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The venom<\/a> created by the films \u201cRelentless\u201d and \u201cObsession: Radical Islam\u2019s War With the West\u201d has been slowly working its way into the hearts and minds of people across the country for a couple of years.\u00a0 Now the same group that brought us these atrocities is coming out with another film<\/a> \u201cThe Third Jihad\u201d.\u00a0 These films are only part of what Bob Crane has called a \u201ctsunami of Islamophobia<\/a>\u201d that seems to be rushing in ever higher waves towards the Muslim community in America.\u00a0 These films are verbal and visual terrorism.<\/p>\n Twenty-eight million copies of a DVD of the film \u201cObsession: Radical Islam\u2019s War Against the West\u201d<\/i> have been distributed free of cost in 70 newspapers and magazines across the country.\u00a0 The film was first released a few years ago and has been shown around the country.\u00a0 I wrote about my impressions and concerns<\/a> when I viewed the film in 2007 and again<\/a> in early 2008 when \u201cFitna\u201d another such film was released.\u00a0 Except for David Horowitz\u2019 use of the film as the centerpiece of his \u201cIslamo-fascism Awareness<\/a> weeks for the last couple of years, it has mostly been shown by local community venues and on campuses and sponsored<\/a> primarily by Republican and Jewish groups.\u00a0 It is also sold on the Internet.\u00a0<\/p>\n Surprisingly, even the New York Times<\/i>, the Wall Street Journal<\/i>, and the World Jewish Digest<\/i> accepted this as an \u201cadvertising\u201d insert.\u00a0 \u201cThere is no greater threat than radical Islam,\u201d said<\/a> Gregory Ross, spokesman for the Clarion Fund, a New-York based nonprofit organization that is paying newspapers to distribute the DVD. \u201cIt needs to be pushed to the forefront of the political discussion.\u201d The newspapers accepted this insert as paid advertizing but it was not labeled as such.\u00a0Many people receiving the DVD may think that this is the view of the paper delivering it to their doorstep.<\/p>\n Copies of the DVD were also distributed free at the DNC<\/a>, and at the RNC<\/a> by the recently formed group watchobsession.org headed<\/a> by Tom Trento.\u00a0 Earlier this year, the Florida Attorney General required employees<\/a> to watch this video.\u00a0 The Republican Jewish Coalition has also distributed free copies<\/a> of the film in promotional mailings to US rabbis and other Jewish mailing lists.\u00a0 The stars of the film have lectured<\/a> at US military colleges, and the US Navy uses the film.\u00a0<\/p>\n I know from personal experience over many years of being involved with interfaith dialogue that the views that this film promotes are not the views of all Jewish people, but I also know that those who have been responsible for making this film and for promoting it widely have been primarily Jewish.\u00a0 It truly saddens me that members of a community who should know better and who have experienced a holocaust that resulted at least partially from widespread stereotyping and demonization of Jewish people.\u00a0 I believe that this marginal group within the Jewish community is so blinded by their need to defend the state of Israel at any cost that they do not see the cost of their propaganda to another community.\u00a0 They are a marginal group, but they are making a lot of noise.\u00a0 In fact, they are making so much noise that they are drowning out<\/a> the voices of those in the mainstream Jewish community who have worked so hard with mainstream Muslims and Christians to build bridges of dialogue and work towards peace and justice in this world.\u00a0<\/p>\n As Robert Salaam has pointed out<\/a>:<\/p>\n \u201cTragically today, it appears that the very groups who had taken up the shout of \u201cNever Again!\u201d, seem to have edited the shout to, \u201cWell\u2026maybe just this one more time\u2026\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Most of the local showings of Obsession<\/i> have been sponsored by Jewish groups, although recently Christian groups such as CUFI have also become involved in the promotion of this film.\u00a0 This appears to be part of a concerted effort to marginalize the Muslim community.\u00a0 An ad published<\/a> by the American Jewish Committee in the New York Times<\/i> last year called \u201cIsrael\u2019s Neighbors Speak\u201d used many of the same questionable quotes and techniques.\u00a0 Obsession<\/i> has become so much a part of the American Jewish community that it was shown<\/a> at the Berkshire Jewish film festival in 2007.\u00a0<\/p>\n And, at a 2006 showing of Obsession<\/i> in Philadelphia, a Jewish Exponent article said<\/a>:<\/p>\n \u201cIn a show of unity in the face of mounting international Arab extremism, as well as anti-Israel sentiment on America\u2019s college campuses, some 800 people turned out for last weekend\u2019s sold-out screening of \u201cObsession: Radical Islam\u2019s War Against the West\u201d at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.\u00a0 Welcoming those to the March 26 event \u2013 organized by Aish Philadelphia, the Jewish Community Centers, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, Hillel of Greater Philadelphia and Akiba Hebrew Academy \u2013 Michael Wachs, one of the evening\u2019s sponsors, said that \u201cthe true blessing of this event is Jews standing united as one. \u2018Obsession\u2019 is a wake-up call.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n How does a film supposedly about Radical Islam and terrorism and Jews standing united as one relate?\u00a0 As part of his introduction of the guest speaker, Gary Erlbaum \u2013 co-chair of Federation\u2019s Center for Israel and Overseas \u2013 noted that \u201cJudaism allows us to make choices.\u201d \u201cWhere do we go from here?\u201d he then asked. \u201cThe humanitarian gesture is to stand up for ourselves and the people of Israel,\u201d offered Erlbaum. \u201cTell everyone you can that the world is a dangerous place.\u201d This explains everything: the film has something to do with standing up for Israel.<\/p>\n An early review<\/a> of Obsession posted on the Jewish Virtual Library site includes the statement:<\/p>\n \u201cA film like this would have been difficult to make a few years ago when it was rare to hear Muslims speaking in their own language.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Exactly what language is the Muslim language?\u00a0 I only speak English and am an American Muslim.\u00a0 The same article also said:<\/p>\n \u201cJimmy Carter and the Iraq Study Group members should be required to watch the film so they will be disabused of their delusion that Israeli policy is the obstacle to peace. Obsession makes clear the real obstacles are the Islamists\u2019 refusal to recognize Israel, the outright hatred of the Jews by many Muslims and the unwillingness to accept a Jewish state on \u201cIslamic land\u201d or Jewish rule over Muslims.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Once again making clear the connection in the minds of these individuals that demonizing Muslims has something to do with supporting Israel.<\/p>\n This film is most likely seen by these individuals as a way to marginalize Islam and Muslims and put all of the focus strictly on Muslims as the source of all of the problems in the world, particularly as the source of opposition to some Christian and Jewish fundamentalists ideas about the State of Israel and its relation to end times prophecy.\u00a0 An extremist religious belief that should not be the source of policy, and that is at least as dangerous as the confused religious beliefs of extremist Muslims.\u00a0 The fact that the film Obsession and these folks in general do not see any possibility that actual historical events and political policies could have anything at all to do with the motivation of any worldwide disputes involving Muslims in any way is odd.\u00a0 The fact that many in other countries do see such possibilities doesn\u2019t influence their close minded views.\u00a0 For example, a 2006 ICH poll of British citizens shows that 72% believe<\/a> that foreign policy is feeding terrorism.\u00a0<\/p>\n What happens when such propaganda is spread<\/a> through society with no alternative voice?\u00a0 We have seen what happens in the not so distant past in places like Rwanda and Bosnia, and in the last generation in the German attempt at genocide of the Jews, Gypsies, and other peoples deemed to be inferior and\/or dangerous.<\/p>\n If the people who are promoting this believe that it is only the Muslims who will be affected, and that is a price they are willing to pay in order to achieve their goals, I believe that they are mistaken, and they are playing with fire, and adding fuel to that fire by bringing religion into the political mix.\u00a0 There are a whole lot more folks out there who believe that America is a Christian nation (including John McCain, who said<\/a> \u201cthe Constitution established the United States of America as a Christian nation.\u201d) than there are Muslims and Jews combined.\u00a0 They are a fringe group of Christianity worldwide, but may represent<\/a> as many as 40% of American Christians.\u00a0 That these fringe Christians who believe that they can help bring Armageddon along earlier by helping their interpretation of Biblical prophecy happen would support films like this is not surprising.\u00a0 They don\u2019t care about any possible results to all of those who in their view will be \u201cleft behind\u201d to suffer the consequences of a terrible war because they believe that they will be \u201craptured\u201d to heaven before all hell breaks loose here on earth.\u00a0 For them anyone who doesn\u2019t believe in their particular view of Christianity is uninportant and doomed to eternal damnation.\u00a0 That includes not only Buddhists, Hindus, Mormons<\/a>, and Catholics, but also Muslims and Jews.\u00a0 Why any of us who are in this fring Christian world view going to be \u201cleft behind\u201d would join hands with these folks to promote their agenda is truly a mystery.<\/p>\n That there is a line to be crossed between legitimate discussion of political issues and anti-Semitism is clear even to Robert Wistrich (one of the talking heads in the Obsession film), or at least it is clear when it comes to anti-Semitism.\u00a0 In an article<\/a> on Qantara.de he said:\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cDoes he or she rely on classic anti-Semitic stereotypes in so doing: for example, by dredging up the alleged Jewish\/Zionist \u201cconspiracy\u201d to dominate the world, or by evoking Jewish\/Israeli \u201cwarmongers\u201d who supposedly run American foreign policy; or through referring to an all-powerful \u201cJewish Lobby\u201d that prevents justice in the Middle East. If the \u201canti-Zionist\u201d critic holds Jews to be responsible for the chaos and troubles that currently afflict the world, he is surely an antisemite. If he criminalizes Israeli behaviour, by gratuitously branding it as \u201cNazi\u201d or intrinsically \u201cracist\u201d, then we are talking anti-Semitism.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n What if he or she relies on classic anti-Muslim or anti-Arab stereotypes, or dredging up an alleged Muslim conspiracy to rule the world, or by evoking Muslim \u201cwarmongers\u201d (no matter how marginal), or through referring to some all powerful terrorist organization that has the ability to destroy western civilization, or gratuitously branding political groups as Nazi, or attaching the name of the religion with terms like Nazi, fascist, and terrorist \u2013 would that make the person an Islamophobe, and equally desicable?<\/p>\n Once the demons of religious, racial, or ethnic stereotyping are released, they are impossible to control.\u00a0 What has been the result of the barrage of anti-Muslim propaganda over the last few years?\u00a0 The real fascists are rearing their ugly heads again<\/a> in Germany where their last incarnation was so devastating to the Jews.\u00a0 Negative feelings towards Muslims, and to a lesser extent Jews, are on the rise<\/a> in Canada.\u00a0 Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia are surging<\/a> in Europe.\u00a0 The latest Pew Research Center survey of global attitudes on religion is out<\/a> and the news is not good for either Jews or Muslims<\/a>.\u00a0 Once you have convinced people that one form of prejudice is \u201cacceptable\u201d then it is difficult to stop that prejudice from being switched to other \u201cout groups\u201d.<\/p>\n Those behind the production of Obsession<\/i> and those behind the recent distribution of the DVD in newspapers and by mail are attempting to be very secretive<\/a> about exactly who they are, and who is financing this endeavor.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Obsession website lists only the filmmakers, Wayne Kopping and Raphael Shore. However, the dvd packaging included with the Times lists the producers as Peter Mier and Raphael Shore, and states that the project was \u201cconceived by\u201d Peter Mier. and the production manager is listed as Brett Halperin.\u00a0 However, an article<\/a> by Richard Silverstein of Tikkun Olam<\/i> attempting to get to the bottom of this notes that Raphael Shore says that Mier and Halperin are just aliases and that also according to Shore, about 80 percent of the film\u2019s $400,000 budget was provided by Mier (whoever Mier might be).\u00a0<\/p>\n In an interview<\/a> on Fox News, Raphael Shore said:<\/p>\n \u201cAt the recommendation of a number of experts we worked with in making the film, many of the individuals and organizations who helped make this film possible requested anonymity. Tragically, we\u2019ve seen numerous times the response of the radicals to those who openly expose or disagree with them.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n But of course, they are afraid they will be killed by fanatical Muslims.\u00a0 If that is so, why aren\u2019t Raphael Shore or any of the other folks involved in this afraid?<\/p>\n The Kassandra Project blog asks a very good question<\/a> about this:<\/p>\n \u201cWhy all the aliases and secrecy I wonder. Maybe it has something to do with that pesky federal US 501(c)(3) law prohibiting foreign political institutions or foreign organizations from contributing to the Clarion Fund\u2019s operations. Given that both the producer and the director are foreigners (with an anti-Muslim agenda), and the financial backers are anonymous, it all looks very suspicious.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n This is a much more likely motivation for all the secrecy.<\/p>\n Jews on First<\/a> adds even more credence to this interpretation:<\/p>\n \u201cBecause it was established only recently, the Clarion Fund has not yet filed its first required disclosure (Form 990) with the IRS. It is not disclosing its officers.\u00a0 The address Clarion used to satisfy the New York Times\u2019 requirement that political or opinion advertisements include the advertiser\u2019s contact information\u2014255 West 36th St., Suite 800, in Manhattan\u2014turns out to be Grace Corporate Park Executive Suites, an office-space rental operation which also rents \u201cvirtual office identity packages\u201d for as little as $75 a month.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n This is just about as shady as it is possible to be.<\/p>\n In an article on The Huffington Post, Erik Ose raises<\/a> an even more pertinent issue:<\/p>\n \u201cHowever, one detail in this report seems mistaken, that \u201cbecause it was established only recently, the Clarion Fund has not yet filed its first required disclosure (Form 990) with the IRS.\u201d According to the New York Secretary of State\u2019s website, the Clarion Fund was incorporated nearly two years ago, on December 28, 2006. So where are their Form 990\u2019s? Hello, IRS?)\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n I find it very interesting that these groups and individuals are so intertwined.\u00a0 The dubious credentials of most of the \u201cexperts\u201d are also interesting.\u00a0 What is most interesting is that an organization that has not filed proper paperwork with the IRS, doesn\u2019t have a legitimate address, and lists aliases on the cover of its \u201cadvertising\u201d insert was still accepted as legitimate by so many newspapers (and of course, that doesn\u2019t even touch on the matter of the content of the Obsession insert).\u00a0<\/p>\n