On
Friday, May 29, 2015, a group of bikers in Arizona plan to host an
anti-Islam demonstration outside of the Islamic Community Center in
Phoenix. Dubbed as “Freedom of Speech Rally Round 2,” a reference to
American blogger Pamela Geller’s ‘Draw Muhammad’ cartoon contest in
Garland, Texas earlier this month, the event, organized on Facebook, is
described as a “response to the recent attack in Texas where 2 armed
terrorists with ties to ISIS, attempted to kill a bunch of people.”
Bridge Georgetown
Prior to gathering outside of the mosque, the motorcyclists say
they’ll meet in a nearby Denny’s parking lot, where they’ll have a
“Muhammad cartoon contest.” They plan to take the images of Islam’s
prophet to the Islamic Community Center at 6:15 that evening — a time
when the Muslim community is expected to gather inside.
The rally’s organizer, Jon Ritzheimer, has called on the group to “to
utilize there [sic] second amendment right at this event just incase
our first amendment comes under the much anticipated attack.” He warns on the event’s Facebook page that
the mosque is “a known place that the 2 terrorists frequented.” The
would-be ambushers of Pamela Geller’s event in Garland are said to have
worshiped there.
As of Wednesday morning, 128 people had signed up to attend the Phoenix rally.
Below are a few important points that the radical left wing fringe at Georgetown University want to emphasize:
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First, this rally shows how figures
like Pamela Geller have (even unintentionally) inspired copycat
demonstrations across the country. Geller and company don’t tote
weapons, but biker gangs who sympathize with her views often do. Ahead
of a Muslim event in Garland, Texas back in January, some
motorcyclists showed up with long guns.. Though the bikers at these
events did not fire their weapons, the possibility of violence increases
when armed demonstrators swarm a group of people they dislike.
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For Ritzheimer and his fellow
bikers, Islam is a religion that inspires violence among its followers.
Muslims are a dangerous threat. At this latest protest in Phoenix,
Geller’s supporters are taking what — in their minds — is the logical
next step: possibly resorting to violence. (If necessary to defend themselves, of course. Never know how many Muslim terrorists might be there)
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Next, this event is yet another
reminder of the degree to which “free speech” demonstrations are often
veneers for deep-seated animus. The point that the Phoenix bikers are
making with this event is less about free speech than it is about
expressing their hatred of Islam directly to Muslims. (Expressing hatred for Islam is a First Amendment right)
Gee, I wonder what the censored word says?
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This is evidenced by the obscene comments on the group’s page,
the vulgar t-shirts that the group will sell (and wear) ahead of their
gathering, and the fact that the organizers have chosen to intentionally
antagonize Muslims at their mosque (Oh, here we go, free speech = incitement of Muslim terrorists) by arriving en masse, insulting
their religion to their faces, intimidating them with their weapons,
and expecting that they quietly embrace all of this in the name of the
First Amendment. (That’s what Americans do, unfortunately, not what Muslims do)
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Lastly, it highlights the degree to which Islamophobia (Oh. please, is that the best you can do?)
runs rampant on the Internet, and how social media has become a
breeding ground for groups like this who, in addition to fomenting their
views online, use the virtual space to plan and organize actual events.
This is central to the effectiveness of groups like Geller’s, who time
and again have nurtured online bases and issued calls to action.
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In 2010, the hue and cry in the
streets of Manhattan over the so-called “Ground Zero Mosque” was
Geller’s work, and in the past five years dozens of bloggers and
web-goers have translated armchair enthusiasm about issues related to
Islam into on-the-ground activism against Muslim groups. (And the Ground Zero mosque was never built thanks to the efforts of Geller and associates)
The FBI is
currently investigating threatening letters that were sent to the
mosque, and an entourage of armed people gathered outside of it on
Friday evening will only make matters worse. (Ewwwww, maybe muslims should stay home from the mosque that day)
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