Consequences of hate speech, not for everyone
By Ray Hanania
The tragic killings of four Americans during protests in
Libya including the American Ambassador to Benghazi, Christopher Stevens, has
over-shadowed a major aspect of the role hate plays in provoking communities to
hate.
The Stevens killing was a tragic exception to the rule
involving protests that are sweeping the Arab and Muslim World against
America’s hypocritical standards when it comes to hate speech.
An American extremist originally thought to be an Israeli
American produced a movie which defames in the most offensive manner Arabs,
Muslims, Islam and the Prophet Muhammed.
To Arabs and Muslims, the film was no different than a man
standing up in a crowded theater and yelling “fire,” but then also blaming the
“fire” on a specific religious or ethnic group.
While Americans have expressed unbounded criticism of the
murders of Stevens and the three other Americans, the initial criticism of the
promoter of the hate video was tempered by arguments that “people in American
enjoy the right of free speech” and “free speech is a corner stone of
Democracy.”
That changed days later when it was determined that the man,
who claimed to be Israeli American Sam Bacile, has been identified as an outspoken
anti-Muslim Coptic Christian, Nakoula Basseley Nakoula. Immediately, police set
upon Nakoula and determined that he had outstanding criminal warrants.
For those who argue that as disgusting as Nakoula’s
anti-Islamic and anti-Arab video is, it is protected by free speech and
American society is powerless to take any actions, I would remind them about
the vicious campaign orchestrated by pro-Israel groups and activists against
Helen Thomas in 2010.
Critics charged that Thomas, an award winning veteran journalist
and the first female White House correspondent, had engaged in anti-Semitic
hate speech when she flippantly responded to questions posed in an ambush by a
notoriously racist anti-Arab supporter of Israel.
In fact, the Anti-Defamation League, which selectively
fights instances of bigotry and hatred, issued a statement that gave the
Society of Professional Journalists, the national organization of mainstream
American media, the mandate to act on Thomas, one of the SPJ’s veteran and
honored members.
The SPJ had created a Life Time Achievement Award in her
name that was awarded to a long list of prestigious journalists.
But the ADL coordinated with the SPJ’s newly elected Israeli
American president and a national SPJ board that had become increasing hostile
to American Arab SPJ members and that same year terminated its then young
program to give American Arab members of the SPJ a voice to raise issues
concerning imbalanced media coverage.
The ADL spearheaded the assault on Thomas and issued this
statement on January 10, 2010 to give the SPJ’s board cover for their political
move to censor Thomas and punish anyone who dared to question media bias in
favor of Israel, a foreign country:
“Fortunately, there are consequences in our society for those
in positions of power or authority who publicly express racist, anti-Semitic or
prejudiced views. We are
pleased that the executive committee of the SPJ agrees that this award was no
longer appropriate given the unprofessional and unbecoming conduct of its namesake.”
If you dispute that the ADL’s role was merely as an observer,
it’s worth noting that the ADL statement denouncing Thomas came one year before
the SPJ national board under its Israeli American presidency terminated the
Helen Thomas Life Time Achievement Award, Jan. 14, 2011.
What are the consequences of anti-Arab and anti-Islamic hate
speech? Statements by American politicians defending the rights of the haters
included a declaration by Republican Candidate Mitt Romney attacking President
Barack Obama for bowing to Arab and Muslim extremism.
The Egyptian embassy statement read, “The Embassy of
the United States in Cairo condemns the continuing efforts by misguided
individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims, as we condemn efforts to
offend believers of all religions.”
Romney said that a statement issued by a low-level
Administration aid from the Egyptian embassy expressing regret for the hatred
expressed in the video was a “surrender” to our enemies and an apology for
“American values.”
Yes, when someone criticizes Israel, they become anti-American
Nazi anti-Semites.
When someone criticizes Arabs and Muslims, or even denounces
hatred against Arabs and Muslims, they are ridiculed as contradicting American
values of free speech.
Maybe that’s why this year the ADL has been invited by the SPJ’s increasingly anti-Arab and anti-Muslim national
board to be a sponsor of this year’s journalism convention which takes place in
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Sept. 20.
Maybe someone should make a video about that. But God Forbid
that we might protest, being Arab and Muslim and all.
(Ray Hanania is an award winning journalist who ended his
more than 30 year long SPJ association by tearing up his membership card. Reach
him at www.TheMediaOasis.com.)
