughing and saying, "Finally! I won't be the worst President ever!"
"The threat is stronger than the execution." But then again, your comment seems to say that nobody has ever been killed by Islamic Terrorists. Please adjust your thinking, remove the tinfoil, and open your eyes. It happens. It happens all the time.
Somewhere, Jimmy Carter is laughing and saying, "Finally! I won't be the worst President ever!"
The one that comes after the FedGov goes belly up.
Somewhere, Jimmy Carter is laughing and saying, "Finally! I won't be the worst President ever!"
...and protected by the First Amendment, supposedly. Then again, if cartoonists in Seattle are driven into hiding, maybe the Islamists have overturned the First Amendment.
Somewhere, Jimmy Carter is laughing and saying, "Finally! I won't be the worst President ever!"
Yes, we do. Its called Bill Of Rights ENFORCEMENT. In particular, we need the power and authority to police the GOVERNMENT. You can get rid of almost everything else, but what are you going to do when nobody is there to back you up when you exercise your supposedly Constitutionally-Guaranteed rights? Complain? Whine? Die? Enjoy the chains. Most of us would rather put them on the Government than ourselves.
Somewhere, Jimmy Carter is laughing and saying, "Finally! I won't be the worst President ever!"
So anyone that didn't support your war on terror or war on islam is "up against the wall" when the gov't goes bankrupt? You're nucken futs.
A question for all of the dumbfucks screaming "Free speech!"... Where were you when Rudolf, Zundel, Sheppard, Whittle, Irving, Verbeke etc. were thrown in jail by various governments for talking about history? Start being consistent and maybe you'll sound a little more believable.
They probably just wish there was a WikiLeaks around then for him to pass the info to Israel free of charge. But then Israel wouldn't have been able to charge the Soviets for it, recover their costs, and get what they wanted in return from the Soviets. What's your opinion, mirage? Do you want to try and make Pollard's spycraft out to be a Freedom of Expression issue or something like that?
------- "They're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us...they can't get away this time." -- Col. Puller, USMC
Er, the article you posted doesn't promote any power and authority to police the GOVERNMENT. It's more legislation on the PEOPLE. The solution offered in the article you posted is MORE CHAINS ON THE PEOPLE. Did you read it?
"The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. ... We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of." Edward Bernays, Father of Public Relations
this is nonsense. no 'federal law' is needed because its already illegal to threaten someone. also, interesting that the author compared his idea with a law that attempted to silence the free speech of pro lifers who weren't threatening anybody.
"if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing." 1 Cor 12:31—13:13
#2. To: mirage (#0)
The proposal got Norris targeted for assassination by radical Yemeni American cleric Anwar Awlaki, who has been linked to the attempted Christmas Day bombing of a Northwest Airlines flight and also to several of the 9/11 hijackers.
No Planes. Think about it. ................. Guaranteed Penetration (no it's not porn)
#3. To: mirage (#0)
#4. To: octavia (#3)
Most of the War on Terror..War on Islamofascism..is BS. The incidents are staged and a convenient excuse for the surveillance state to ramp up the assaults on privacy and rights. The real enemy of America is runaway Zionism.
#5. To: wudidiz (#2)
Thanks for supporting the war on terror.
#6. To: octavia (#3)
The incidents are staged and a convenient excuse for the surveillance state to ramp up the assaults on privacy and rights. The real enemy of America is runaway Zionism.
#7. To: mirage (#6)
So the Salman Rushdie thing was staged? The Van Gogh murder didn't happen.
#8. To: PaulCJ (#7)
In the minds of those whom defend muslims, everything muslims are accused of are "staged
#9. To: mirage (#6)
(Edited)
#10. To: mirage (#0)
#11. To: mirage (#0)
A federal law would do two things. First, it would deter violent tactics, by focusing national attention on the problem and invoking the formidable enforcement apparatus of the federal government. Second, its civil damages provision would empower victims of intimidation to act as private attorneys general to defend their rights.
#12. To: abraxas (#11)
Just Say No Mirage. Dare to Say No Mirage.
NO MIRAGE.
#13. To: Original_Intent (#12)
And I'm glad I did.
#14. To: mirage (#0)
It's time to fight back against death threats by Islamic extremists
#15. To: mirage (#0)
(Edited)
Ok, defenders, come knock this down. Defend the death threats coming from the nutcases. Argue against protecting Free Speech.
#16. To: abraxas (#13)
#17. To: mirage (#5)
So you support people making and carrying out death threats.
Should be perfectly legal and acceptable as you see it.
Thank you for supporting the First Amendment.
You'll be first up against the wall when the Revolution comes.
No Planes. Think about it. ................. Guaranteed Penetration (no it's not porn)
#18. To: paddlefeet (#8)
defend muslims? which muslims? all muslims? the tall muslims?the ones to the north?the southern inbred muslims? the ungratefull walled muslims?...... paulcj/mirage the schofield bible was printed/edited/ghost written by jews...you two know this ,yes?
#19. To: mirage (#0)
#20. To: PaulCJ (#18)
It is just that I will not support those seeking to destroy my family, my culture, and myself.
#21. To: RickyJ (#20)
Then you can't support Israel then, they want to destroy everything western and Christian.
#22. To: octavia (#9)
Islam is not innocent, but neither are we. Calling them the devil does not clean up our act.
#23. To: RickyJ (#19)
A threat never killed anybody.
#24. To: wudidiz (#17)
Which revolution?
#25. To: Original_Intent (#15)
However, making tasteless remarks about someone's religion is stupid, and inflammatory.
#26. To: abraxas (#11)
We don't need any more legislation Mirage!!
#27. To: mirage (#24)
No Planes. Think about it. ................. Guaranteed Penetration (no it's not porn)
#28. To: mirage (#0)
#29. To: octavia, mirage (#9)
So Jonathon Pollard was benign?
#30. To: mirage (#26)
Enjoy the chains. Most of us would rather put them on the Government than ourselves.
#31. To: mirage (#0)
"I don't know where Bin Laden is. I truly am not that concerned about him"
George W, Bush, 3/13/02 http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2002/03/20020313-8.html
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