days a woman with a blog named after the authors
famous book, condemns the mosque near Ground Zero.
Religion News Source
calls Pamela Geller "the Queen of the Muslim bashers" and looks at how she has
waded into the center of the debate against building the Muslim mosque
near Ground Zero.
At a time when Islam is fighting
its own extremists comes Geller, a New York resident of strong
opinions and personal condemnations, who writes the blog "Atlas Shrugs," who made a metamorphosis from business woman to the leader of a group fighting what she calls the "Islamization" of America.
To do her work of fighting Islam,
she takes out ads, finds negative material for her blog and does what
she can to take down any effort for peaceful reconciliation by negative
material and verbal attacks.
She has stepped into the center of
the debate over the N.Y. mosque, even as other people have stepped
forward for balance and respect of Constitutional law.
Religion News service quotes Eric Boehlert of Media Matters, a liberal watchdog group.
He tells us that Geller is at the
heart of the debate over the Muslim mosque in New York planned to be
built two blocks from the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers.. “She has
whipped up hatred in the right-wing blogosphere and now that’s spilled
out into the wider community,”says Boehlert.
Geller
has been interviewed as a chief spokeswoman against project, appearing
on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” CNN, NBC Nightly News, and Fox. The
result: 61 percent of Americans now oppose building Park51.
has been interviewed as a chief spokeswoman against project, appearing
on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” CNN, NBC Nightly News, and Fox. The
result: 61 percent of Americans now oppose building Park51.
Religion
News Service looks at this critically, and in balance, reviewing
Geller's advances to her position as spokesperson for the right-wing
activists against Muslim projects.
In terms of a journalist
background, she spent nearly 10 years working at the New York Daily News
in the financial, advertising and marketing departments then was
associate publisher of the New York Observer for five years.
So she had teeth and an audience before she began her blog.
Muslim groups have been concerned.
“People say don’t give her too much credit, she’s a fringe character,”
said Ibrahim Hooper, a spokesman for the Council on American-Islamic
Relations. “But she is a fringe character who every day is on CNN, Fox,
The Washington Post, and The New York Times. She is the driving force
behind the Islamic center campaign,”Hooper is quoted by Religion News.
"Atlas Shrugs" is the name of one of Ayn Rands most famous books. She
too had strong opinions and also developed an extensive following. For
some people she was at the heart and soul of the "Me First" generation
because of her accent on the rights of the individual above all else and
her attention on feeding one's own special needs. Little was said
about the needs of others, with the "Me First" philosophy front and
center in Ayn Rand's many writings.
too had strong opinions and also developed an extensive following. For
some people she was at the heart and soul of the "Me First" generation
because of her accent on the rights of the individual above all else and
her attention on feeding one's own special needs. Little was said
about the needs of others, with the "Me First" philosophy front and
center in Ayn Rand's many writings.
On August 9, 2010 a press release reported, " We are pleased to report that the Ayn Rand page on Facebook
has now been “liked” by more than 100,000 Facebook users. This places
Ayn Rand’s page among the most-liked pages in the Writers category on
Facebook.
has now been “liked” by more than 100,000 Facebook users. This places
Ayn Rand’s page among the most-liked pages in the Writers category on
Facebook.
Ayn
Rand Institute president Yaron Brook applauded the milestone, noting
that Ayn Rand’s popularity is well-deserved. “No other author has such a
powerful and compelling message that is so accessible to so many
readers. Ayn Rand addresses fundamental questions that affect each of
our lives, and she offers engaging, real-world answers to those
questions.”
Rand Institute president Yaron Brook applauded the milestone, noting
that Ayn Rand’s popularity is well-deserved. “No other author has such a
powerful and compelling message that is so accessible to so many
readers. Ayn Rand addresses fundamental questions that affect each of
our lives, and she offers engaging, real-world answers to those
questions.”
The
Ayn Rand page is operated by the Ayn Rand Institute." The name
recognition for Geller is high with the name of Ayn Rand's famous book,
"Atlas Shrugged" as the title for Geller's blog "Atlas Shugs."
Ayn Rand page is operated by the Ayn Rand Institute." The name
recognition for Geller is high with the name of Ayn Rand's famous book,
"Atlas Shrugged" as the title for Geller's blog "Atlas Shugs."
Objectivism is central to the Ayn Rand view of the universe that maintains, with respect to faith: "Man—every man—is an end in himself, not the means to the ends of others. He must exist for his own sake, neither sacrificingself-interest and of his own happiness is the highest moral purpose of his life."
Postings on “Atlas Shrugs” by Geller have variously a video suggesting
Muslims have sex with goats, a doctored picture showing President Obama
urinating on an American flag, and a fake image of new Supreme Court
Justice Elena Kagan in Nazi garb. Her present website is arrayed with
protesters.
The
sidebars of her blog say a lot about the orientation, with highlighted
blogs that are the most right wing of them. These accuse Obama of
destroying financial markets, religious freedom, and irrational material
that condemns everything the President is and believes, accenting
material with hostile tones.
sidebars of her blog say a lot about the orientation, with highlighted
blogs that are the most right wing of them. These accuse Obama of
destroying financial markets, religious freedom, and irrational material
that condemns everything the President is and believes, accenting
material with hostile tones.
She accuses Democrats
of a Marxist putsch. Her ideas are taken in visual and auditory sound
bites then slammed together without substantive material between that
links the information.
of a Marxist putsch. Her ideas are taken in visual and auditory sound
bites then slammed together without substantive material between that
links the information.
Geller has accused Obama of anti-Semitism, and she has even intimated
the President might be the love child of Malcolm X, according to RNS.
She
has aligned herself with those who don't believe President Obama is a
citizen and question his birth certificate despite the State of Hawaii's
numerous postings by its newspaper and elected officials.
has aligned herself with those who don't believe President Obama is a
citizen and question his birth certificate despite the State of Hawaii's
numerous postings by its newspaper and elected officials.
But if Geller is not to be taken seriously, it must be pointed out she is in the top 30 blogs in the United States.
How
does the mainstream media respond? According to Diane Winston, an
expert on religion and the media at the University of Southern
California quoted by the RNS in the Huffington Post,
"a perfect storm of circumstances has fueled opposition to Park51—but
the media have settled for the simplistic narrative that one woman is
behind it all. .
does the mainstream media respond? According to Diane Winston, an
expert on religion and the media at the University of Southern
California quoted by the RNS in the Huffington Post,
"a perfect storm of circumstances has fueled opposition to Park51—but
the media have settled for the simplistic narrative that one woman is
behind it all. .
“Pamela Geller is an attractive woman and she speaks simply and you can
follow her and she gives good sound bites,” Winston said. “She has
definitely had an impact, but her perspective wouldn’t be widely know if
the mainstream media hadn’t picked up on it.”
RNS reminds us 30 years ago before Internet and cable news, Geller
might not be taken seriously, but Winston tells us “Now, in its rush to
be relevant and get an audience, the mainstream media basically whores
itself out to the right wing.”
Geller’s groups, listed by RNS, include Stop the Islamization of
America, and the Freedom Defense Initiative, have bought ads critical of
Islam on public buses in New York, Miami, and San Francisco. After
transit officials in Detroit refused to post the ads because they were
found offensive, Geller sued them. The issue continues to be in
litigation.
RNS reporters Gallerr says the ads, which carry messages like, “Fatwa on Your Head?”
and “Leaving Islam?” are not intended to be anti-Muslim, but offer safe
haven for people considering conversion.
and “Leaving Islam?” are not intended to be anti-Muslim, but offer safe
haven for people considering conversion.
Geller is quoted as saying,“I have nothing against Muslims. I love
people,” she said. “But I am opposed to ideology that inspires
violence.”
Religion scholars question what Geller inspires in her ideology.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Say something constructive. Negative remarks and name-calling are not allowed.