TROUBLE IN NEOCON LAND OVER THE SHARIA LAW DEBATE.

An interesting article in top neocon comic Commentary magazine has discreetly, and without mentioning names but nonetheless linking to its website, criticised the extremist neoconservative organisation Family Security Matters which has heavy connections to long-time extremist neoconservatives like R. James Woolsey, who is on FSM’s Board of Advisors, and Frank Gaffney founder of the fanatical neocon think-tank that calls itself Center for Security Policy. (This links to a profile of the CSP as their website is down as of this writing.) Alana Goodman, writing in Commentary about the upcoming congressional hearings into ‘The Radicalisation of Muslim communities in America’ being pushed by Republican Peter King (R-L.I.), and accompanying rallies – for and against – being held in conjunction with the hearings, told readers that the group rallying in support of the hearings, the FSM, are out of step with reality reiterating that the hearings are about so-called Muslim radicalisation and not about the threat of Sharia law to the American Constitution which what the FSM are rallying about. Goodman goes on to tell the FSM mob that, if they really want to do Peter King a favour, they should “tone down their Sharia rhetoric”. The FSM have a strong reputation for ultra-extremism. In August, 2007, Philip Atkinson, one of FSM’s then senior editors, wrote what can arguably be considered the most outrageous and extremist rhetoric any neoconservative had ever written that advocated George W. Bush being made President for Life and annihilating the Iraqi people using nuclear weapons and then colonising the nation with Americans. Needless to say, this lunatic was discredited even by his own kind and the article was quietly removed from the FSM website (though not before it was copied and reproduced elsewhere on the internet). Islamaphobia has, thanks largely to the Rupert Murdoch-owned propaganda media machine, gained considerable traction over the last several years. However, there are signs that that traction is slipping somewhat due mainly to the exposure of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians in the occupied territories, especially the Gaza Strip during Israel’s onslaught on the Strip during Operation Cast Lead in 2008/2009, and the blatantly immoral attack and resultant killings of nine activists on the MV Mavi Marmara in May 2010. The recent uprisings of Islamic peoples against their rulers has also had a tendency to soften the face of Islam as ordinary people, who just happen to be Muslims, struggle on a day to day basis, just like most folk all around the planet, to survive in the best way that they are able against greedy and uncaring governments. They have demonstrated that they are not all just about Islam and creating an Islamic Caliphate intent on ruling the world but, rather, just like everyone else regardless of their beliefs in wanting to simply live their lives without being exploited and persecuted. The rhetoric of the Islamophobes and the anti-Sharia law fanatics are exposing the neocons for what the really are, and it seems some of those neocons – like Alana Goodman – that are able to think a little more coherently know exactly when their propaganda is working and, apparently, when it isn’t.