Recently I was called to task to defend a comment I made on Facebook concerning a Fox News video which was shared/posted by a friend.
The video was of the controversial Muslim activist Linda Sarsour who was addressing the annual Islamic Society of North America convention in suburban Chicago, Sarsour urged her fellow Muslims to speak out against oppression. She used the word “Jihad” in reference to the struggle against oppression.
Fox News and conservatives jumped all over it with obligatory outrage.
Interestingly, the article about this speech has subsequently been pulled from Fox’s website.
In her speech, Sarsour told a story from Islamic scripture about a man who once asked Muhammad, the founder of Islam,
“What is the best form of jihad, or struggle?”, (the man asks.)
“And our beloved prophet … said to him, ‘A word of truth in front of a tyrant ruler or leader, that is the best form of jihad,’” Sarsour said.
“I hope that … when we stand up to those who oppress our communities, that Allah accepts from us that as a form of jihad, that we are struggling against tyrants and rulers not only abroad in the Middle East or on the other side of the world, but here in these United States of America, where you have fascists and white supremacists and Islamophobes reigning in the White House.”
The video from Fox picked up from where she says,
“that Allah accepts from us that as a form of jihad…”
I immediately went Googling to find her video and discovered that Fox conveniently left out the beginning of her reference to a parable from the Quran. and thus taking her quote out of context. A point I made in the comment box. Needless to say conservatives went apeshit over the word “Jihad”, and I can see why.
The word jihad is by western interpretation a “holy war”, and understandably would raise an uproar. But here she uses it in its other form, a struggle. A point that Fox failed to recognize.
Again,
“A word of truth in front of a tyrant ruler or leader, that is the best form of jihad…” (my emphasis)
In my Facebook comment, I also agreed with the latter part of her comment,
“…but here in these United States of America, where you have fascists and white supremacists and Islamophobes reigning in the White House.”
My comment brought this reaction,
“when and where, prove it.”
Although one might consider her closing characterization of who is reigning in the White House extreme or outlandish, consider this:
Are there fascists in the White House?
Fascism:
- a form of radical authoritarian nationalism, characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition.
To be a fascist one does not yet have to have absolute power in a country where there is no free press, no civil liberties, no free elections, no political parties of opposition, violent suppression of the opposition and general populace and complete control of the military and police.
If one’s comments and actions indicate an affinity to a belief in fascism, then one is a fascist.
In the first few weeks of Trump’s administration, he had more dialog with dictators than Angela Merkel or Theresa May.
It’s no secret that Trump has repeatedly praised Vladimir Putin.
- Dec. 18, 2015: Trump said on Morning Joe that Putin was a better leader than Obama, and dismissed Joe Scarborough’s allegations that the Russian president “kills journalists that don’t agree with him. He’s running his country and at least he’s a leader, unlike what we have in this country,” Trump said.He added: “I think our country does plenty of killing also, Joe, so you know. There’s a lot of stupidity going on in the world right now, a lot of killing going on, a lot of stupidity.”
- There is a general consensus in the intelligence community that Putin has indeed had a hand in the assassination of journalists and the violent suppression of protests..
- Donald Trump has praised President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdoğan declared himself the winner of a nationwide referendum that all but brings Turkish democracy to an end. The vast new powers granted to Erdoğan—wide control over the judiciary, broad powers to make law by decree, the abolition of the office of the Prime Minister and of Turkey’s parliamentary system—effectively make him a dictator.
- Donald Trump has praised Philippine’s president Rodrigo Duterte. In a span of six weeks, Duterte has made international headlines for the hundreds of suspects killed in his war on crime. Duterte has vowed to pardon any police and military involved in the extrajudicial killings, while also pledging to pardon himself. He has ensconced his daughter and son as mayor and vice mayor of the city that he ruled for two decades, while also refusing to fully answer allegations about hidden wealth.
- Donald Trump has invited Duterte to visit the White House.
- MANILA (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump told his Philippine counterpart that Washington has sent two nuclear submarines to waters off the Korean peninsula, the New York Times said, comments likely to raise questions about his handling of sensitive information.
Really, Mr. Trump, why the hell would you tell this man where our nuclear submarines are?
Are there white supremacists in the White House?
- Donald Trump’s real estate company in New York and his casino in Atlantic City were both sued for racial discrimination.
- On August 17, 2016, Steve Bannon was appointed chief executive of Donald Trump‘s presidential campaign; he left Breitbart, as well as the Government Accountability Institute and Cambridge Analytica, to take the job, and shortly after the chairman of the Trump campaign, Paul Manafort, was dismissed.
- Following Trump’s election, on November 13 Bannon was appointed chief strategist and senior counselor to President-elect Donald Trump. This appointment drew opposition from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the Council on American–Islamic Relations, the Southern Poverty Law Center, Democrat Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, and some Republican strategists, because of statements in Breitbart News that were alleged to be racist or antisemitic.
- On November 15, 2016, U.S. Representative David Cicilline of Rhode Island released a letter to Trump signed by 169 Democratic House Representatives urging him to rescind his appointment of Bannon. The letter stated that appointing Bannon “sends a disturbing message about what kind of president Donald Trump wants to be”, because his “ties to the White Nationalist movement have been well documented”; it went on to present several examples of Breitbart News’ alleged xenophobia. Bannon denied being a white nationalist and claimed, rather, that he is an “economic nationalist.”
- At a political rally in December, 2015, Trump said, “Donald J. Trump is calling for a complete and total shutdown of Muslims entering the United States…” FYI, these are his words. He is referring to himself in the third person.
- His travel ban in his own words is a “Muslim Ban.”
- Trump used Twitter to attack the mayor of London, Sadiq Kahn, a Muslim.
If the purpose of the travel ban is to protect the country from terrorists, then consider this:
- Fifteen of the nineteen 9/11 terrorists were from Saudi Arabia; a country NOT on the travel ban list. The others were from United Arab Emirates (2), Egypt, and Lebanon. None of these countries are on the Travel Ban list.
- The perpetrator of the Orlando night club massacre, Omar Mateen, was born in New Hyde Park, NY.
There is a greater risk in this country from domestic terrorists than foreign.
The headline of this piece implies that there can be a transition from demagogue to autocrat to fascism. We’ve already discussed fascism; consider the following definitions of demagogue and autocrat and the examples.
Demagogue:
- a political leader who seeks support by appealing to popular desires and prejudices rather than by using rational argument.
- “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.” – Donald Trump
- At a rally in December, 2015: “Donald J. Trump is calling for a complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.” – Donald Trump
- He has called it for what it truly is, a “Muslim ban.”
- He has called a federal judge, who incidentally was born in Indiana, a Mexican.
- Trump attacked the Federal Judge who issued a stay on the travel ban. James L. Robart, was appointed by George W. Bush. Trump tweeted, “The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from our country, is ridiculous and will be overturned!”
Trump is attacking another fundamental tenant of our country, separation of powers. The Constitution keeps the Executive, Administrative and Judicial branches of the government separate for a reason. It’s called “checks and balances.” A concept about which Trump has no clue nor any regard for.
Autocrat:
- relating to a ruler who has absolute power
- taking no account of other people’s wishes or opinions
- someone who insists on complete obedience from others
- an imperious or domineering person.
Donald Trump has labeled the media, and by extension, the free press, the “enemy of the American people.” This is an outright and dangerous attack on a fundamental tenant of a democracy: freedom of the press. He constantly attacks any media that is critical of him and calls them “fake news.”
An example of his infantile and autocratic attack on the media:
- I heard poorly rated @Morning_Joe speaks badly of me (don’t watch anymore). Then how come low I.Q. Crazy Mika, along with Psycho Joe, came…” Trump tweeted this in response to Mika Brzezinski’s reporting that Trump had a fake Time Magazine cover hanging in his golf clubs. The cover claimed, “Donald Trump: The ‘Apprentice’ is a television smash!” the big headline said. Above the Time nameplate, there was another headline in all caps: “TRUMP IS HITTING ON ALL FRONTS . . . EVEN TV!” Time Magazine has since claimed that no such cover existed.
- Despite the fact that there is overwhelming evidence through scientific studies, Donald Trump has called climate change a “hoax,” and blamed China.
- Fired FBI director James B. Comey said President Trump told him at the White House, “I need loyalty, I expect loyalty” The director of the FBI is loyal to the law and the Constitution, the very thing Trump swore to uphold when he was inaugurated.
- Donald Trump has attacked the federal judiciary for invoking a stay against his “Muslim ban”, even at one point calling the judge a “so-called judge.” Judge James L. Robart was a George W. Bush appointee. Federal judges are appointed by the president.
- Donald Trump has appointed his son-in-law and daughter to positions in the White House.
- Donald Trump fired Angela Reid, the first female and second black White House Usher, replacing her with Timothy Harleth, the director of rooms at the Trump International Hotel in Washington D.C.
Do the examples presented above support Ms. Sarsour’s claims of who is reigning in the White House? You be the judge.