Hat tip Ledarsidorna (Sweden)-Translation by Fousesquawk
Swedish writer Johan Westerholm is the author of a Swedish language book entitled, Muslimska Brödraskapet: Islamismen i Sverige (Muslim Brotherhood: Islamism in Sweden). He has written the below article for the Swedish blog, Ledarsidorna. The article specifically concerns the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which has documented ties to the Egyptian-based Muslim Brotherhood. In this article, Westerholm expresses the view that with the election of Joe Biden and the takeover of Congress by the Democrats, the position of CAIR and the MB will increase. As an example, he cites a letter written to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg asking him to take measures against expressions of hate against Muslims. The below article is translated by Fousesquawk.
Muslim Brotherhood strengthens its influence over the American Congress
The Muslim Brotherhood's most influential North American networking organization, CAIR, is advancing its position. The (Muslim) Brotherhood now has support from 30 American members of Congress.
Earlier in December, one of the Muslim Brotherhood's largest and most influential North American networking organizations, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), was noted by Member of Congress Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and 29 other Congressional colleagues who together urged Facebook to take immediate action to eliminate anti-Muslim exaggeration platforms.
In the call to Facebook, examples were given "(how) platforms are used to de-humanize Muslims" as well as how Facebook stays passive in relation to this.
In the letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Dingell demanded that Facebook immediately put through the following measures:
* Form a working group consisting of higher-level executives with a focus on anti-Muslim issues and responsible for coordinating work within the company to confront hate groups and education against discrimination.
* Ensure that policies prohibit whites from using the platform for events and group sites in order to terrorize Muslims and other vulnerable groups.
* Undertake an independent review by third parties into the company's role in enabling anti-Muslim violence and genocide against Muslims.
* Commit to working proactively in discovering and removing anti-Muslim content and all other forms of hate before it is even seen.
* Conduct regular training against discrimination for all of Facebook's personnel.
*Education of key personnel in civil rights issues and common words, phrases or images used by hate actors in order to de-humanize and demonize Muslims.
That the Brotherhood's role will change, with increased influence with a Democrat president in the White House is considered inevitable. That CAIR will advance its positions will come as no surprise. An influence that will increase with the majority Democrats have in the American Congress.
The question is more how CAIR and Swedish organizations like Ibn Rushd, Islamic Association of Sweden, and Islamic Relief choose to tone down their connection with the ever more pressured Brotherhood.
But that the Brotherhood continues to make demands upon, among others, Facebook, with US Congressional support, is a reasonably expected development. Whether that is directly through network organizations like CAIR or via a second network which is not as clearly associated with the Brotherhood will be shown in the future.
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Here is CAIR's reaction to the letter. The reader will note there is a slight difference in language as to the points demanded by Dingell et al and how Westerholm describes them. The meaning is the same, but there might be additional words in one or the other version. We have translated Westerholm's words. The actual Dingell letter can be viewed here.
I myself would like to respond to Dingell's letter. I can't speak for the whole world, but this site is not about dehumanizing Muslims as people. Yes, we have criticized Islam as an intolerant and violent ideology. Yes, we have attacked organizations like CAIR because they masquerade as a civil rights organization while acting as a front for the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas. Yes, we speak against the Islamization of the West. Yes, we criticize the insane immigration policies of Western Europe because its own citizens are being killed on an almost daily basis by refugees, asylum-seekers, and migrants from the Islamic world, people who have no intention of assimilating or contributing anything positive to the countries they choose to go to.
But it would be unfair to paint every single Muslim with the same wide brush, and this site has always spoken out when innocent Muslims were targeted, such as the Christchurch, New Zealand massacre.
But where is the internment and genocide against Muslims that Dingell speaks of? No decent person is advocating that. If Dingell is concerned about genocide, she should direct her attention to what ISIS was carrying out recently in Syria and Iraq against Yazidis and Christians. Maybe she should direct her attention to the persecution carried out against religious minorities in virtually every Muslim-majority nation. To speak out against these outrages is not hate. It is not human rights abuse. It is no more wrong to do so than to speak out about what Nazi Germany was doing from 1933-1945. It is also legitimate to discuss the connections between Islamic teachings and the horrors we are seeing today. Does that incriminate all Muslims? No. Does that justify treating innocent Muslims as second class citizens? No.
However, Mr Westerholm is correct: Under this new administration, they will be coming after those who speak out. Under this administration, there will be no investigation into what organizations like CAIR really represent. I have no doubt, Zuckerberg will do their bidding.
Amen
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