Obama Administration Airs Ads in Pakistan, Condemning Anti-Islam Film
I didn't realize this until Jim Geraghty pointed it out this morning, because the mainstream media has been largely silent about it. But threats are being made and violent protests are occurring at U.S. embassies around the world -- he gives some details on events in Uganda, India, Malaysia, Australia and Pakistan.
In response, the Obama administration has issued a 1 minute video in which President Obama says, in contradiction to our 1st Amendment, that "we reject all efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others." They're running these ads in Pakistan!
Secretary of State Hilary Clinton adds that the U.S. government had nothing to do with this video and that "We absolutely reject its content and message," as if rejecting or embracing the content produced by American exercising of free speech is even close to a legitimate function of government.
She concludes her remarks condemning the video by saying that "America's commitment to religious tolerance goes back to the very beginning of our nation's founding."
I'm sure it makes sense in their heads.
The whole idea is to calm down the situation in certain Muslim countries where these threats against U.S. interests are being acted upon.
So you might be surprised at how Muslims are responding to the video. I think you might have to be signed into Facebook to read them, but wow are these comments directed at Obama vicious.
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Apr '12
Re: Obama Administration Airs Ads in Pakistan, Condemning Anti-Islam Film
Those comments bring to mind hyenas surrounding fallen prey. The headlines should be saying "Obama Throws 1st Amendment Under Bus to Appease Angry Astroturf Mobs". OK, maybe that's a bit long for a headline but this is a huge assault on our fundamental values.
Dec '10
Re: Obama Administration Airs Ads in Pakistan, Condemning Anti-Islam Film
I thought this picture cute when I first saw it on facebook. Now I wonder if it's even true anymore.
Jul '11
Re: Obama Administration Airs Ads in Pakistan, Condemning Anti-Islam Film
There are still millions of idiots willing to defend the administration on this, all over the LaserWeb. Their train of thought is impossible to follow.
1. Bush inflamed once-peaceful jihadis with his brash cowboy talk after 9.11.
2. Barry Soetero provides outreach to Muslims.
3. US Ambassador killed, dozens of embassies under assault on anniversary of 9.11.
4. Barry blames obscure video as the reason for Islamic anger, even though video was released a month or two before the attacks, which were described by our State Dept. as "spontaneous", but turned out to be completely planned.
5. Barry supporters nod and say "Yep. Still Bush's fault".
Willful ignorance has rarely solved any problem, or crisis. Yet that is apparently the last hope of the dogged Left, seeking justification for policy failures they continue to support.
I have news for those who defend the indefensible, be that our current administration (The Hapless Kids), or Islamic lunacy: It does not matter who is President. We are the West, and we must be destroyed or subjugated.
It's that simple. So stop clinging bitterly to your narratives, sweet fellas, and grow up.
Sep '10
Re: Obama Administration Airs Ads in Pakistan, Condemning Anti-Islam Film
At the end I was expecting, "We too believe in 'Death to America!' But I feel that goal can best be accomplished by allowing our debt to bring about an internal financial collapse. So Madame Secretary and I would like to ask that you stop blowing our people up, at least until November. I am Barack Obama and I approve this message."
May '11
Re: Obama Administration Airs Ads in Pakistan, Condemning Anti-Islam Film
I actually like the idea of airing ads. We need to be waging a propaganda war against the Islamists, promoting American values abroad.
But the content of the ads is terrible, we cannot be apologetic or condemn the actions of our own private citizens.
Nov '10
Re: Obama Administration Airs Ads in Pakistan, Condemning Anti-Islam Film
Sorry, but I think the worst you can say about this is that it's a waste of taxpayer money. I really don't see how the administration saying they don't approve of the video is somehow a threat to the First Amendment. I didn't watch the video because I'm at work, but nothing I'm reading indicates that there is any plan to actively suppress the film, which is what the current First Amendment hysteria implies. The closest they came was the CJCS intervention, and even then no explicit threats were made (which, lest anyone misunderstand, certainly does not excuse the implicit threat.)
Now, if we want to complain about the fact that the administration continues to focus on this film despite mountains of evidence that it's nothing more than a post-hoc excuse, carry on.
May '11
Re: Obama Administration Airs Ads in Pakistan, Condemning Anti-Islam Film
Wow! As I read those comments, I had to stop and check that I wasn't on Rachael Maddow's blog.
Sep '11
Re: Obama Administration Airs Ads in Pakistan, Condemning Anti-Islam Film
In a perverse kind of way, I'm delighted to see this.
I encourage every Ricochet member to "share" this on Facebook. Here's how I did:
This isn't criticism of the Dear Leader--this is forwarding the very best work of the Dear Leader and his political staff. And the results of his brilliance are clearly displayed in the FB comments by the faithful. One can only hope this goes totally viral. Every American should see that FB comment page.
Oct '10
Re: Obama Administration Airs Ads in Pakistan, Condemning Anti-Islam Film
Well. This is. . .shocking. Sometimes I think the left aspires to be a modern-day aristocracy, handing out favors to whichever groups they fancy at the moment. I mean, it's not like they've shown any respect for non-Islamic religions. Ads? Seriously? I never saw any ad denouncing the Book of Mormon Broadway play.
The left hates its own society so much, it's willing to treat violent religious extremists in third-world countries, who enslave women and kill gays, with more respect. And they wonder why populist sentiment is always against them.
Sep '10
Re: Obama Administration Airs Ads in Pakistan, Condemning Anti-Islam Film
... fools in a fool's bargain.
Nov '10
Re: Obama Administration Airs Ads in Pakistan, Condemning Anti-Islam Film
Wow. It reminds me of a North Korean propaganda broadcast I heard when I was over there (in the South, of course) that said, in English, that free speech led to chaos. "If you really respect Islam, you would hang this man," is probably not the message Islam's apologists (a group I, admittedly, frequently side with) want Americans to see.
Jun '12
Re: Obama Administration Airs Ads in Pakistan, Condemning Anti-Islam Film
Mollie ... I am not the least surprised that adherents to the religion of peace continue to chant "Death to America!" when their prophet is insulted.
In all fairness, Madam Secretary Clinton has a point: religious liberty is a foundational principle of our national heritage. Unfortunately for her and her Muslim friends, so is our freedom of speech. The recent arrest of the man who made the film, and the Obama Administration's rush to blame him for the deadly riots around the globe are more than an affront on one man's personal liberty, they are cowardly acts blatantly antithetical to the spirit that drove people to these shores: the longing for freedom, and a hope of liberty for future generations.
Our national political class, bless their pea-pickin' hearts, continue to assume that people the world over long for liberty, when the truth is that a large majority of Muslim people actually long for Islamic tyranny. Democracies formed by such people will not look or act like ours, and this is the essential element of democratic systems that will fracture our world in the near future. We await the resolution as foretold by the prophet in Daniel chapter 2.
Mar '11
Re: Obama Administration Airs Ads in Pakistan, Condemning Anti-Islam Film
After reading the comments, it's clear that the Administration has solved that problem, we can move on now.
The riots in Cairo and Benghazi weren't because of the video, but the Administration's initial impulse to attribute them to the video, and its continuation of the narrative has turned it into a self-fulfilling prophesy, the results of which we're seeing in Pakistan and Malaysia.
Jan '11
Re: Obama Administration Airs Ads in Pakistan, Condemning Anti-Islam Film
So am I to understand that the Obama Administration's response to a wave of attacks against our embassies, and the murder of our people, is to politely ask the attackers to blame someone other than them?
Please don't blame us?
That's it?
Apr '12
Re: Obama Administration Airs Ads in Pakistan, Condemning Anti-Islam Film
What's the chance the Pakistani authorities would allow an ad that promotes US values without obeisance to Islam?
Dec '10
Re: Obama Administration Airs Ads in Pakistan, Condemning Anti-Islam Film
Slightly off topic, but reading this brought to mind the French Revolution scene in History of the World Part I. Oddly fitting for how the left actually views us peasants.
Jul '10
Re: Obama Administration Airs Ads in Pakistan, Condemning Anti-Islam Film
The first amendment codifies a basic cause for the initial creation of the colonies that led to the formation of our nation - that is, freedom of religion. You cannot separate freedom to believe as you wish from freedom to speak as you wish, as religion IS speaking those things closest to your heart.
There is a basic disconnect between what we as Christians believe and what muslims believe. I exclude all the other religions only because this nation is founded on solid evangelical Christian principles. One of them is that we tolerate all people to have the right to practice their religion as their conscience directs them. UNFORTUNATELY the muslim conscience directs them to kill all who do not believe as they do. It is "difficult" to co-exist in peace and harmony with such a "defective thought process".
I guess the appalling part is that we are seeing an administration that isn't willing to stand up for our basic founding concepts. This is not a trivial issue; contrary to the position of Umbra Fractus in their post #6, any position taken by our government NOT fully and completely defending and supporting our basic founding principles is simply wrong.
Re: Obama Administration Airs Ads in Pakistan, Condemning Anti-Islam Film
gnarlydad:
In all fairness, Madam Secretary Clinton has a point: religious liberty is a foundational principle of our national heritage. Unfortunately for her and her Muslim friends, so is our freedom of speech.
Even if you just stick with religious liberty, the freedom to criticize, condemn and reject religious views is absolutely fundamental to that right. Without it, the freedom means absolutely nothing.
May '10
Re: Obama Administration Airs Ads in Pakistan, Condemning Anti-Islam Film
Can't find words within CoC for this.
Isn't this impeachable?
Oct '10
Re: Obama Administration Airs Ads in Pakistan, Condemning Anti-Islam Film
Mollie Hemingway, Ed.
gnarlydad:
In all fairness, Madam Secretary Clinton has a point: religious liberty is a foundational principle of our national heritage. Unfortunately for her and her Muslim friends, so is our freedom of speech.
Even if you just stick with religious liberty, the freedom to criticize, condemn and reject religious views is absolutely fundamental to that right. Without it, the freedom means absolutely nothing. · 3 minutes ago
Mollie, do you think this will hurt Obama? It really bothers me that Obama treats Islamism (which isn't even genuine to historical Islam) better than the Christian and Jewish traditions in America. But of course, I might be biased. I don't know.