Debbie Schlussel
The continuing internet blog wars amongst the anti-Muslims and Islamophobes have been quite funny and interesting for all that they reveal about the agendas driving them. It was only a matter of time before the fault lines began to appear amongst a group for whom it will be noted (a piece in the future) were really only united by a hate for Islam and Muslims, and in which their real motivations were self-aggrandizement coupled with hatred of the other.
Some bloggers such as Charles Johnson of Little Green Football’s have calmed their rhetoric and focused on other subjects such as science and local politics, while Robert Spencer and his allies have continued their hatred unabated, though stung by the increasing irrelevance of their movement in the Obama age. Who knows how long this will last or the eventual outcome of the Great Blog Soap Opera?
Yet, the fault lines were appearing earlier when in September of 2008 Debbie Schlussel, a well known Islamophobe came out strongly against both Walid Shoebat calling him a “fake terrorist” and Steven Emerson who she described as a “phony.” All these are welcome contributions to the exposition of the loons and may have softened the image of Schlussel as an Islamophobe in the minds of some if it weren’t for the fact that her motivation in exposing these two wasn’t pure ego.
She was compelled to reluctantly spill the truth about these two for the simple reason that in the case of Shoebat he “cursed her out” and failed to cite the use of Schlussel’s work. So no one should fall under the illusion that her turn of face in exposing these two was motivated by a cathartic realization that they are haters, it was all personal and business — not principles.
In other news the Los Angeles Times has taken Schlussel to task for saying that the recent Ron Howard directed movie Angels and Demons was soft on Muslim Terrorists. Patrick Goldstein aptly describes Schlussel as, “a trigger happy anti-Muslim zealot.”
Just when Ron Howard thought he was in the clear, having avoided being attacks by the Vatican for any anti-Catholic story lines in his upcoming “Angels and Demons,” he now finds himself under fire from the one and only Debbie Schlussel. Revered as a truth-teller in conservative circles, the blogger-critic is actually a trigger-happy anti-Muslim zealot — she went nuclear last year when ”Defiance” Ed Zwick director refused to condemn Hamas — who’s now taking aim at “Angels and Demons,” which she (big surprise) thinks is soft on Muslim terrorists.
How did the Howard-directed thriller go from being anti-Catholic to pro-Muslim? According to early press reports, Howard apparently changed the identity of an assassin, who is Muslim in the Dan Brown bestseller, to someone who is now Danish. For the rest of us, this is — how should I put it — not such a big deal. But for Schlussel? She writes:
“Over the years, I’ve written about the many movies in which Hollywood changes the villain or the terrorist in the original script or novel from a Muslim to something else out of politically correct deference to Islam, the religion of whiners (and ultimately, murderers). Now, Hollywood continues in this tradition. … I’m already learning that ['Angels and Demons'] has been ‘disinfected’ by Islamopanderers (director Ron Howard) not wanting to upset our dear friends in the ‘Religion of Peace,’ who might do something ‘peaceful’ if the movie had stayed true to the book.”
This is just part of a prolonged Schlussel shame campaign, often based on the flimsiest of evidence, to belittle Hollywood for not treating Muslims as wild-eyed villains. In one of her classic posts, she attacked Marvel Comics for giving academic internships to Arab students from the United Arab Emirates, using that as evidence to support her outrageous claim that “Spider-Man and the Hulk are embracing the new Nazis.” She also recently ridiculed the Wall Street Journal for allowing one of its reporters (“with a Muslim-sounding first name”) to write admiringly about a Muslim author doing a DC comic book.
I don’t exactly have a direct line to Ron Howard to talk to him about his casting process. But here’s my suggestion: The next time Howard does a Dan Brown thriller, if there’s a good part for a terrorist, I think he oughta make sure Debbie Schlussel gets first crack at the job.
As Goldstein points out this isn’t the first time that Schlussel has supposedly “uncovered” a so called nefarious Muslim plot against the West — it is a trademark of her paranoid writing. When the Virginia Tech Massacre occurred, the police told the press that the shooter was an “Asian male” Schlussel was quick to tie it to Muslims, saying in a racist screed that “Pakis are considered ‘Asian,’” and that it could be “part of a co-ordinated terrorist plot by Pakistanis.”
Later when it was revealed that the shooter was a student of Korean background and that he authored a play titled Ismail Ax, she continued to attempt to tie the massacre to Muslims, insisting that the Muslim sounding name of Ismail in the play penned by the murderer was enough to conclude that he was a “secret” Muslim and that Islam was to blame.
Needless to say this was rejected by the police as it was obvious that the murderer had no ties to Islam or Muslims. Even more egregious, the ironic fact lost on Schlussel that Muslims died in the massacre.
The case of Debbie Schlussel, a certified trigger happy anti-Muslim highlights the absurdity of the loon blogsphere. All of them have bigger egos than the other and they are willing to throw one another under the bus if it suits them. It kind of reminds one of the statement “There is no honor amongst thieves” reworked as “There is no honor amongst Islamophobes.”
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:42 am
Jesus Christ, Schlussel had her behind handed to her on this one, this site does a really admirable job of exposing these wackos in a way that deserves commendation, not a lot of sites capable of this service, congrats folks, i’ll def be back regularly…
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:03 am
good blog.. keep watching those loons.. and may the power be with you!
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:04 am
For what cause does the group claim to be united?
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:09 am
Who cares about Debbie Schlussel? That is, I wonder how she got to be known as a political commentator on “radical Islam.” She has a law degree and an MBA, but no doctorate, certainly not in Islamic studies.
June 2nd, 2009 at 8:46 pm
Totally Agree with the article! I wonder why she is still not condemned for her words…
June 3rd, 2009 at 8:13 am
Great article and thanks for the link! I knew it was only a matter of time before these juvenile antics by supposedly “big” bloggers would end up noticed by sites other than my little one. Our Great Blog Soap Opera is breaking out and losing control, and we’re here to chronicle it all.
Thanks again for also covering it all!
June 7th, 2009 at 3:35 am
Debbie Schlussel was featured on day 2 of Judeofascist awareness Week
http://drmaxtor.blogspot.com/2007/10/judeofascist-awareness-week-day-2.html
More facts on this aging Irgun harpy :
Member of the terrorist JDL group
Nearly got an Arab-American Congressman Daryl Issa killed by her friends in the JDL after labeling Issa as “Jihad Daryl.”
July 6th, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Petrodollars from the Wahabis or the Khomeinists have tried hard to abuse American knowledge of the Jihadi penetration of the US. The creation of the ridiculous concept of Islamophobia was thought to damage the leading analysts on Jihadism. It failed, simply because average Americans, and the younger in particular, have gotten the ability of exploring the Jihadi mind, tactics and propaganda. More Americans then ever before understand that threat and can easily detect internet activities backed by Jihadi sympathisers and their allies. Too late..
Selecting retard characters such as Debbie Schlussel won’t camouflage the attempt to blur visions..too late “LoonWatch” too late..you’re now preaching to your Petro-followers only.
July 8th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
You do a great disservice to Robert Spencer by lumping him in with Debbie Schlussel as ‘Islamophobes’. Schlussel goes off the deep end frequently. I have never seen Spencer do the same. You seem to be attacking anyone who wants to discuss modern Islam, no matter how reasoned their tone or argument. Opposing terrorists is not a crime, and opposing the infiltration of our country by dedicated jihadists is not a crime. I have to agree with ‘Sami Abdallah’ on this one. This site appears to be aimed at blocking any discussion of modern Islam.
July 9th, 2009 at 9:47 am
John,
It is no disservice to Robert Spencer to put him in the same category as Debbie Schlussel. Schlussel was a harbinger of the Blog Wars amongst people who Muslims consider to be anti-Muslims and Islamophobes. One blog that is recounting this war is headed by a woman named Lex who herself was part of the anti-Muslim internet-world but left and renounced it and now records and comments on the wars going on between LGF, Robert Spencer, Gates of Vienna, etc.
Also as far as Spencer going off on the deep end read this: http://www.loonwatch.com/2009/04/robert-spencer-wanna-be-conquistador/
What is more off the deep end than joining a group that wants the reconquista of Turkey and the complete displacement of Muslims from that land?
Opposing terrorism and discussing modern Islam is vital but if one engages in Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hysteria while doing it and also associates with fascists then you leave yourself open to being exposed and satirized.
July 9th, 2009 at 9:55 am
Sami,
Everyone who blogs here is American.
You sound just a littttttttle paranoid, but denying the existence of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim bigotry reveals your prejudice. I put my hope in the youth as well and I think they can spot loonieness when they see it. The tide is against the type of hate that you would like to see be mainstream that is why an overwhelming amount of young people voted for Obama.
Anyways it’s interesting that on a post which highlights clear anti-Muslim hysterics, all you seek to comment on is why you suspect that we are a front for “petro-dollars.” Comment on the substance instead of going into ad hominem.
July 13th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Mooneye,
The link you sent me to condemned Robert Spencer for claiming that Islam is more of a ‘political ideology’ than a religion. I am puzzled. Islam makes no secret of the aim to rule a person – and a country – in every facet of living. What to eat, how to live, punishment for each and every crime…Islam is meant to be completely political. The current kingdom of Saudi Arabia, along with Iran, Pakistan and other countries, demonstrate daily how Islam is NOT confined to a mosque or to someone’s private life. To ridicule Spencer for re-stating what Islam says about itself is puzzling.
By the way, I saw an explanation that there is a group of ‘truth-seekers’ who run this website, but I didn’t see the names of the participants. Who are you, and what are your qualifications?
Thanks.
July 14th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
Islam is simply a beautiful religion i mean beautiful! and i can assure you that more they attack this creed more it spreads. One thing for sure they did not realize is, when they” Islamophobe” spread their venomous lies or distort the truth people find out at the end simply by referring back to the Koran. Many, many people finally realized that the truth isn’t mentioned at all in the American media and that is why i kept searching and searching until the light shined and i embraced Islam as my religion. Thank you Islamophobe for pushing me find the truth!
July 18th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
“Sami Abdullah” sounds like typical shabbos goyim sycophant. I mean really, only a racist idiot would deny the existence of Islamophobia anymore that claiming that the Holocause is a myth. Petro-dollar myths is so 70s.
John Jackson is another fascist loon trying to do damage control for Spencer. While asking the site admin about their qualifications, he aceepts the “credentials” of a cretinous liar like Spencer. Simply pathetic. And whats going on in the Middle East and South Asia is the consequences of Anglo-American terrorism and destabilization. Pick up a history book before making a fool out of yourself online.
July 20th, 2009 at 8:36 am
Well, whoever this ‘DrM’ is, he sure likes to attack someone who is asking questions. Me, a ‘fascist loon?’ Why, because I point out that Islamic leaders – and not just the jihadists, mind you, but Islamic leaders in general – state that Islam is meant to control every aspect of your life?
The definition of ‘fascist’ is one who aims to control every thought and idea. That is a better definition of the Islamic leaders than it is me. The term ‘Islamofascist’ was coined in Libya…by other Muslims, who resented those whose aim it is to dominate their neighbors.
I still don’t have an answer to my questions from the writers of this blog…unless the mysterious ‘DrM’ is their answer. Okay, so you don’t like Robert Spencer. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use logic in your own answers. The blithering rant of Brian Mophtali tells me he hasn’t actually read the Koran. The Koran contains all the passages that the murderous, cowardly terrorists quote when they kill people. To pretend the Koran only includes goodness and light is ridiculous. My saying that is simply discussing the Koran, it doesn’t make me an ‘Islamophobe.’
To Mooneye: From what is written here, I presume you are Muslim. Being Muslim does not excuse you from having to defend your statements. You are attacking those you label ‘Islamophobes’ and therefore rebuking everything they say. What I just said above is basically what Robert Spencer’s main point is…the terrorists quote accurately from the Koran and other Muslim-sacred writings. To refute that you would have to show that the quotations of the terrorists are inaccurate. I have read the English version of the Koran, and it seems to me that every passage cited by the murderous cowards is in there. Can you show me where I am wrong? It is easy to have someone label me a ‘fascist loon.’ Is it so hard to address the question?
July 20th, 2009 at 9:21 am
John,
The link I sent you does more than just condemn Spencer for claiming Islam is more of a political ideology than a religion. In fact, it brings up his very troubling track record of Islamophobia and anti-muslim bigotry. None of which you seem ready to answer? It also points to his intimate associations with Islamophobes. Associations he is proud of.
Dr.M is a commenter just like you are on this site and is no more a contributor to the articles as you attempt to imply than you or your friend Sami are. Our general policy on comments is as long as they are civil, and don’t descend into profanity we allow them. Hence the reason Sami’s bizarre comment was approved.
As you read in the About we are a motley group of hate-allergic bloggers taking on the motley group of hate-loving loons.
Read our latest on Spencer http://www.loonwatch.com/2009/07/robert-spencer-rejected-by-academics-still-supports-geert-wilders/ and if you’re able engage with the substance of the articles. Still haven’t heard a response as to why Spencer joined that genocidal organization, why he supports Tom Tancredo of nuke Mecca fame, or Geert Wilders which even his friend Charles Johnson rebuked him for or Pam Geller who believes Barack Obama is the illegitimate son of Malcolm X.
September 30th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Isn’t that Rachel Dratch?
October 11th, 2009 at 10:11 am
I know that to attack Muslims makes one a bigot but before saying anything about them, one way or the other, I suggest that a site recommended by the MSU Of HOuston UNiversity and others, ie: http://islamqa.com/en be examined carefully. There are questions and answers that explain the religion fully. After reading all the questions and answers critiques or accolades can be made. Have an enjoyable time learning about Islam.
October 14th, 2009 at 6:25 pm
You know what you are talking about I think.
November 8th, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Debbie is right, and you are the loon.
January 10th, 2010 at 6:46 am
Loonwatch is watching the wrong people. They should be watching the White House and the ***** in congress.
January 19th, 2010 at 10:24 pm
schwang wang wang,debbie schlussel
February 7th, 2010 at 4:07 pm
Just came across this article. Goldstein says that Schlussel is “revered as a truth-teller in conservative circles.”
Uh, no, actually, she’s held as a nutjob by most conservatives. She just calls herself a conservative. She’s actually a crazy liar…recently, she said on her site that she’s the subject of a “bogus complaint” by someone else. The Michigan Bar’s inevestigating her as a result. It’ll be interesting to see how that plays out. Careful you don’t criticize her too often, though–if you do, you’re obviously an anti-Semite. (She’s kinda like Uncle Leo in that episode of Seinfeld–”He even thinks his rabbi is an anti-Semite!”)
March 15th, 2010 at 8:25 pm
My real reason for being aghast and unhappy with this woman Schlussel is my bitter memory of what was done to Japanese-Americans during World War Two. The difference between jihadists and Muslims as such is exactly the difference between being German and being Nazi.
We need to walk a fine here in these dangerous times between legitimate security and shameless bigotry. David Ben-Gurion ( a truly great man ) once said “We shall fight the White Paper as if there no war, and the war as if there were no White Paper.”
Likewise, we need to oppose bigotry as if there were no jihad, and jihad as if there were no bigotry.
May 19th, 2010 at 11:26 am
To John Jackson – It’s been a good while since this article was printed and you made your comments; but in case you’re still checking the comments I’d like to respond to what you’ve said.
I am a Christian – of a unitarian and liberal variety, not fundamentalist or evangelical – and I have come to have a great respect for Islam after doing my own research and reading in the Qur’an. I began looking into Islam after reading an e-mail that attacked Islam and the Qur’an because of the supposed ‘terrorist’ verses in that venerable book. When I started looking up the verses, I found that they are indeed in the Qur’an; but their contextual meaning is quite different from what terrorists and Islamophobes portray. I wrote the following article in my blog, which you might find of interest: http://mystic444.wordpress.com/2010/03/01/does-islam-proclaim-that-all-infidels-should-be-killed/.
Being of a Christian background, I am very aware that all kinds of ridiculous things can be taught as being ‘Biblical’; and the verses quoted in support of the ridiculous tenets are certainly in the Bible (usually, at any rate). But that doesn’t mean the verses actually teach the ideas they are being quoted to prove. One needs to carefully read the verses in their contexts (both immediate context, and the wider context of the writer’s other writings and the writings of the other Biblical authors) in order to correctly understand what is being taught. One of my ‘pet peeves’ is the ‘Christian’ teaching that Jesus is the ‘One True God’, the ‘second Person in the Trinity’. Many verses are quoted to support this claim, but I am convinced that when these verses are carefully read in their contexts (both immediate and wider) they will always be found to show the writer considered Jesus as distinct from and subservient to God. They certainly believed that God had appointed Jesus to be “Lord” over His creation (sort of ‘commander-in-chief’ – under God – of all the armies of God and all creation), which is more that Muslims are willing to allow as I understand their beliefs. But the Christian writers did not believe Jesus was actually God. I have a number of articles in my blog on that subject also.
At any rate, just because the verses terrorists use to support their actions are actually in the Qur’an, does not mean that terrorists have correctly understood those verses and are properly using them for support. Mainstream Islam repudiates terrorism, and recognizes that the Qur’an allows self defense, but never aggressive violence (and particularly not killing of innocents). Any ‘infidels’ to be killed are those who have themselves violently attacked Muslims first. Check out my blog article to which I referred, and read those Qur’anic verses in their contexts.
May 25th, 2010 at 2:57 pm
I blame TOM CRUISE for not saving these people by introducing them to SCIENTOLOGY surely these are the type that need it
August 20th, 2010 at 9:51 am
I dont know how I came upon this site. I have studied Apologetics to Islam. I am also involved in groups trying to stop Sharia Law and also the rise of attacks on our constitution. I am shocked by this site. I am more over shocked that you are all Americans. I really hope you are all studying the idealogy of extreme Islam in America. The Sharia Law that is trying to rear its ugly head here in the states. It is Americans like you that make it hard for us that are truly fighting this. You are only going after the people that are out there and being the strongest voices. I am not in these peoples groups like Pamella Geller or Robert Spencer and I know they have strong personalities but really to go out and call them Islamaphobes is way out of line. You need to stay focused if you are really in the big fight. I have to say really disgusted by this site and I look forward at making your name known among my very large circle because you are more counterproductive than even the Ground Zero Mosque Imam. Friendly fire is the worst ! Shame on you and your cohorts. I only hope you have a change of heart and start lashing out on the real enemy of the free world. I wish you the best.
August 20th, 2010 at 11:08 am
@ Haec Dies
Where have Muslims attacked the Constitution, and could you please give examples of the what you mean when you say you’re trying to stop Sharia Law? Look forward to a dialogue with you.
All the best.