Daniel Pipes
I Am a Runner-Up for an "Islamophobia" Award In addition to terrorism and other forms of violence, the current war also involves a battle of ideas, with Islamist totalitarians on one side and their opponents on the other. To convince the undecided, each side tries to discredit the other. This is a battle I am intensely engaged in to show the true nature of the Islamist organizations. In particular, I focus on the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the most powerful such organization in the most important country; and CAIR returns the favor by throwing more of its calumnies to me than to any one else.
Others jump into the picture from time to time. A colorful example of this was issued today by the badly misnamed "Islamic Human Rights Commission," a British organization, as it announced its sarcastic Islamophobia Awards for 2004 (a bit early no?). These come in five categories (British politician, non-British politician, media organ, media personality, and an all-purpose "Islamophobe of the year"). In Hollywood-style, each category has three nominees, from which the finalist is chosen. I am a nominee in the "Most Islamophobic Media Personality" category, along with Polly Toynbee and Barbara Amiel, both of whom are British columnists. (Toynbee won.)
Perhaps I should be inspired by this to give out awards of my own to the Islamists. These might include such creatively named ones as "Outstanding Jihad Apologist," "Outstanding Counterterrorism Sabotager," "Outstanding Media Manipulator," and "Outstanding Dhimmitude Advocate." |
