{"id":73634,"date":"2019-10-09T17:05:33","date_gmt":"2019-10-09T15:05:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/?p=73634"},"modified":"2019-10-04T14:17:35","modified_gmt":"2019-10-04T12:17:35","slug":"05-00-41","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/?p=73634","title":{"rendered":"Rashida Tlaib Endorses Prominent Antisemite \u2014 and No One Cares"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>Rashida Tlaib Endorses Prominent Antisemite \u2014 and No One Cares<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/h5>\n

Petra Marquardt-Bigman<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

US Congresswoman Rashia Tlaib of Michigan. Photo: Reuters\/Rebecca Cook.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

It is rather shocking to contemplate the implications of US Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI)\u2019s recent decision to declare her unequivocal support for Zahra Billoo.<\/span><\/p>\n

When the Democratic Congresswoman took to Twitter<\/strong><\/span><\/a> on Friday evening, she must have been fully aware of the countless examples<\/a><\/strong><\/span> for Zahra Billoo\u2019s extremist views that prompted<\/a><\/strong><\/span> the national Women\u2019s March to quickly rescind Billoo\u2019s recent appointment<\/strong><\/span><\/a> as a board member.<\/span><\/p>\n

For the past decade, Billoo has served<\/a><\/strong><\/span> as Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) branch in San Francisco, and she has produced an unending stream of hate-filled social media posts during that time.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2010, Billoo equated Israelis with Nazis, and declared<\/a><\/strong><\/span>: \u201cNo need for a holocaust museum, seeing as Israel has taken it upon itself to recreate it. #Israel #Nazis.\u201d In 2014, she made a similar statement, asserting<\/strong><\/span><\/a> that \u201cIsrael \u2018defending\u2019 itself from Palestinians is analogous to Nazi Germany defending itself from Jewish uprising.\u201d Billoo also indicated support for Hamas, declaring<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, \u201cBlaming Hamas for firing rockets at [Apartheid] Israel is like blaming a woman for punching her rapist.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Almost exactly a year ago, Billoo opined<\/strong><\/span><\/a> <\/strong><\/span>that \u201cthe Israeli Defense Forces, or the IDF, are no better than ISIS. They are both genocidal terrorist organizations.\u201d Her social media posts include numerous<\/a><\/strong><\/span> similar statements, and like many radical anti-Israel activists, Billoo also frequently denounces<\/a><\/strong><\/span> the US. Last year, Billoo described<\/a><\/strong><\/span> the White House as \u201ca war mongers\u2019 shelter\u201d and a \u201cZionists\u2019 shelter.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Not even President Obama was good enough for Billoo, who told<\/strong><\/span><\/a> her followers in 2012 that she was \u201ctroubled by the fact that many of the people who condemn the Taliban for their crimes cheer on Pres. Obama despite his comparable crimes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Billoo\u2019s public extremism and the fact that the Women\u2019s March quickly distanced itself from Billoo should make it inconceivable that any politician would publicly embrace her. But Rashida Tlaib was undeterred, and posted<\/strong><\/span><\/a> [archived link<\/strong><\/span><\/a>] a remarkable declaration of solidarity with Billoo:<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

#FreePalestine always sis! They won\u2019t silence us for speaking out against human rights violations. They will lie, smear our names and call us anti this and that, but we always be pro- humanity & we have the truth on our side. Stay strong @ZahraBilloo.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s noteworthy that Tlaib\u2019s tweet linked to Billoo\u2019s thread<\/strong><\/span><\/a> complaining about her dismissal from the Women\u2019s March board. Without acknowledging any wrongdoing, Billoo blamed \u201can Islamophobic smear campaign led by the usual antagonists.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

While Billoo felt it might have been advisable to express herself less \u201cpassionately,\u201d she made clear that she had no other regrets by declaring<\/strong><\/span><\/a>: \u201cI stand by my words.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Rashida Tlaib endorsed Billoo\u2019s sentiments without any reservations, echoing her preposterous claims that she was the victim of \u201clies\u201d and \u201csmears,\u201d while ridiculing concerns about antisemitism as unwarranted accusations of \u201canti this and that.\u201d Tlaib also echoed Billoo\u2019s vilification of her critics as bigoted liars by claiming the moral high ground: \u201cwe always be pro- humanity & we have the truth on our side.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But the truth is that it is shocking and alarming that a member of Congress would be so eager to lend unqualified support to an unrepentant extremist like Billoo.<\/span><\/p>\n

By enthusiastically embracing Billoo as her \u201csis,\u201d Tlaib signals that support for a #FreePalestine agenda justifies even the most unhinged bigotry. But Tlaib might ask herself why Billoo, whose family is from Pakistan<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, takes such an intense interest in the Palestinians that she feels only loathing for the Jewish state while remaining apparently unmoved by the dire plight<\/a><\/strong><\/span> of the Baloch who have long fought Pakistan\u2019s oppressive rule.<\/span><\/p>\n

Most importantly, however, Tlaib\u2019s enthusiastic embrace of Billoo elevates a radical fringe voice that is not representative of mainstream American Muslims. Pew surveys show<\/a><\/strong><\/span> that American Muslims are \u201clargely assimilated, happy with their lives, and moderate with respect to many of the issues that have divided Muslims and Westerners around the world.\u201d Pew found<\/a><\/strong><\/span> that two-thirds of American Muslims acknowledge \u201cthat the quality of life for Muslims in the US is better than in most Muslim countries.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

And nearly half (48 percent) of American Muslims say that Muslim leaders in the United States \u201chave not done enough to speak out against Islamic extremists.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Billoo, by contrast, has always been very proud of her extremist brother.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2007, Billoo happily announced on her blog<\/a><\/strong><\/span>: \u201cmy lil\u2019 brother was quoted in the Jewish Journal.\u201d But Billoo had no reason to be proud of her brother Ahmed, who told<\/a><\/strong><\/span> The Jewish Journal<\/em> that \u201cthe righteousness of suicide bombers needs to be evaluated on a \u2018case-by-case basis.\u2019\u201d Ahmed Billoo was clearly reluctant to condemn suicide bombings and explained that he believed they were \u201csomething that Islam justifies,\u201d claiming that it was \u201cvery rare that I meet someone who says suicide bombings in Palestine are not justified.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Fast forward to July 2019, and Zahra Billoo\u2019s brother Ahmed is a cleric, also known<\/strong><\/span><\/a> as Ahmed Ibn Aslam Billoo, who leads a trip<\/strong><\/span><\/a> to Jerusalem for his employer, the \u201cInstitute of Knowledge<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u201d in California. When departing from BenGurion Airport, Ahmed Billoo reportedly posted<\/strong><\/span><\/a> a no longer publicly accessible \u2014 but archived<\/a><\/strong><\/span> \u2014 Facebook update that he was \u201cfeeling annoyed,\u201d adding an invocation in Arabic that reads in translation: \u201cOh God, reduce their numbers, exterminate them, and don\u2019t leave a single one alive.\u201d The hashtag \u201cZionists\u201d in English clarified whom Ahmed Billoo wanted exterminated.<\/span><\/p>\n

Upon his arrival in the US, Ahmed Billoo apparently complained about harassment by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials, and his sister Zahra eagerly seized the opportunity to emphasize<\/strong><\/span><\/a>:<\/strong><\/span> \u201cMy brother @AhmedIbnAslam makes me proud often but there\u2019s a special appreciation I have here \u2013 putting his privilege to good use, asserting his rights, speaking out against @CBP harassment, and thereby making it somewhat easier for those who are unable.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Rashida Tlaib legitimizes Zahra Billoo\u2019s unhinged views, and Zahra Billoo legitimizes her brother\u2019s extremism, all for the sake of a supposedly \u201cprogressive\u201d #FreePalestine agenda that seems motivated primarily by a bigoted and even murderous hate for the world\u2019s only Jewish state.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Petra Marquardt-Bigman<\/strong> is a German-Israeli researcher and writer with a PhD in contemporary history. Her recent work has focused on antisemitism and anti-Israel activism<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

Zawarto\u015b\u0107 publikowanych artyku\u0142\u00f3w i materia\u0142\u00f3w nie reprezentuje pogl\u0105d\u00f3w ani opinii Reunion’68,<\/em>
\nani te\u017c webmastera Blogu Reunion’68, chyba ze jest to wyra\u017anie zaznaczone.
\nTwoje uwagi, linki, w\u0142asne artyku\u0142y lub wiadomo\u015bci prze\u015blij na adres:
\n<\/em>webmaster@reunion68.com<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rashida Tlaib Endorses Prominent Antisemite \u2014 and No One Cares Petra Marquardt-Bigman US Congresswoman Rashia Tlaib of Michigan. Photo: Reuters\/Rebecca Cook. It is rather shocking to contemplate the implications of US Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI)\u2019s recent decision to declare her unequivocal support for Zahra Billoo. When the Democratic Congresswoman took to Twitter on Friday evening, she must […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[6],"tags":[26,24],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73634"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=73634"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73634\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":73725,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73634\/revisions\/73725"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=73634"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=73634"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.reunion68.se\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=73634"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}