Anti-Muslim Cranks And Anders Behring Breivik.
Hatewatch has an insightful post on some anti-Muslim bigots and the recent events in Norway:
“The irony is, had Anders Behring Breivik merely posted his manifesto without killing at least 76 innocent children and adults in Norway, he probably would have emerged as a rising star among the anti-Muslim activists he so admired.
As it happened, America’s most fanatical anti-Muslim activists quickly retreated behind walls of denial upon discovering that the perpetrator of Friday’s stunning act of terror was committed not in the name of Islam, but in response to their own mission: Whipping up paranoia about Islam.
Breivik on Monday admitted responsibility for the attack, telling a court that he did it to “save Europe” from Islam. His 1,500-page manifesto, which he posted on the Internet shortly before launching the rampage, confirmed his motivation in no uncertain terms. But in the aftermath of the tragedy, the very people whose anti-Muslim polemics Breivik admired and studied were pathetically incapable of any introspection whatsoever regarding the influence their inflammatory anti-Muslim paranoia might have had on Breivik.
When the news first broke Friday, along with an early, unsubstantiated report that a Muslim terrorist group had claimed responsibility, Pamela Geller, executive director of the anti-Muslim hate group Stop Islamization of America (SIOA), prepared to indict all of Islam for the carnage.
Her first post, at 12:57 p.m. Friday was headlined, “Jihad in Norway?” Mocking her critics, she wrote, “But remember, jihad is not the problem. New York’s 911, London’s 7/7, Madrid’s 3/11, Bali, Mumbai, Beslan, Moscow … is not the problem. ‘Islamophobia’ is the problem. Repeat after me as you bury the dead, ‘Islamophobia is the problem, Islamophobia is the problem.’” “
Geller is exceedingly predictable and so despicable, nakedly exploiting the death of innocent Norwegians for her own political purposes.
ModernityBlog 
Good points all, aside of one technicality: “an early, unsubstantiated report that a Muslim terrorist group had claimed responsibility” – there was indeed a retracted later claim of responsibility.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31727_162-20082156-10391695.html
Not that this canard makes the picture much different.
SnoopyTheGoon
29/07/2011 at 11:15
Very interesting observations. I do not know what to think about the killing in Noway yet. Besides being shocked and numb, I catch myself thinking that these kinds of occurrances happen frequently in Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and elsewhere across what has been called the third world. Why am I so disturbs about Norway? My first thought is because I was in Oslo last summer, and walked in the places now in shambles from the bombing. My second thought is that Scanadavia is such a peaceful, socail democratic place, and the last thought is because they are more like me than people of the global south. Terrorist tactics are deployed by people from everywhere cross the ideological map, but always it seems the terrorist is an educated middle class person with the time and the means to carry out artocities. I tend to think that ones position in the political economy draws indiiduals and groups toward certain types of political engagement. For middle class people, with individualist life experiences the idea that one person can make a difference looms large. Not so true for people with collective life experiences, I think. For those mass action is the prefered route to effectiveness. The acts in Norway point to the stressed conditions of middle vlasses everywhere, and for whom the ideology of racial or ethnic difference is a central concern along with individualism.
steve
29/07/2011 at 12:17
“Stop Islamicization of America?” Seriously? Why not “Stop Zoroastianization of America,” it’s about as bloody likely.
Antiquated Tory
10/08/2011 at 13:53