HKR: What’s Behind the Unrest in Libya-Is It Really Over an Offensive Film?

Yesterday (HKR) Hard Knock Radio sat down w/ Dawud Walid who heads up the CAIR (Council on American Islamic Relations) chapter in Michigan to talk about the tragic events that have unfolded in Libya. The death of ambassador Chris Stevens and 3 other state department officials has made headlines all over the world. In this interview we sought to answer, ‘Is all the hoopla really about an obscure offensive movie or is there more to the puzzle’?  As offensive as this film may be why would demonstrations against it turn to deadly violence?

Walid gives us a brief history and context about the events that have transpired in Libya over the past year. He notes the intervention by NATO and the US  wasn’t a humanitarian effort as was stated, instead it was more along the lines of Regime Change.. With that in mind, what ever attacks levied on the US Embassy has got to be seen from that perspective.. Walid explains this in greater detail.

Walid also gives us a run down of the forces that may be behind the offensive film. He notes it’s not just one lone film director (Sam Bacile) with an axe to grind against Islam, nor is this the first time an inflammatory film has been released trashing Islam. Walid points out the extremist anti Muslim pro-Occupation Zionist forces who in the past have deliberately sought to inflame tensions in the region and have long used propaganda pieces like this movie to achieve that end.. He suspects that connection exists here..Below is a trailer to this film which was shot in California.. It should be noted that the several of the actors in this film have spoken out condemning the film stating they had no idea of the offensive contents. The script given to them did not add up to the final product.

The other question raised is why didn’t the State Department get out ahead of this film and distance itself and give folks a heads up? The film’s trailer was posted on line back in July..Given the sensitivity and diplomatic experience we have with folks in the region, why wasn’t there a pre-emptive briefing?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAiOEV0v2RM

In listening to this interview and seeing the events further unfold, what’s not lost on me was being at the DNC in Charlotte a couple of weeks ago and seeing that large crowd of political leaders cheer over and over and chant USA USA as everyone from Vice President Joe Biden to Senator John Kerry emphasized how they killed Osama Bin Laden. We’ve long been told and as a country have often insisted that we not cheer death even if we feel that death was justified. It’s bad seed to plant especially when at look at the latest uproar and this incident and believe the updated information from the state department that the attacks on the Embassy were planned and came from al-Qaeda.

Here’s our HKR interview with Dawud Walid..

‘Mohammad Is a Pig’…Yes, That’s What They’re Yelling at Black People in NY Over this Mosque Controversy

I’m watching this video of these enraged Anti-Muslim crowd in downtown New York and it doesn’t seem to much different from the videos I saw at the half a dozen Pro Johannes Mehserle rallies held last month or the anti-immigrant rallies I saw in Arizona..What we see is sheer ignorance in masse which can easily become violent. Yet we are as Black folks and People of Color  are told to  1_Move your Mosque 2_ Ignore the racism  because its not something that we should be concerned about 3_Being asked to ease up  and try to understand the angst that other whites are feeling when such actions are pointed out and shared with other people of color.. Sad part is the man is not even a Muslim..but it doesn’t matter and even if he was he shouldn’t be harassed.

I see this video and it reminds me of being in situations where you have to hold your tongue or suffer severe life altering consequences. Anyone who’s been in the presence of a cop berating or even hitting a loved one knows what I’m talking about. You wind up taking it and it sits for years..

To have a group of whites yelling Muhammed is a Pig is outrageous. You see the woman who is going all out to hold up her sign equating Islam with Hamas.. Nothing more needs to be said..Racism and Intolerance is alive and well even in a great melting pot like New York City..

In the video below

A man walks through the crowd at the Ground Zero protest and is mistaken as a Muslim. The crowd turns on him and confronts him. The man in the blue hard hat calls him a coward and tries to fight him. The tall man who I think was one of the organizers tried to get between the two men. Later I caught up with the man who’s name is Kenny. He is a Union carpenter who works at Ground Zero. We discussed what a scary moment that was for him. I told him that I hoped it did not ruin his day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwaNRWMN-F4

Return to Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner

R

The Ground Zero Debate: Islam Did Not Knock Down the Towers…Immortal Technique, Mos Def & Paris Remind Us Who Did

As we continue this senseless debate about the building of an Islamic Cultural Center near Ground Zero, we should keep a few important points in mind..

1-Islam did not knock down the towers…If it did then we best be prepared to shoulder the blame for ‘Christianity’ burning crosses and lynching thousands of Black people throughout the South. If Islam knocked down the towers, then we’re gonna have to accept the fact that ‘Catholics’ raped hundreds of little altar boys and we’re gonna have to accept that ‘Jews’ killed Jesus. I’m sure if we sit back and think for a minute we can find all sorts of evil things done in the name of God, Jehovah, Allah etc and conclude that an entire religion was responsible for the wrong doing..Obviously that would be wrong-headed, so lets not be selective in what we want to demonize.

2-This country was founded on Freedom of Religion.. It doesn’t matter if you wanna pray to Frosty the Snowman or Barney the Dinosaur, you have that right and no one should be allowed to prevent you from practicing especially when the worship is being done on private property and other people are not being physically harmed.

I realize being tolerant is hard for many to stomach, but too bad.  Feelings may be hurt and that’s understandable, we all have our feelings and opinions and we’re entitled to them.. However, that does not give anyone the right to stop someone from enjoying the main tenets this country was founded on. If someone doesn’t like the Islamic Center near Ground Zero being built because they feel the land around it is somehow sacred, then those folks with hurt feelings can walk right past it. You don’t have to visit it. You can go to the strip club that’s nearby and drown your sorrows in a healthy offering a naked dancers and porn.

3-Many Muslims died on 9-11 as did people of all races and religion. No one group gets to claim moral high ground or some sort of ultimate victim status. Many people lost family members on 9-11 and in the weeks, months and now years afterwards. Today we have first responders who are dying because of health issues related to 9-11 that wasn’t disclosed while they were doing clean up. There are thousands more who volunteered and joined the military and later perished on the battle fields of Iraq and Afghanistan. Those two wars were and are being fought under the guise of what took place on 9-11.

4-If folks really want to fight a battle about what should be built on and around Ground Zero, then do some homework. Initially many of the family members who lost loved ones came together and asked that the World Trade space be devoid of buildings and that space be made into a memorial park.

Sadly, that idea was shot down and ultimately rejected by developers and politicians who insisted that the best testament to America’s strength would be to replace those towers with new ones and essentially let the world know that America was back in business and would not compromise on her ideals..We didn’t hear one peep from anyone who is up in arms today. If people were so gung-ho they should’ve been riding for the family when they said lets have a ‘real sacred’ space. But since we decided to show the world America will rebuild and showcase her Freedom loving philosophy, its a shame to see that being shoved away by intolerance.  All these people crying and whining about the Islamic Center is not a good look for America.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZZQL81Evb0

5-Islam did not knock down the towers. The incompetence and political turf battles within important divisions of our Intelligence community led to 19 men with box cutters taking 3000 lives, damaging the Pentagon and creating Ground Zero. Maybe if Bush and his croonies had a better handle on things the warning signs and intelligence of Osama Bin Laden striking us would’ve been heeded.. but alas it wasn’t. Who knocked down the towers?

Immortal Technique and Mos Def got it right with their landmark song ‘Bin Laden

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA_xXWSXyFI

Immortal is not one to limit his thoughts to a record and not back up what he rapped about. He recently did an interview for Russia Today where he sheds further light on what thinks about 9-11.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJuxb7HddOM&feature=channel

Bay Area rapper Paris also spoke out forcefully about what took place on 9-11. He was probably the first of over 200 rap artists who eventually did songs on the incident. His opinion like many was and is starkly different then what was being pushed by George Bush and the White House.

Below is his song What Would YOu Do? and a link to an article he put forth with a challenge to debate anyone on the facts surrounding 9-11. He went on Fox News and a bunch of other places and handled business in terms of backing up his words and shutting folks down. He followed up his song with written responses to the questions folks had about  ‘What Would You Do? http://www.daveyd.com/parisrespondsback.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrrzHjPC9p8

Return to Davey D’s Hip Hop Corner