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‘The Third Jihad’ bores, not scares, viewers with its biased message of a Muslim menace |
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By Pat McDonell Twair, Special to InFocus
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“The Third Jihad: Radical Islam’s Vision for America” is a more polished version of the Clarion Fund’s earlier documentary, “Obsession: Radical Islam’s War With the West,” but it’s more likely to put viewers to sleep than fill them with fear over an “insidious takeover” of the U.S. by Muslim zealots.
The film is boring because it repetitiously shows gory scenes of Muslim bombing incidents in Chechnya and all over the world that we’ve already seen on TV news. We know these tragic events, but what about other acts of violence in Oklahoma City, Colombia, Sri Lanka and Germany that were perpetrated by non-Muslim radicals? For that matter, suspects in first bombing death in Santa Ana, Calif. were named by the FBI as members of the Jewish Defense League who murdered Palestinian American Alex Odeh in 1985.It is the relentless litany of Muslim acts of violence in the film which quickly makes any viewer over the age of 12 wonder, “How come all the bad guys in the world are Muslims?”Clarion selected “The Third Jihad” title to imply Islam was spread in the 7th century from Spain to China by Umayyad Arabs and the second Islamic expansion was the work of Ottoman Turks who were finally stopped in the West in Vienna in 1683. And now, the documentary warns, the West must wake up before radical Muslims supplant democracy with their shari’ah law that denigrates women and persecutes non-believers.“The Third Jihad” is narrated by Dr. Zuhdi Jasser who professes to be a Muslim born in 1967 to Syrian parents. Evidently his folks failed to inform him that in the year of his birth, Israel invaded and still occupies Syria’s rich Golan province.The Phoenix-based internist uses his medical credentials and years served in the U.S. Navy to lend weight to his warnings about the Muslim menace about to seize power in the U.S. He claims radical Muslims hate the West but he never mentions the reasons behind their resentment: Israel’s invasions and occupations of Arab lands. In fact, the word Israel is never iterated in the narrative which hammers away at Muslims’ hatred of Jews.Islamophobe Bernard Lewis frequently appears on screen telling Americans to wake up to the encroaching Muslim cataclysm. Even Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT) pops up as a talking head lamenting the Wahhabi peril.And if you really want to scare people, why not add the specter of black Muslims? Photos of African American inmates who convert to Islam in prison are contrasted with footage of them living in communes. The narrator claims that 3,000 of these Muslim enclaves have been set up across the U.S.The lack of balance is clear when right-wing Christian communes are omitted (David Koresh’s Mount Carmel Center in Waco, TX and Jim Jones’ Jonestown in Guyana) as are Christian fundamentalists who have infiltrated the U.S. Air Force Academy.“Beware of Muslims who seem harmless” is another message expressed in photos of Muslim Student Union events or members of the Council on American Islamic Relations, who, “Jihad” emphasizes, refuse to renounce Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations.The demonization of Islam rapidly proves the film is propaganda. Lies such as the claim that Bethlehem is losing its Christian population because of Muslim animosity rather than Israeli military occupation, land confiscation and economic deprivation strip it of credibility.Perhaps that it is why it was only being shown at great expense for free in theaters nationwide beginning Oct. 5 and on Oct. 13 became available for free online. “The Third Jihad” also is lauded and posted prominently on McCain/Palin blogs.In early September, Clarion distributed 28 million DVDs of “Obsession,” the prequel to “Third Jihad,” inside newspapers to voters in swing electoral states. Is this not a political agenda to influence unsuspecting voters to restore the neo-cons to power in Washington, D.C.? And don’t forget all those rumors about Barack Obama being a secret Muslim. Stated Dr. Maher Hathout, spokesman of the Islamic Center of Southern California: “Outside of the Bible, I don’t think there has ever been such a mass distribution of any book or film. ‘Obsession’ reached one in every twelve Americans weeks before the national election. “What was it trying to say? Who paid for all this? Why distribution before the national elections?“’Obsession,’ he declared, “is the other side of the face of ‘The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.’”The Clarion Fund was incorporated in Delaware as a 501 (3) (c) non-profit charitable organization by Robert (Rabbi Raphael) Shoret, Rabbi Henry Harris and Rebecca Kabat who are reported to be employees of Aish HaTorah (Fire of the Torah) International based in Israel.The antidote may be the complaint CAIR has filed with the Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Elections Commission calling for an investigation into whether the Clarion Fund violated its 501 (3) (c) status by releasing the film as a means of influencing voters to cast ballots for a candidate.Commented Hussam Ayloush, executive director for CAIR-Greater Los Angeles Area “This is one of the most heavily funded anti-Muslim campaigns in the history of the U.S., and it shows that there is a vocal minority in our society that is bent on causing fear and division among Americans.”In addition, CAIR is part of the Hate Hurts America Coalition of interfaith and community leaders which has established www.obsessionwithhate.com, a Web site that dissects the film and offers a full rebuttal to its disingenuous arguments. Clarion Fund Challenges Objections to ‘Obsession’ In the wake of anti-Muslim rhetoric as national elections approached, 19 civic and religious leaders participated in a press conference Oct. 13 at the Islamic Center of Southern California. Its focus was to warn against propaganda techniques used to stir up religious bigotry in “Obsession.” Rabbi Steve Jacobs noted every generation has had a scapegoat. Some were labeled as heretics, witches, Communists or Jews. Muslims are the current scapegoat portrayed in “Obsession,” he declared. Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca averred he will not tolerate hate crimes. The Constitution and Bill of Rights guarantee the unacceptability for any agency or group to target a religious group, he said.Human rights activist and actor Mike Farrell said a perfect storm of bigotry has been inflamed by fear generated by 9/11 and elements of anti-intellectualism to point the finger at the other: Muslims in America.Stated Dr. Xandra Kayden of the UCLA School of Public Affairs: “The goal of terrorism is to incite fear and that’s what the film, ‘Obsession,’ does.”Incredibly, standing outside the Islamic Center was the Clarion Fund’s communications director, Gregory Ross. As reporters exited the building, Ross handed them a flier condemning Baca for “trying to silence a film about radical Islamists who want to kill Americans.”“How can you condemn Sheriff Baca’s statements in a flier written before the conference?” Rabbi Jacobs queried Ross. “The sheriff never once mentioned the film.”Ross rebutted: “It’s curious the sheriff is on the side of Hamas while the Clarion Fund wants Americans to look into issues that threaten U.S. security.”This reporter asked Ross to name the donors behind the Clarion Fund. He replied the rules of the 501 (3) © non-taxable status do not allow the disclosure of donors. However Ross said donations have doubled since “Obsession” has been disseminated to the public.When asked if the Clarion Fund was liable to lose its charitable status for trying to influence voters through its films, Ross gave his pat answer: “We’re only trying to educate Americans about radical Islamists.”Since Ross is so concerned about the Muslim threat, Rabbi Jacobs asked him what his religion is.“I’m an American,” Ross replied.“American?” Rabbi Jacobs scoffed, “American is not a religion. Do you have a religion?”Finally Ross said in a barely audible voice: “You bar mitzvahed me.”The DVD sleeve of “Obsession” proclaims it reveals the parallels between Nazis and radical Muslims. Addressing this issue, Rabbi Haim Dov Beliak of Jews On First stated to Ross: “Because of you, future generations of Americans will be misled about false connections between Nazis and Islam.”
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