Uncategorized – Page 29 – Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.)

Pakistan: ICC Calls for Release of Pakistani Christian Serving Life for ‘Blasphemy’ – Imran Masih

ICC Calls for Release of Pakistani Christian Serving Life for ‘Blasphemy’

ICC reports: Washington, D.C. (February 17, 2010)–International Christian Concern (ICC) is calling for Pakistani officials to release a Christian man who is serving life imprisonment in Hajwairi, Pakistan following false allegations of blasphemy.

A Pakistani court sentenced Imran Masih to life imprisonment and fined him 100,000 Pakistani Rupees [$1182] on January 11, after his Muslim neighbor, Hajji Liaquat, accused him of burning the Qur’an.

On July 1, 2009, Masih was cleaning his shop when he came across Arabic literature. Before trashing it, he asked his Muslim neighbor, Liaquat, whether the book was Islamic literature. Liaquat assured him that it was not an Islamic book. However, after Masih burned the book, Liaquat showed the half-burned book to passersby and accused Masih of desecrating the Qur’an. Later, the local mosques incited Muslims to attack Masih by announcing that he had desecrated the Qur’an.

Masih ran for his life and hid at his house before the police arrived and arrested him. At the time of arrest, a mob of 400 Muslims had gathered outside Masih’s home. The mob was able to overpower the police and attack him.

The family of Masih immediately fled from Faisalabad because the Muslim protesters wanted to kill them. According to the family, Liaquat falsely accused Masih of desecrating the Qur’an because he wanted to rent the shop that Masih rented to run his business.

Christians in Pakistan have repeatedly been attacked by Muslim mobs after accusations of blasphemy. According to Pakistan’s law, desecrating the Qur’an is considered blasphemy and results in life imprisonment.

ICC’s Regional Manager for Africa and South Asia, Jonathan Racho, said, “We call upon Pakistani officials to release Imran Masih and ensure the safety of his family. Pakistan must revise its blasphemy law as it continues to be abused by Muslims to settle personal grudges against Christians.”

Please call the Pakistani Embassy in your country and politely ask the officials to release Imran Masih from prison.

Pakistani Embassies:

USA:                (202) 243-6500
Canada:            (613) 238-7881
UK:                  0870-005-6967

Washington DC Celebrity Chef Spike Mendelsohn Rejects Hate

In a related story to the “white nationalist hate group” American Renaissance that was going to be held at Capitol Skyline hotel (and is now canceled), R.E.A.L. has gotten feedback from some of those who were unaware of the “hate group” events that had previously been held at the Capitol Skyline hotel on November 7 (David Duke event) and February 13 (anti-Semitic “American Free Press/Spotlight” group event).

This includes Washington DC celebrity chef Spike Mendelsohn who spoke to R.E.A.L.’s Jeffrey Imm on February 17, stating affirmatively that he rejects hate, white supremacism, and anti-Semitism, remarking “after all, I am Jewish.”

Spike Mendelsohn was surprised to hear of the pattern of hate group events that had been held at the Capitol Skyline Hotel, and sought to affirmatively state that he objected to white supremacism and hate of any kind. Mr. Mendelsohn had been listed as part of previous Capitol Skyline Hotel promotional information. Mr. Mendelsohn also stated that he doubted that the Rubell Hotels was aware of this.

Later on February 17, after R.E.A.L. finally contacted the Rubell Hotels, the “white nationalist hate group” American Renaissance event that was scheduled to be held at the Capitol Skyline was cancelled according to the Rubell Hotels.

We applaud the Rubell Hotels social conscience in taking a stand against hate.

We thank Spike Mendelsohn for his courage to speak out against hate, and wish him success with his upcoming DC restaurant “Good Stuff Eatery,” opening in March 2010.

Tennessee: Vandalism Against Mosque

The Tennessean reports on vandalism of a Tennessee mosque, the Al-Farooq Mosque, with crosses and the message “Muslims go home” spray-painted on the exterior of the building.

On February 10, 2010, the Tennessean reported:
— “State, local and federal officials are investigating vandalism discovered this morning at the Al-Farooq Mosque on 4th Avenue South.”
— “The words ‘Muslim go home’ and several crosses were spray-painted in red on the exterior of the building, and an expletive and hate-speech filled note was left at the youth center, according to a board member of the mosque.”
— “‘It was an unexpected thing,’ said Salaad Nur. ‘It kind of shook us.'”
— “Brooks was unsure if there was any physical evidence that might help them solve the crime.”

On February 11, 2010, the Tennessean reported:
— “an expletive and hate-speech filled note was left at the youth center, according to a board member of the mosque”
— “Metro Police Sgt. Brooks Harris of the Specialized Investigations Division said his department will investigate because of the obvious sign that the vandalism could be classified as a hate crime. He said he notified the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation as well as the FBI, to see if federal laws were violated and look for potential similarities with vandalism late last year at a mosque site in Murfreesboro.”

Tennessee: Vandalism at the Al-Farooq Mosque (Photo: The Tennesseean/TIRRC)

Another Image of the Hate Vandalism at Tennessee Mosque (Photo: JOHN PARTIPILO / THE TENNESSEAN)

======================================

We reject and deplore such vandalism at any houses of worship. We reject those who would promote hatred and fear through “Islamophobia.”

We support our unqualified, universal human rights for all. We urge supporters of ideologies of hate to drop the burden of the hate from their hearts, and to rejoin the family of humanity in support of our universal human rights.

Choose love, not hate.

DC: Hate Group Plans February 13 Meeting – at Capitol Skyline Hotel

We have learned that the Nazi White Supremacist Stormfront organization is promoting an event on Saturday, February 13 in Washington DC, sponsored by the “American Free Press” “hate group”, described by the Anti-Defamation League as “a virulently anti-Semitic group.” Disgraced former Congressman James Traficant is scheduled to speak at the “American Free Press” “hate group” event on February 13 in Washington DC. Convicted criminal James Traficant served a seven-year prison sentence for racketeering and bribery.

Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) has confirmed that this event will be held at the Capitol Skyline Hotel on February 13, in our discussions with the hotel. The Capitol Skyline Hotel is at 10 I Street SW, Washington, DC, 20024, near the Navy Yard Metro Stop.

We urge you to contact the Capitol Skyline Hotel and POLITELY express your objections at their hosting this hate group’s conference at the Capitol Skyline. Its main telephone number is 202-349-1559; the fax number is 202-488-0790. We also urge you to contact their sales department at 202-349-1559 (email: sales@capitolskyline.com) and their conference organizer, Leann Charpentier at 202-488-7500 x7151 (email: lcharpentier@capitolskyline.com) to educate them about the “hate group” history of the “American Free Press” group.

The “American Free Press” was created by Willis Carto and others from the defunct hate publication “The Spotlight.” The Spotlight provided columns for the writing of white supremacist terrorist James Von Brunn who attacked the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in June 2009, and who murdered black security guard Stephen Tyrone Johns. The American Free Press has also quoted terrorist Von Brunn as an “investigator.” Stormfront, which is promoting the February 13 DC event for “American Free Press” and James Traficant, has recently had its members praising Von Brunn’s June 2009 terrorist attacks as the acts of a “martyr.”

On November 2, 2009, the Anti-Defamation League reported that “Former Ohio Congressman Jim Traficant gave a lengthy interview in the November 2, 2009 issue of American Free Press (AFP), a virulently anti-Semitic newspaper, in which he reinforced his own anti-Semitic views. He explained that the newspaper was the only print media to which he has granted an interview since the completion of a seven-year prison sentence for racketeering and bribery. Traficant has also decided to contribute a weekly column to AFP.”

“Traficant gave a ringing endorsement to the anti-Semitic publication, and he encouraged others to read it ‘if they want to know what is truly happening in our government.’ Traficant outlined his views on a number of issues during the interview, published as an eight-page insert. He defended Jon Demjanjuk, accused of serving as a guard at the Sobibor concentration camp during World War II. Traficant, who has long supported Damjanjuk, alleged in the interview that Demjanjuk ‘was taken prisoner by the Nazis’ and forced to act as a guard “under the threat of death.” Traficant has announced plans to travel to Germany to defend the accused Nazi guard.”

The American Chronicle describes the “The American Free Press: Water-Boy for Anti-Semites and Conspiracy Theorists.”

Nazi White Supremacist Website "Stormfront" Promoting February 13 Event in Washington DC

Anti-Defamation League Report on White Supremacist Nazi Terrorist Von Brunn Shows Links to "American Free Press" Hate Group

Anti-Defamation League Report on "American Free Press" and Former Congressman Jim Traficant

Shoveling… and Creating a New Path

It is not often that I have the opportunity to shovel four feet of snow. It provides some context for analogies that I would not otherwise have considered for the direction and actions I have taken to lead and build Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) as an organization that seeks to be consistent on our universal human rights.

Creating a path one step at a time with a plan to extend your reach. When you have many feet of snow, it is essential that you shovel one place at a time, and choose locations to clear a path that will allow you to reach other locations that you need to get to. R.E.A.L. has been taking the same approach, building a portfolio of key issues that we address one at a time, and realizing we can’t only clear a path to just one step, but we also need to be building a pathway to other human rights issues and communities. While we can’t address every issue or every path, we also have to realize that we can’t build a path to nowhere either. We have to be willing to be the “wheel” of consistency in human rights with multiple spokes that allow us to reach other major communities. Some may wonder why R.E.A.L. doesn’t ONLY address misogyny, racial supremacism, religious extremism, totalitarianism, etc. – aren’t any one of these paths enough? That would be true if our goal was only to be another “special interest group,” but the path we are clearing is for more than our house, it is also for the elderly neighbor who can’t get out, it also for the neighbor who is sick, it is also for the neighbor who simply can’t. Being accepted as good neighbors in life or in the human rights community is more than just looking out for one single issue, it is about being consistent in our support for universal human rights. Perhaps we can’t build a path to every home and heart, but we can’t certainly be responsible enough to reach out to be consistent in our stance on equality and liberty.

Strategic focus changes to get the whole job done. If you don’t shovel out a path through your sidewalk, you won’t be able to reach your car, and if you are digging out your car, you need to have a path to both sides, as well as to the road. At different times, you need to have a different focus. When you have many feet of snow, this is not something you simply brush aside. R.E.A.L. has focused on foundation pathway building in our first year. It has meant focus on different issues at different times, but it has always been for the same ultimate goal. We have taken on a mammoth issue in challenging the lack of consistency among traditional human rights groups, and offering a new alternative. It is tremendous work, and not just a few “fun” rallies to “preach to the choir,” or pat ourselves on the back. We need to go out where it is not comfortable, and where we haven’t known people. Some things have worked and some haven’t. But foundation pathway building doesn’t stop at your front stoop – it just begins there. Path building – is just that – building a path where there isn’t one!

Being flexible can save incredible amounts of time. When you have many feet of snow to shovel, and you see a plow truck coming down your road, you need to make sure you get as much of your pathway shoveled in front of the plow truck to sweep it away and help you out. When we have the opportunity to get help from something larger than ourselves, we need to be opportunistic. You might find this hard to believe, but in July 2009, when I was organizing the Chicago pro-democracy rally to challenge Hizb ut-Tahrir, and FOX News invited to interview me that morning, I very seriously considered telling them “no thanks.” Frankly, I was really tired. Just leading the protest was already pushing my limits, and they wanted me there very early in the morning. I had way too much to do. But as you know, I found a way to do the Sunday interview, and also did yet another interview early the following morning in Washington DC, after getting home around 2 AM in the morning. Sometimes you need to be flexible to build your path, and you have to be opportunistic. How many all-volunteer human rights groups get national television news coverage – moreover how many that you are a supporter of? So when you wonder, why do we also “stop everything” to address other key human rights issues that are critical – the objective is the same. Our efforts with R.E.A.L. will take years in building. Any serious opportunity we have to reduce that time frame in reaching the broader public is an important investment opportunity for us. Amnesty International started in 1962 – 48 years ago. Yet for all their efforts and all their members, that 20th century organization has dramatically failed to address the 21st century challenges that we face in consistency on human rights issues. Like so many other 20th century groups, their tunnel vision approach kept them from having the nimbleness and flexibility to adapt to stay consistent on vital issues on our universal human rights.

Pathway building doesn’t happen overnight. I understand why some get inpatient in building a path of consistency on human rights, and find another interest more rewarding than pathway building. Shoveling feet and feet of snow is not what I do for fun, either. The essential is rarely the most enjoyable. Moreover, our society has a short attention span. Shoveling some feet, then stopping and resting, then going back out and shoveling some more and resting, as a repeated process, is only something we do when we HAVE to do it. But what I see and I hope you can also see is that such pathway building HAS to be done. Moreover, the realization that I hope you will share is that NO OTHER group is going to do it for us. The 20th century human rights groups are not going to do it. The single issue groups are only looking to build a path to their door, which ultimately just leaves more of the “choir” talking amongst itself. The political parties are not going to make it a priority. We can’t just sit by the fireplace, watching the paths of our world get buried, and expect that someone else is going to dig us out. Yes, pathway building is long, sometimes tedious work. But the people who we are looking to make a difference are the ones in our mirrors. Being responsible starts with ourselves.

Creating a path doesn’t mean burying someone’s else’s pathway. Good neighbors know that you don’t clear your path by throwing your snow on your neighbor’s pathway. Being selfish never creates any pathways, because the one you bury might be the one that you need later on yourself. R.E.A.L. has repeatedly and uncategorically rejected ideologies of hate, but we do not reject our fellow human beings. We do not view our fellow human beings as “animals.” We do not view our fellow human beings as unsalvageable. Many groups thrive on hate and on demonizing others, ignoring that our ideological adversaries are also human beings. Hate is a comfortable and convenient emotion that doesn’t require any real self-sacrifice or accountability. It is easy to get plenty of supporters and funds by hating other people. However, that would completely negate everything we are working to do in terms of building paths for consistent support of our universal human rights. Our slogan “Choose Love, Not Hate” may seem too ambiguous for some impatient activists and may not resonate as call to action for some. But “Choose Love, Not Hate” is up there to set a standard – not just for others – but also for ourselves – a standard that we need to adhere to in being responsible for equality and liberty as activists and as a society. It is a standard to try to set us apart from other 20th century human rights groups that have gotten so lost in the tunnel of their single issue focus, they have forgotten what it is we are striving to achieve in our path-building with our fellow human beings.

Unlike Hamlet, our conscience does not need to “make cowards of us all,” nor do we have to live in quaking fear of the Undiscovered Country of us ahead. We can choose to find the courage of our convictions. We can choose to recognize that building pathways to reach others is essential to being consistent in our universal human rights.

Even in the storm, we can choose to be Responsible for Equality And Liberty.

Communist China: Rights Activist Liu Xiaobo Loses Appeal, US and EU Urge Release

The media has reported that China freedom activist Liu Xiaobo has lost his appeal against his 11 year sentence, and that the U.S. government and the European Union have urged for his release.

The Voice of America reports that:
— “China’s High Court Thursday rejected Liu Xiaobo’s appeal to change an 11-year jail sentence, which was handed down on December 25.”
— “The 54-year-old writer was convicted of subversion for helping organize a manifesto called “Charter 08,” which calls for sweeping civil and political reforms. He was detained in December 2008, shortly before the document was released on-line.”
— “The U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman immediately issued a statement expressing Washington’s disappointment in the decision. The statement, read by Embassy spokesman Richard Buangan, called on the government to release Liu immediately and allow Chinese citizens to peacefully express their political views.”
— ” ‘Persecution of individuals for the peaceful expression of political views is inconsistent with internationally recognized norms of human rights,’ he said.”
— “The European Union also issued a statement calling for Liu’s release and an end to harassment and detention of many of the thousands of Chinese who signed Charter 08.”
The Christian Science Monitor reports that:
— “Liu appealed a sentence, handed down on Dec. 25, that shocked relatives and rights activists with its harshness. It was the heaviest punishment for such a crime that lawyers could remember.”
— “‘His harsh sentence is a stark reminder to the Chinese people and the world that there is still no freedom of expression or independent judiciary in China,” says Roseann Rife, a Hong Kong-based researcher for Amnesty International.”
— “Liu, a scholar and literary critic, was charged with ‘incitement to subversion’ because he coauthored Charter 08, a petition for political freedom and an end to the ruling Communist party’s monopoly of power. The online petition has garnered thousands of signatures since it was released just over a year ago.”
— ” ‘This is a really, really difficult time for human rights in China right now,’ says John Kamm, who heads the US-based human rights group Dui Hua.”

Liu Xiaobo, Chinese Human Rights Activist, Arrested December 8, 2008

Other R.E.A.L. Postings on Liu Xiaobo

Communist China Sentences Liu Xiaobo to 11 years in Prison on Christmas Day

Communist China: China dissident begins second year in detention – Liu Xiaobo

Twitter Campaign to Free Chinese Human Rights Advocate Liu Xiaobo

China Support Network publishes letter to Obama re: China trip upcoming this month

Chinese intellectuals speak up for dissident Liu Xiaobo

Communist China accuses pro-democracy activist Liu Xiabo of inciting a rebellion

Communist China: Dissident writer Liu Xiaobo held after sentence ends

Communist China: Arrested Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo to receive prestigious award

China Charter 08 — December 10, 2008

R.E.A.L. Reports on China

R.E.A.L. Reports on Totalitarianism

Iran Declares Nuclear State, Security Forces Stop Opposition Protesters

Media reports state that Iran’s President Ahmadinejad has declared Iran to be a “nuclear state,” while opposition leaders were attacked, and security forces used tear gas to disrupt counterprotests by opposition groups.

Media reports state that “hundreds of thousands” of Iran government supporters came out in support of Ahmadinejad’s government on the “Islamic revolution” anniversary in Iran.

AP Report – Iran: Ahmadinejad tells Iran it is now a ‘nuclear state’
— AP reports: “Hundreds of thousands of government supporters massed Thursday in central Tehran to mark the anniversary of the revolution that created Iran’s Islamic republic, while a heavy security force that fanned across the city moved quickly to snuff out counterprotests by the opposition.”
— “In a nationally televised address in the square, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad proclaimed that Iran has produced its first batch of uranium enriched to a higher level, saying his country will not be bullied by the West into curtailing its nuclear program a day after the U.S. imposed new sanctions.”
— “‘The first package of 20 percent fuel was produced and provided to the scientists,’ he said, reiterating that Iran was now a “nuclear state.” He did not specify how much uranium had been enriched.”— AP reports on new claims of 20 percent uranium enrichment, with Iran “has said it wants to further enrich the uranium – which is still substantially below the 90 percent plus level needed for a weapon.

UK Guardian: Iran protests: live blog
— video “shows people running in panic after shouting slogans against the government.”

Voice of America – Iran: Clashes in Iran on Anniversary of Islamic Revolution
— Voice of America reports: “Iranian authorities clashed with opposition supporters Thursday as huge crowds rallied in Tehran to mark the 31st anniversary of the founding of the Islamic Republic.”
— “Iranian opposition Web sites say security forces fired tear gas to disperse opposition supporters gathering in central Tehran.”
— “There are reports that leading reformist politicians Mehdi Karroubi and former President Mohammad Khatami were attacked when they attended the rally.”

The London Times report “Iran opposition leaders attacked as regime floods streets” states that:
— “Determined to prevent the so-called Green Movement from hijacking the biggest day in Iran’s calendar, the anniversary of the 1979 revolution, the regime also flooded Tehran with security forces who moved swiftly and violently to break up opposition demonstrations.”
— “The opposition leaders Mehdi Karroubi and Mohammed Khatami – a former president – were attacked. Zahra Eshraghi, the granddaughter of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, leader of the 1979 revolution, was briefly arrested. She is married to Mr Khatami’s brother and her own brother, Hassan, has made clear his hostility to the regime.”
— “Mr Karroubi’s son, Hussein, said his father had to get out of his car and walk towards Sadeghieh Square, where thousands of supporters had gathered, because the roads were blocked. He was joined by hundreds of other protestors, but they found their way blocked by plainclothes security forces who attacked them with knives, batons and teargas.”
— “Mr Karroubi’s bodyguards had to bundle him into a passing car which managed to drive him away, but not before the security forces smashed its windscreen and bodywork. One of the bodyguards was seriously injured. Mr Karroubi’s other son, Ali, was arrested.
— “Opposition websites reported numerous clashes across the capital between the security forces and large crowds of opposition supporters…. They claimed the security forces were using live ammunition, knives, teargas and paint-filled balls that would enable them to identify protesters later, that they were beating and arresting women as well as men and that they were smashing car windscreens.”

New York Times: Iran Claims Nuclear Gain as Protesters Clash

Report: “Nigeria: Video shows Nigeria ‘executions'”

Media report: Nigeria: Video shows Nigeria ‘executions’
— media report claims extra-judicial killings of members of Boko Haram in clashes with Nigerian military

— media report states that “shows that many of the deaths occurred only after the fighting was over”
— the media report states that “In the video, a number of unarmed men are seen being made to lie down in the road outside a building before they are shot. As one man is brought out to face death, one of the officers can be heard urging his colleague to ‘shoot him in the chest not the head – I want his hat’ ”

— the Boko Haram has been involved in extreme violence throughout Nigeria including beheading Christians and hacking to death a Christian pastor.

Note: no independent verification of this media report has yet been provided.
This media source has had a history of questionable reliability.

Image from Media Report - With Apparent Murder of Defenseless

Other R.E.A.L. Reports on Boko Haram:

Nigeria: Bauchi Violence and Killings After Islamic Sect Kala Kato Confrontations

Nigeria: Bishops say Nigeria’s inaction led to deaths during Islamic uprising
— “The Boko Haram sect opposes Western education and insists on the imposition of Shariah, or Islamic law.”

Nigeria: Thirteen-year-old forced to watch Pastor hacked to death in Boko Haram deadly violence

Nigeria: Boko Haram: How 3 pastors were beheaded eyewitness

Nigeria: Update on Attacks on 20 Churches, 3 Christian Pastors Killed

Nigeria: ICC reports: “Extremists Kill Pastor, Raze Churches in Nigeria” — Boko Haram group attacks

Kazakhstan: Government proposes retaining punishments for exercising religious freedom

“White Nationalists” Seek to Infiltrate “Tea Party” Groups — Finding Mixed Response

“White Nationalist” groups, who seek to create a white-only America, are sharing information with each other online about their efforts to try to infiltrate and influence “Tea Party” organizations. This includes “White Nationalist” groups that are promoting the upcoming “American Renaissance” conference still scheduled at a new, undisclosed location for February 20-21 in the Washington DC area by the “New Century Foundation / American Renaissance” group.

We are aware that some in the Tea Party Movement are recognizing efforts by such white nationalists to infiltrate their political movement, and are addressing and rejecting them. We urge all political movements to prioritize rejecting hate.

The “White Nationalist” group Occidental Dissent members claim that they are seeking to infiltrate Tea Party organizations and their supporters, and in some cases they have reported being rejected from some Tea Party groups for their racist views. The Occidental Dissent views as its mission that “We support the creation of a Jew-free, racially exclusive White ethnostate in North America.”

A prominent contributor to the Occidental Dissent has posted a “speech” that is intended to reach “Tea Party” supporters, stating:
— “We’re all in this together and we’re in this for far more than a balanced budget. We’re in this for even more than the fate of our republic. We’re in this for the fate of ourselves: White Americans. Look around you, stand up for a second and turn in a circle. The media jackals have been giggling about it for months and the ‘experts’ are all upset about it, but none of us will dare to admit the glaringly obvious: that we’re all glaringly White. We’re a people, and not just any people. We’re the people who created this country and the only people to whom it will ever rightfully belong. We are the progeny to whom this republic was entrusted by the founding fathers.”
— “Now, everybody wants to hijack this tea party movement, and we White Advocates are no exception. The libertarians think they own you. The GOP thinks it owns you. Fox News thinks it owns you. Sarah Palin thinks she speaks for you. But you will all get to decide for yourselves, as individuals, which direction to go when the powerful groups destroying our country force you to either go radical or go home. We in the growing White Advocacy movement are there to fight for you and your family against our enemies, not for principles against abstractions and code words.”

The Occidental Dissent speech, also attacking Jews and white “Uncle Toms,” was praised by members of the Neo-Nazi Stormfront organization.

"White Nationalist" Occidental Dissent Seeks to Reach Tea Party Supporters -- Excerpt

Another “White Nationalist” makes the anecdotal claim that calls for “sterilization” of those on welfare has been well received by those they know who are Tea Party supporters. Such calls for “sterilization” tactics of others has been an inherent solution” by other “white nationalists” such as Jared Taylor, who is leading the planned February 20-21 “American Renaissance” conference scheduled for the Washington DC area.

White Nationalists Seek to Influence Tea Party Members on Welfare "Sterilization" Arguments - Excerpt

Despite their goals to infiltrate Tea Party groups, however, some “White Nationalists” are complaining that their racist views are not well-received by some groups, such as this poster at the “White Nationalist” Occidental Dissent group, who claims that she was kicked out of one Tea Party group “but not another” for racist views:

One "White Nationalist" Complains About Being Kicked Out of a Tea Party Group for Being "Too Racist"

Coincidentally, Marvel Comics is also publishing an issue of its Captain America with a plot to uncover information about a fictional group called “Watchdog” that had infiltrated the Tea Party Movement. One poster stated that the plot represented “Captain Zion pretending to be Captain America.” The Neo-Nazi white supremacist Stormfront group members have had their own complaints about the story, stating that the fictional character Captain America “has always been a propaganda tool for zionists.”

The troubling issue is that I have seen myself examples of racism and anti-Semitism growing in activist groups. Due to R.E.A.L.’s protests against Communist totalitarianism, someone thought to invite us to an “Anti-Communist” group, led by an individual who uses as his personal slogan the lyrics from the “Ali G” nonsensical song “throw the jew down the well.”

Furthermore, at our own separate event on September 12, 2009 intended to promote equality and liberty as strategies to challenge ideologies of hate, we saw too many individuals at the September 12 Tea Party Rally with racially offensive placards marching down Constitution Avenue, as they passed by our event at the Washington Monument.

September 12, 2009 Protester (Photo: London Times)

In April 2009, the Grassroots Politics Examiner first reported on efforts by the Neo-Nazi Stormfront organization to seek to infiltrate “Tea Party” groups. The Examiner reported in April 2009 that Stormfront members were pleased about the “white” nature of Tea Party events, and the Examiner quoted Stormfront members as stating:
— “What’s so encouraging is that the organizers and participants are pre-dominantly whites… I’m going to take the day off and attend the local one, carrying my Gadsden flag. Encourage others to do the same. Hopefully the beginning of a sense of ethno-centrism.”
— “Go where our people are starting to stand up around symptoms of the problem, and INTERVENE to guide them. Just because these started as an anti-tax protest doesn’t mean that they must be limited and can’t be developed upward toward an explicitly racial mass struggle.”
— “We are intervening to resolve the crisis of White racial leadership, point the way to real racial solutions and organize our people into an independent powerful force that fight for our race by any means necessary to resolve our racial problems with real solutions. No one is going to do the job of the White Nationalists for us.”
— “I think the ‘tea party’ is a good way to meet people with potential. Most people at this event will be white people who are fed up with the direction of things and they are ready to hear how we got into this mess. There are two kinds of people in this world, those who know what the Jews have done and those who do not.”

====================================

All effective political movements must reject hate as a priority in reaching the American people. We recognize that, in any mass movement, there will always be those who are extremists or even activists that are not representative of such groups. We recognize the inherent challenges in having a completely consistent message with any volunteer-centric organization or movement.

However, it is important for the Tea Party Movement to be aware that “white nationalists” have specifically targeted its groups for infiltration and influence to promote racist views.

R.E.A.L. believes that a priority of loving our fellow human beings remains an ethical compass for public efforts and mass movements alike. We believe that such a compass can help those who are struggling against the forces of hate.

Choose Love, Not Hate.

Resources:

September 12, 2009: Reports on Hate Signs and Placards

April 9, 2009 – Grassroots Politics Examiner: “White Nationalist Movement ready for Tea Party: will next Timothy McVeigh be there?” – by Ron Moore

Miscellaneous News Reports