Recently, columnist and CNN contributor (CNN video) Mona Eltahawy wrote an article tltled Hey, America: I’m a Muslim, Let’s Talk. She published this on her blog after she spent four days in front of the Park51 building (the controversial site for an Islamic center in NYC) with other supporters and talking to people over the Labor Day weekend. One thing she said stood out to me; "I learned to resist labelling as a “bigot” anyone who opposed its building." Park51 tweeted her article yesterday to its followers. Eltahawy is a feminist and a Muslim.
Really? She wants to talk. Ok. I'll give it a try.
I tweeted her a perfectly reasonable question if she supported Imam Feisal Rauf after news that Union City, New Jersey had sued him and that 9/11 truther, Faiz Khan, had preach from his mosque for seven years, which had come to light this week:
Me: "so, u support Imam Rauf, a slumlord sued by city who had 9/11 truther preach from his mosque 4 7 yrs? Classy."
She replied with a non-answer: "Who are you and your assumptions and whatever gave you idea I have to justify my "classsiness" to some faceless entity on Twitter?" and in a follow-up tweet, she wrote; "I see you're in Oklahoma - I'm here to teach at OU so I guess someone in your home state thought I was "classy" enough"
What? Come to find out she's here teaching college students how to become blogging activists at the University of Oklahoma. Great. I asked her the same question again; "1 more try OU teacher. Do u support Imam Rauf, a slumlord who had 9/11 truther preach from his mosque 4 7 yrs?"
Eltahawy replied "You obviously need to join my class because you lack basic intellectual skills."
Come on Mona, my question was straight-forward and simple. Why the derogatory reply?
Me: "Your predictable leftwing name-calling diversionary response didn't answer my question .
She sounded as defensive as do most leftists and Islamists when confronted with a prickly question who quickly try to stomp out answering it with ridicule slung hard at the questioner - you know like a verbal slap-in-the-face to shut them up. So, I did a quick search on the Internet where I found something interesting she wrote about her support for the Muslim Brotherhood, an organization banned in Egypt for its religious supremacy goals and out by the FBI in 2007 for their incrimental and detailed plans to take over the American government through their networks of organizations that will use strong relentless Islamic activism (the "grand jihad") to change it.
I tweeted @ (OU Women's & Gender who were pleased to have their "Center for Social Justice's Activist-in-Residence Eltahawy there) Are you proud to have pro-Muslim Brotherhood @ at OU???
Eltahawy: One of my fave tweets! Hilarious! “@: @ Are you proud to have pro-Muslim Brotherhood @ at OU???”
Eltahawy: I'll explain really slowly; u tweet a string of accusations I am supposed to condemn, ur tone is accusatory & u expect an answer?
Accusations? But, I continued.
Me: "Your opinion piece "I Will Stand Up for the Muslim Brotherhood" is quite telling @ #OU"
Eltahawy: @ Brandi! You can read! I'm impressed. 'Atta girl!
Eltahawy: But can you read beyond the headline, I have to wonder. That's a bit more challenging, no?
Ok, she sort-of questioned their misogynistic treatment of women but certainly not their seriously religious supremacist ideology. And she wrote of the irony of defending them. This is an organization that openly supports Hamas, which grew out of the Muslim Brotherhood in Palestine. Their goal is the destruction of Israel for Islam and they are strongly anti-American. At this point, Eltahawy was not happy with me and called me something she has just written she would refrain from labeling others:
Eltahawy: "I should've called u a bigot from the get go for ur assumptions. Now this "pro Muslim Botherhood leftie" laughs at ur ignorance"
Assumptions? Keep in mind, she hadn't even answered my initial question. What did I assume? I was asking for claraification.
Eltahawy: "And I urge you to collect your fellow teabaggers and protest a leftwing, pro Muslim Brotherhood brainwashing the youth of ur state."
Ok, now she's down and dirty. This is the first time in my life I've been called a teabagger (I know this is a highly repugnant name but I've chosen not to find out exactly what this means).
Me: "Bottom line is you defended a movement that seeks Islamic supremacy @ ."
Eltahawy: "It's no longer fun dealing with @. If anyone else wants to explain the world beyond teabags to her, be my guest."
Oh no, Mona doesn't think I'm fun anymore.
Me: "Defending yr. positions by name calling is weak. And, you teach "Blogging for Social Change" at OU? LOL @ "
Eltahawy: Brandi, sweetie, told you already I'm here on stealth jihad not to teach but to brainwash. Now leave me to prepare my nefariousness
How proud OU must be.
By the way, Mona, do you know you misspelled "Muslim" in the title of two recent articles on your blog?
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Also see:
The Women’s and Gender Studies’ Center for Social Justice (FB) is sponsored, in part, by Center for Middle East Studies at OU
My other posts on Park51, Imam Rauf and Sharif el-Gamal
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