CAIR's War on National Review

FrontPage magazine reported The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) has this week waged a campaign against National Review, seeking an apology and the removal of a book called The Life and Religion of Mohammed from sale by the NR Book Service. This was a bit out of focus, since National Review did not publish the book and is not the sole source for it. In fact, I wrote this ad, although I receive absolutely no remuneration from the sales of the book by NR or anyone else. CAIR’s campaign was revealing of what CAIR wants Americans to know — and not to know — about Islam and Muhammad. And CAIR did succeed in intimidating NR into withdrawing the book, along with Serge Trifkovic’s Sword of the Prophet.

In a press release, CAIR called the book “virulently Islamophobic,” and quoted sections from advertising copy for book that called it a “guide into the dark mind of (the Prophet) Mohammed.” It took issue with the ad copy’s description of the book as explaining “why Mohammed couldn’t possibly be a true prophet, and reveal[ing] the true sources of his ‘revelations.” Above all, CAIR was angered by the ad copy’s assertions that “Mohammed posed as the apostle of God...while his life is marked by innumerable marriages; and great licentiousness, deeds of rapine, warfare, conquests, unmerciful butcheries, all the time invoking God’s holy name to sanction his evil deeds,” and that “Mohammed again and again justified his rapine and licentiousness with new ‘divine revelations.’”

Charles Johnson blogged According to Robert Spencer, National Review decided to cave in to pressure from the Council on American Islamic Relations because they were “choosing their battles.”

While it’s definitely true that National Review has done a great deal to expose the agenda of radical Islam, and I’m not going to stop reading them, I disagree strongly with their decision to remove advertisements for books critical of Islam and I’m very disappointed at their lack of resolve. This is anything but an insignificant battle; it’s a pivotal part of CAIR’s anti-democratic jihad to have all criticism of Mohammed or of Islam declared “hate speech,” and National Review has now set a dangerous precedent that will certainly embolden CAIR to intensify their efforts.

And as Spencer points out in this article, the books that CAIR labeled as “anti-Muslim hate” (and National Review implicitly agreed with them) are indeed highly critical—but they make their case with historical facts and quotations from the Koran

I regret that National Review caved in, but the book is listed (Out of Print--Limited Availability) on Amazon

Nancy commented This is extremely troubling. Islam is NOT just a religion but a political and social ideology --a fact which they stress time and time again. Yet, it continues to be treated as though it were just a religion because organizations like CAIR are willing to use the "religious discrimination" argument when it suits them. My thinking is: we STOP refering to it as a religion and start emphasizing it is a political-social ideology. Within that framework --it deserves no special rights as far as not being criticized.

Spiny Norman commented What CAIR really told NR: If you don't stop telling filthy lies about how Islam is a dangerous, violent ideology, we'll blow up your building and everyone in it!

Michelle Malkin blogged The Council for Arab Islamic Relations (CAIR) successfully pressured National Review to pull ads for two books criticizing Islam. And Google is trying to curb expression of something or other over at the Jawa Report.

CAIR is well within its rights to call for a boycott of National Review rather than critique the books it doesn't like. And Google is well within its rights to drop Jawa Report from its list of news sites without providing even a single example of objectionable speech. And I am well within my rights to tell CAIR and Google to shove it.

Update: Robert Spencer has a whole article about CAIR's war on National Review. Jack Lewis reminds readers that the sensitive souls at Google accepted advertising from Hamas.