The New York Times on AFDI jihad campaign:
“Using Billboards to Stake Claim on ‘Jihad’”

The NY Times puts their special spin on the dueling jihad campaigns — AFDI's real jihad campaign vs Hamas-CAIR's bizarro fiction campaign. Such slick deception. Counter the lies: buy a bus. Contribute to [email protected].

Larry S comments:

More shallow reporting from the Grey Lady. What total twaddle the has-been New York Times leaves unchallenged. Where to start in this target-rich environment? In the video, Ahmed Rehab is allowed to utter the totally deceptive words, "extremists have tarnished the meaning of jihad …". The NYT allows that garbage to pass without comment, instead of exposing it as the monumental fraud that it is. Jihad as violent aggression to spread the umma is as old as Islam itself, and is embedded and embraced in Islamic holy scriptures from the inception of the cult. Oh, and while you're at it, grab as much loot and as many infidel slave girls as you can. That is not simply a extreme fringe of Islam: it is history repeated. Try this one on for size, Ahmed, from Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani, the 10th century Islamic scholar of the Maliki school: Jihad is a precept of Divine institution. Its performance by certain individuals may dispense others from it. We Malikis maintain that it is preferable not to begin hostilities with the enemy before having invited the latter to embrace the religion of Allah except where the enemy attacks first. They have the alternative of either converting to Islam or paying the poll tax (jizya), short of which war will be declared against them. [Ref. 1] Far from being an “extremist” take on Islam, jihad as holy war of subjugation against the infidel is mainstream Islam, and always has been. Mr. Rehab is a thoroughly disingenuous individual, but the NYT eats up his pabulum like candy. Mr. Rehab also claims Pamela is “someone who wants to agitate just like he did.” Hmmm, Ahmed, even if I grant that Pamela “agitates” (well I rather hope she agitates you), Bin-Ladin is not known primarily for his “agitation”, and I don’t recall Pamela murdering thousands of non-combatants or exhorting her supporters to do the same, as Bin-Ladin did. No, Ahmed, for your effort to calumniate Pamela by drawing a false parallel between her and a mass murderer, you are not only disingenuous, you are a thoroughly despicable person. But the NYT times treats Rehab’s words with respect, and leaves them unchallenged. It is clear obfuscation on the part of the fishwrap of record, even edging toward endorsing propaganda of the most insidious type. The New York Times ill-serves the cause of truth and renders more difficult the task of defending the United States of America and the civilization on which it is (was?) based. Ref. 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_of_Islamic_scholars_on_Jihad

Read the whole thing here. NY Times video below.

Using Billboards to Stake Claim on ‘Jihad’

by Steve Yaccino and Poh Si Teng, New York Times, March 6, 2013

Defining Jihad:
On public buses and subway, two groups battle to define the word jihad.

CHICAGO — There is an advertising war being fought here — not over soda
or car brands but over the true meaning of the word “jihad.”

Ahlam Mahmood, a native of Iraq now living in
Chicago, took part in an advertising campaign that promotes a peaceful
meaning of the word “jihad.”

Backing a continuing effort that has featured billboards on the sides of
Chicago buses, the local chapter of a national Muslim advocacy group,
the Council on American-Islamic Relations has been promoting a
nonviolent meaning of the word — “to struggle” — that applies to
everyday life.

Supporters say jihad is a spiritual concept that has been misused by
extremists and inaccurately linked to terrorism, and it is determined to
reclaim that definition with the ad campaign, called My Jihad.

“My jihad is to stay fit despite my busy schedule,” says a woman in a
head scarf lifting weights in an ad that started running on buses in
December. “What’s yours?”

But last month another set of ads, with a far different message, started appearing on buses here.

Mimicking the My Jihad ads, they feature photos and quotations from
figures like Osama bin Laden and Faisal Shahzad, who tried to set off a
car bomb in Times Square in 2010. “Killing Jews is worship that draws us
closer to Allah,” says one ad, attributing the quotation to a Hamas television station. They end with the statement: “That’s his jihad. What’s yours?”

The leader of the second ad campaign, Pamela Geller, executive director
of the pro-Israel group American Freedom Defense Initiative, has
criticized the original My Jihad ads as a “whitewashed version” of an
idea that has been used to justify violent attacks around the world.

“The fact that some Muslims don’t associate jihad with violence does not
cancel out that so many do,” Ms. Geller said. “I will go toe-to-toe in
this matter because it’s an attempt to disarm the American people.”

The debate started last year when Ms. Geller’s organization submitted a
pro-Israel advertisement for the New York subway system that used the
word “savage” to describe opponents of the Jewish state, stirring
outrage in Muslim communities.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority rejected the ads, citing its policy against “demeaning” language, but a federal judge overruled the agency, saying it had violated the group’s First Amendment rights.

The signs went up in September and read: “In any war between the
civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel.
Defeat Jihad.”

Ahmed Rehab, the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations’ Chicago office, said he was surprised that the New York case
focused only on the word “savage,” not jihad — an indication, he said,
that the Muslim community needed to be more active about promoting a
more peaceful interpretation of its beliefs.

“Unfortunately we have witnessed in front of our very eyes a central
tenet of our faith essentially become tarnished,” Mr. Rehab said of the controversy,
adding, “I was tired of hearing fathers tell their children, you know,
‘Don’t say jihad over the phone. Don’t say jihad in public.’ ”

He took to Facebook, posting a childhood story about his bedridden
grandmother, who had once described coping with her ailing health as “my
jihad.” He started raising money, held meetings in living rooms and
started the campaign in December with ads that ran on 25 buses in
Chicago. The ads have since spread to buses and subway billboards in San
Francisco and Washington.

“Loving a challenge, loving a jihad if you will, I wanted to take this on,” Mr. Rehab said.

David Cook, professor of Islamic studies at Rice University, said the
term jihad had for centuries been associated with “God-sanctioned
violence,” but that progressive Muslim groups have been talking about
peaceful interpretations since the late 1800s. While he was unaware of
other public relations campaigns focusing on the word jihad before Mr.
Rehab’s, Professor Cook said the push fit into a larger concerted effort
by Muslim groups to explain aspects of their religion to the broader
American public since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

The word has shown up regularly in anti-Muslim posts on Ms. Geller’s blog, Atlas Shrugs.
An outspoken activist, she is perhaps best known for opposing the
building of a mosque and Islamic cultural center near ground zero in New
York. At the time, Ms. Geller accused leaders of the project of being
“stealth jihadists,” a favorite phrase.

When Mr. Rehab’s campaign began with a Web site, Myjihad.org, Ms. Geller bought the domain name Myjihad.us.
After Mr. Rehab sent a cease-and-desist letter claiming copyright
infringement, Ms. Geller altered her ad designs slightly, changing the
color and a few words. Her ads went up on 10 Chicago buses in late
February.

Ms. Geller has called her campaign an attempt to show “the reality of
jihad and the root causes of terrorism from the words of jihadists
themselves.” She is also not shy about her suspicions of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations, known as CAIR, which has been a target of scrutiny from Congressional Republicans in the past.

While CAIR’s Chicago chapter has helped support the project, Mr. Rehab
said My Jihad was established as its own nonprofit, with fund-raising
and volunteers that are independent from the national Muslim
organization.

Beyond the legal maneuverings, it is the tenor of Ms. Geller’s advertisements that has drawn the sharpest criticism.

“It’s a further message of intolerance, furthering the flames that are
currently out there between all different communities,” said Lonnie
Nasatir, Midwest regional director of the Anti-Defamation League.

Heidi Beirich, who tracks hate groups at the Southern Poverty Law
Center, which has listed Ms. Geller’s blog since 2009, said her ads
subscribe “bad motives to all Muslims.”

“It’s rejecting the idea that American Muslims can have different interpretations of their religion,” she said.

At a photo shoot last month, on the 15th floor of a skyscraper in
downtown Chicago, volunteers posing for My Jihad advertisements spoke
briefly about their individual struggles. For some children, it was
bullies at school. One man said he wanted to lose weight. An Iraqi
refugee had started a new life as a single mother in America. Those ads
are expected to be released in the next couple of months, though no
dates or locations have been set.

Ms. Geller, whose ads went up in Washington this week and are scheduled
to appear on buses in San Francisco on Monday, said that she was willing
to buy more around the country if she felt it was necessary, and that
she had no intention of backing down any time soon.

“I’ll be honest with you,” she said. “If CAIR is running them longer, I will run them longer.”

The Struggle for Jihad:
Two opposing groups battle to define the word jihad on public buses and subways
BRAND NEW Geller E-Book Available Now! Freedom or Submission: On the Dangers of Islamic Extremism & American Complacency – Get it!

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S. Klein

11 years ago

Often we hear “struggle” invoked as a positive thing. Jihad means “to struggle.” Mein Kampf means “my struggle.” In war, one must “fight” (not struggle) or risk enslavement, annihilation, etc.
So I Googled the words “struggle vs. fight.”
“To struggle means to make strenuous or violent efforts in the face of difficulties or opposition; to proceed with difficulty or great effort.
“To fight means to contend in battle or physical combat; to strive to overcome a person by blows or weapons. It also means to put forth a determined effort.”
Perhaps these words are used interchangeably by some. “Violent efforts in the face of opposition” can certainly apply to violent jihad. Why must we assume “struggle” (even inner struggle) is necessarily a good or a positive thing?

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Katherine

11 years ago

Minute 4:35…this man gets it!

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Isabellathecrusader

11 years ago

Whoa, whoa, whoa…Pamela had to modify her campaign? No she didn’t. Ahmed, you are STILL a big fat liar. You don’t have any special ownership of the word “jihad”.
I especially like the little heartfelt story about his grandma using jihad to get through an illness. “(Ahmed) started raising money,” you mean, he got a check from the Saudis? This guy is the biggest agitator in the Muslimsphere. That’s the Muslim pot calling the Jewish kettle black, and he’s also a total coward. If you say “boo” he’ll start crying. Give me a break.

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Golden Rule

11 years ago

Pamella,
Instead of quoting random people, quoting Mohammed might get you better results .
One suggestion.
Muhammad : His Jihad was to kill 600 odd Jewish men and boys who surrendered without a fight, and then enslaved the women and children and raped the women. ( Here give the relevant Hadiths and Web Links to MUSLIM sites ). What’s yours ??

0

NoGroundZeroMosque

11 years ago

In the end no words can sufficiently describe the subtle and not so subtle evil deceition of these Islamofacist snakes. No wonder evil has been associated with serpents throughout history.

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RCCA

11 years ago

I know Geller doesn’t get into criticizing the spiritual aspects of Islam, but I wish AFDI or Robert Spenser would. Saying that the whole purpose of Islam is “jihad,” and then arguing whether it is defined as holy war or inner struggle, nonetheless reveals a philosophical opposition to life. As S. Klein was pointing out, why do some people elevate the concept of struggle? In other words, why glorify and get stuck in the muck and angst of life? No wonder Muslims are so attached to fighting; winning/losing, honor/shame, reward/punishment, etc. They are trapped in the the world of dualities.
It’s better to get beyond all that. In the case of other religions and spiritual practices (Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, meditation) the goal in life is to transcend the struggle, to cease the war inside. And those religions teach deep knowledge about the timeless nature of Reality, G-d’s unconditional love, the infinite Universe, whatever you want to call it, and offer practices and structures to help people find their way and get past life as a struggle. That’s what it is supposed to be, of course they can get caught up in power and control too.
Islam appears to teach that to attain peace people have to control every aspect of their lives, that there are right and wrong ways to do everything and Allah might reward you if you follow the instructions perfectly. Living life in a straight jacket. To get past the struggle you have to struggle. It’s ridiculous and of course you can’t control everything and everyone in the world, so their method and concept is flawed and is doomed to fail miserably.
I’m not saying people shouldn’t be Muslims, some people thrive with the structure Islam provides — the ghetto drug culture world maybe needs it. But it’s hardly the ultimate religion Muslims believe it to be.

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gringojay

11 years ago

From “Jihad is the Way” by former leader of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood (“…The symbol of the Muslim Brotherhood is the book of Allah between two swords. The swords symbolize Jihad and the force that protects the truth ….”) Mustafa Mashhur (died 2002):
“…Jihad for Allah is not limited to the specific region of the Islamic countries….”;”…Prepare yourself and train in the art of warfare ….”;
“…you, the Islamic sister on the path of the Jihad, you have an important role in
Jihad, which starts at home with educating the generations, and preparing them for Jihad….”

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ETT

11 years ago

Danish Jihadist killed in Syria.
http://cphpost.dk/international/second-danish-jihadist-killed-syria
Here is a link to the comedy show, it is made by four young Muslim Danes. It has upset some people who have set up a protest group on Facebook. The protest group is collecting money for the family of the dead jihadist.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=ifPoj5VroYU&NR=1
In English http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ7a8oLJBE4
In English http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ-TkUYk04E
Very funny silent comedy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cZv1Wl-DU4

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Larry S.

11 years ago

More shallow reporting from the Grey Lady. What total twaddle the has-been New York Times leaves unchallenged. Where to start in this target-rich environment?
In the video, Ahmed Rehab is allowed to utter the totally deceptive words, “extremists have tarnished the meaning of jihad …”. The NYT allows that garbage to pass without comment, instead of exposing it as the monumental fraud that it is. Jihad as violent aggression to spread the umma is as old as Islam itself, and is embedded and embraced in Islamic holy scriptures from the inception of the cult. Oh, and while you’re at it, grab as much loot and as many infidel slave girls as you can. That is not simply a extreme fringe of Islam: it is history repeated.
Try this one on for size, Ahmed, from Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani, the 10th century Islamic scholar of the Maliki school:
Jihad is a precept of Divine institution. Its performance by certain individuals may dispense others from it. We Malikis maintain that it is preferable not to begin hostilities with the enemy before having invited the latter to embrace the religion of Allah except where the enemy attacks first. They have the alternative of either converting to Islam or paying the poll tax (jizya), short of which war will be declared against them. [Ref. 1]
Far from being an “extremist” take on Islam, jihad as holy war of subjugation against the infidel is mainstream Islam, and always has been. Mr. Rehab is a thoroughly disingenuous individual, but the NYT eats up his pabulum like candy.
Mr. Rehab also claims Pamela is “someone who wants to agitate just like he did.” Hmmm, Ahmed, even if I grant that Pamela “agitates” (well I rather hope she agitates you), Bin-Ladin is not known primarily for his “agitation”, and I don’t recall Pamela murdering thousands of non-combatants or exhorting her supporters to do the same, as Bin-Ladin did. No, Ahmed, for your effort to calumniate Pamela by drawing a false parallel between her and a mass murderer, you are not only disingenuous, you are a thoroughly despicable person.
But the NYT times treats Rehab’s words with respect, and leaves them unchallenged. It is clear obfuscation on the part of the fishwrap of record, even edging toward endorsing propaganda of the most insidious type. The New York Times ill-serves the cause of truth and renders more difficult the task of defending the United States of America and the civilization on which it is (was?) based.
Ref. 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_of_Islamic_scholars_on_Jihad

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Larry S.

11 years ago

Pamela looks tired in her NYT interview. She has carried a consuming burden in support of liberty for years.
Pamela, those of us who value the leadership you’ve provided will cherish you none the less if you drive yourself less intensely. You are involved in a long-term “jihad”!

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Moran

11 years ago

Ahmed Rehab, executive director of Muslim Brotherhood-linked C.A.I.R. says “She [Pam Geller] is an agitator just like him [Osama Ben Laden]”
OH YEAH, TOTALLY !!!
Did Pamela Geller call for the murder and assassination of Muslims and Arbas (non-Jews/Christians) !? Did Pam Geller slaughtered and massacred hundreds of thousands of Muslims and Arabs !? Did Pamela masterminded acts of terrorism in the name of Yahweh and by blowing up Mosques, market place or driving civilian planes into Arab buildings ???
Typical Muhammadan propagandists, liars and deceivers not surprising by a Muslim jihadist terrorism backed organization like CAIR.

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nobarack08

11 years ago

Hitler also had ‘My Struggle’ , Mein Kampf (English: My Struggle or My Battle) is a book by Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. It combines elements of autobiography with an exposition of Hitler’s political ideology.
It also didn’t end well.

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patti

11 years ago

These people are lost in the outer most realms of spiritual darkness. The “good muslim/ bad muslim” routine is so utterly transparent. When will they get it that we see through ALL of their deceptiveness and even their own SELF deception? This “god” that they are praying to is none other than the father of all lies. Darkness however will never withstand the light. Not ever.

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Larry S.

11 years ago

@patti-
Darkness however will never withstand the light. Not ever.
I wish I could agree with you. For the millions slaughtered in the name of the cult of Islam through the centuries, that light never came. I see no reason why it is out of the question for the forces of darkness to prevail in our age.
If nothing else, I am not prepared to wait out these who seek to enslave humanity in the name of their murderous, pedophile false prophet and his horrific god. OTOH, I am not an optimist!

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James Linnstrom II

11 years ago

This scholar sheds a light on what is going on:
“David Cook, professor of Islamic studies at Rice University, said the term jihad had for centuries been associated with “God-sanctioned violence,” but that progressive Muslim groups have been talking about peaceful interpretations since the late 1800s. ”
What was happening in late 1800s? By then the European Christian nations were in ascendancy in the world through commercial innovation and military science. To talk abour true meaning of Jihad would be pointless because if the Caliphate sends a word to European power to “submit to Islam or else”, European military will promptly come and make a mincemeat out of the Caliphate.
So muslims had to come up with more peaceful definition of Jihad because the original meaning was a non sequitur.
But once muslims start to win thru terrorism etc, the original meaning of Jihad soon resurfaces. It has to, because the Koran so clearly teaches Jihad as holy warfare against non muslims.
These peaceful and law abiding muslims are saying that Jihad is a ‘personal struggle to improve themselves’ because that is all they can do for now in America. They are not yet ready to assert their political dominance in American society. They are still too weak compared to greater non muslim population in America. For now, they have to ‘wage their personal Jihad’ thru legal means. They have to work on organizing muslim community, asserting their civil rights, decry their victimhood, etc.
But once their number and influence increase in American society, the meaning of Jihad will revert more and more to the original meaning in the Koran.

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Linda Rivera

11 years ago

DECEIVER and apologist for totalitarian, supremacist Islam, New York Times, is anxious for people to believe that jihad is Muslim women PRAYING!

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James Linnstrom II

11 years ago

So when it comes to the question of whose definition is right, one may say that both are. For Americanized and moderate muslims, jihad may be limited to self improvement and looking out for the interest of muslim community. As long as they stay with this level of non violent jihad, the concept should be of little interest other than encouraging more exercise among sedantary population.
But Islam always, perhaps slowly, draws even moderate muslims to ‘the Ummah’ because after all, even these moderate muslims do bow down to Mecca and have growing interest on what is happening in Middle East and in Palestine. And as they become more and more serious about their faith, they invariably discover the more authentic, the true historical definition of Jihad. And that is what happened to Maj Hasan. He began to identify himself with ‘the Ummah’ and started to see US soldiers as infidel enemies of his fellow muslims. His surprise attack against unarmed US soldiers would fit the true, classic definition of Jihad and I am sure he is being celebrated among many muslims oversea.
Yes, it may be called as ‘terrorism’ or ‘work place violence’ but the best description of his violent action is ‘Jihad by a soldier of Allah’.

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pdxnag

11 years ago

To “echo” Osama is to echo the scholars of Al Azhar University.
If Ahmed Rehab has a beef with Islam according to Al Azhar University then he has at least two choices:
1) Redefine Islam, arguing with Al Azhar rather then Pamela Geller on the definition of Islam, or
2) Declare himself an apostate from Islam because his personal “Jihad” does not conform to the 97 percent of Jihad under Islam that mandates violence against non-Muslims and worldwide imposition of Islamic Imperialism.
Call Ahmed Rehab out as arguing that he has become an apostate, but that he must be afraid to give himself that label openly, for fear that a real Islamic Jihadi might kill him, or at least deny him any more donations.
Or, just say:
“Ahmed Rehab could be an apostate from Islam?”
If CAIR is filled with apostates (jihad is peace) then they could take over Pam’s campaign to provide safe haven to young female so-called Muslims in need of protection from pious Muslims, principally their family or local Muslim community. Would you trust them to keep you safe? (Would you be a fool?) Ask an apostate.

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Tom Billesley

11 years ago

What was happening in late 1800s?
The Ahmadiyya reform movement in British India. The Ahmadiyya Muslims chose to remain quiescent within the British Raj and concertrated their efforts on da’wah, but retained the same jihad definitions.

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patti

11 years ago

Look at this way Larry, they have had 14 centuries to conquer the planet. While islam is the scourge of the earth, God and time are not on their side.

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Kufar Dawg

11 years ago

The Ahmadiyya are regularly persecuted by mainstream muslimes in just about every muslime state on the face of this earth today, but in particular Indonesia and Pakistain.

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