Posted by Eugene Volokh:
The Many Voices of Islam:
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2007_10_21-2007_10_27.shtml#1193338683
The Interfaith Association of Central Ohio [1]"will host an
educational forum in the atrium of the [Ohio] Statehouse [this coming
Sunday] about "The Many Voices of Islam."
And it turns out that the panel will indeed represent some Islamic
voices that some such panels try to downplay: One of the voices on the
panel is that of [2]Anisa Abd el Fattah, who has [3]in the past year
1. formally asked the Justice Department to "take the steps necessary
to end" "hate speech" and "misleading and highly politicized
information" from "Jewish organizations and activists" and "the
'Jewish lobby'" (steps that would, I take it, somehow use the
Department's law enforcement authority);
2. complained about "Jewish people rais[ing] a fuss" when others "say
that Israel should be wiped off the map" (and about "Jewish
people['s]" labeling those who make such arguments
"anti-Semite[s]");
3. defended "White nationalist" claims that they are "misrepresented
by the media and made to appear as enemies of blacks and Jews, and
others, when they simply want to preserve the white race, and its
majority status"; and
4. seemingly expressed support for White nationalists' "feel[ing]
that Jewish supremacism threatens their existence."
I'm sure Abd el Fattah's voice doesn't speak for all Muslims, and I
hope it doesn't even speak for a majority. Still, whether deliberately
or not, the Interfaith Council does seem to be acknowledging that the
many voices of Islam include those like Abd el Fattah's. I'd like to
see from press coverage the extent to which the Council's platform
ends up endorsing Abd el Fattah's perspective, rather than just making
clear that it's out there.
References
1.
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/faith_values/stories/Gatherings.html?print=yes
2.
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/faith_values/stories/2007/10/19/hamas.ART_ART_10-19-07_B4_RB86VHE.html?sid=101
3. http://volokh.com/posts/chain_1169147642.shtml
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