Extremists Attack Extremists

Ken AshfordRightwing Extremism/Violence, War on Terrorism/TortureLeave a Comment

So this happened yesterday evening:

A cartoon contest featuring controversial images of the Muslim Prophet Mohammed turned deadly Sunday night when two men pulled up in a car and opened fire. Police returned fire, killing both men after one wounded a security guard.

None of the approximately 200 people attending the event were hurt.

A federal law enforcement source told CNN’s Susan Candiotti that one of the two men was a Phoenix resident who was convicted in 2011 of a terror-related charge. Elton Simpson is thought to have sent a tweet before the attack that read, in part, “May Allah accept us as mujahideen,” the source said. It bore the hashtag, #texasattack.”

This morning, the news is reporting that one of the attackers has been identified, and sure enough, he was arrested and convicted of a terror-related charge in 2011.

Now, I shouldn’t have to say this, but apparently stupid people think that unless you give a full-throated condemnation of the terrorists, you are siding with them.  So let me be clear: I condemn the attack.  I condemn the terrorism.

But yes, there is more to discuss beyond that.  And that is the event itself.  Many people are asking this:

Yes, it is a legitimate question.  And before we answer, let’s keep in mind one thing:

The keynote speaker at the event in Garland was right-wing Dutch politician Geert Wilders, who was placed on an al Qaeda hit list. It was organized by the American Freedom Defense Initiative — considered an anti-Muslim group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups.

Geller and the AFDI are not First Amendment crusaders, seeing as how they have called for the “surveillance of mosques and regular inspections of mosques in the U.S.” (clearly violating the Free Exercise clause of the First Amendment).  They are a hate group.

So basically, we have one hate group attacking another hate group. Don’t fall for the lie that this is about the First Amendment.  Many on the right are lining up to praise the anti-Mohammed cartoon contest and its organizers (including bigot Pam Geller).  I cannot condone that.  Pam Geller is a cancerous presence in the US political conversation; same with her pal Geert Wilders, the flamboyant and parodic far-right, racist Dutch parliamentarian she brought for her Muhammed cartoon event down in Texas. Political violence is the greatest corrosive of free and ordered societies. But a hate group is a hate group the day after someone takes a shot at them just like it was the day before.