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Sanitizing terror, part II: Backlash mounting over refusal to call OKC beheading what it is
Hotair ^ | 09/29/2014 | Noah Rothman

Posted on 09/29/2014 11:30:33 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

It’s becoming a disturbing trend.

For months, Ali Muhammad Brown, a man described as a devout Muslim convert, engaged in what prosecutors allege was a “bloody crusade” aimed at avenging the deaths of Muslims killed by American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. From Seattle, Washington to West Orange, New Jersey, Brown left four bodies in his wake. But the national press refused to report on his case until weeks after he was indicted. Almost none outside local media outlets in Seattle noted that Brown had intentionally targeted gay men is his campaign of vengeance.

A Seattle-based Fox affiliate called Brown a “radical jihadist,” but few other press outlets followed their lead. Perhaps because Brown was not receiving coded transmissions from Pakistani handlers, some apparently determined that his actions should not be considered terrorism. One has to wonder whether the members of Seattle’s gay community who use the social media app Brown utilized to target his victims felt terrorized. Whether we call it terrorism or not, the effect of Brown’s spree was to instill fear and to force those who survived his attacks to rethink their routines.

This familiar pattern is happening again, now in Oklahoma City. On Friday, what was reportedly a disgruntled former employee of a food processing facility decided to take his frustrations out on his coworkers. He killed one, according to initial reports, and wounded another before being incapacitated by the gun-carrying company’s owner.

But as more details emerged, the more an ominous pattern began to emerge. Some have begun to determine that they are again being lied to in service to the ignoble mission of defining terrorism down.

The suspect, Alton Nolen, had beheaded his first victim – the jihadist calling card which has become a common element of Islamist attacks in the United Kingdom, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Algeria. He was reportedly a recent convert to Islam, and had been proselytizing in his place of work for some time. Nolen’s unsuccessful attempts to convert his coworkers were reportedly part of the reason for his dismissal.

During the attack, local outlets reported that Nolen was allegedly shouting Islamic phrases, similar to those which Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan shouted during his 2009 rampage. What’s more, Nolen’s Facebook page contained favorable images of Osama bin Laden and the prominent ISIS commander, Omar al-Shishani. His social media posts also included an image depicting an ISIS beheading.

“But the FBI, which is assisting in the investigation, has so far found no links to terrorism, the officials said,” The Washington Post reported. “There was also no indication that Nolen was copying the beheadings of journalists in Syria by the Islamic State, the officials said, adding that they are treating this as an incident of workplace violence.”

Nolen may not have been part of an ISIS cell lying in wait for the precise moment to strike, but he was clearly a sympathizer who was inspired by the actions of Islamic fundamentalist militants and duplicated them. While that may not be an act of war, it does have the effect of terrorizing the public. While it is debatable as to whether Nolen engaged in terrorism by definition, calling this an act of random workplace violence is simply misleading.

What’s more, the effort to reframe Nolen’s actions is prompting a deserved backlash:

“Workplace violence. Really?” an incredulous Joe Scarborough exclaimed on Monday. “Despite the fact the attacker’s Facebook page had pictures of Osama bin Laden, let’s see, the Taliban, gruesome beheadings by ISIS. Pictures celebrating the destruction of the Twin Towers, and his promise that America would go up in flames. And, also, his declaration that, quote, Islamic terrorists behead their victims because the precedent was bestowed by their prophet.”

“How stupid does the FBI really think we are?” he added. “And who exactly are they afraid of offending? ISIS?”

He noted that “political correctness,” the same kind which led the press to gloss over the actions of Ali Muhammad Brown, has led federal investigators to sanitize Alton Nolen’s acts of jihadist violence.

No one wants to spread undue panic, but the press and the federal government are sacrificing their credibility to the goal of maintaining calm. By refusing to call violence inspired by Islamic jihad what it is, these institutions are losing the public’s trust.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: beheading; islam; jihad; oklahoma
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1 posted on 09/29/2014 11:30:33 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind
Sanitizing terror, part II: Backlash mounting over refusal to call OKC beheading what it is

Well, even if the perp is a card carrying ISIS member, according to Hussein 0bama he wouldn't be a muzzie terrorist. /sarc

2 posted on 09/29/2014 11:38:48 AM PDT by The Sons of Liberty (I want a Speaker who'll stick that pen and phone where no one but Reggie Love can find it!)
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To: SeekAndFind
“How stupid does the FBI really think we are?” he added. “And who exactly are they afraid of offending? ISIS?”

I think it's pretty clear that the FBI has orders to quash any references to terrorism. 'Cause obammy fixed it, you know.

3 posted on 09/29/2014 11:40:58 AM PDT by TangoLimaSierra (To win the country back, we need to be as mean as the libs say we are.)
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To: The Sons of Liberty

Did not Party Secretary Obama say that when things turned ugly he would side with the Moslems?


4 posted on 09/29/2014 11:44:27 AM PDT by Fred Hayek (The Democratic Party is now the operational arm of the CPUSA)
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To: SeekAndFind

How many people do you think understand just how massively we are lied to and manipulated by the gubment and the press?

This is being hidden and the Koristan or whatever group in Syria is being made up.

Obastard didn’t get his way last year to help the Syrian rebels, the core of ISIS radicals but that has been forgotten, overthrow Assad. He was stopped by the Russians who support Assad because Syria is a vital base for them on the Med. Now obastard has done what he wanted to do last year in the name of containing Koristan (sp?, whatever? created by obungo administration) and ISIS, the very group that Koristan spawned. NOBODY SAYS A WORD. NOBODY REMEMBERS. NOBODY CONNECTS THE DOTS.

Why has Russia now not said a word? What got traded?


5 posted on 09/29/2014 11:44:31 AM PDT by Sequoyah101 (I)
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To: Fred Hayek

Did not Party Secretary Obama say that when things turned ugly he would side with the Moslems?

he’s been on their side long before we ever heard of him


6 posted on 09/29/2014 11:47:07 AM PDT by molson209 (Blank)
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To: SeekAndFind

The Administration’s response to this, if there is one, will either characterize it as workplace violence or extremist that doesn’t represent Islam. Truth is that this guy was just doing what the Koran teaches.

There are no moderate Muslims. There are Muslims who follow the Koran—we call them extremists—and those who don’t.


7 posted on 09/29/2014 11:47:07 AM PDT by jimbug
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To: SeekAndFind
VIOLENCE
8 posted on 09/29/2014 11:50:55 AM PDT by baddog 219
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To: The Sons of Liberty

even if the perp is a card carrying ISIS member


“even if”? Bammers and Kerry would have you believe that this would be PROOF POSITIVE that he’s NOT a Muslim.


9 posted on 09/29/2014 11:52:04 AM PDT by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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To: jimbug

There is a question as to whether he’s an “Arab oriented” muzzie or a “Nation of Islam” black racist.


10 posted on 09/29/2014 11:53:13 AM PDT by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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To: SeekAndFind

It’s only terror if the political fallout hurts Republicans.


11 posted on 09/29/2014 11:56:06 AM PDT by Buckeye McFrog
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To: SeekAndFind

No one in the administration gives hoot for what the people think or how upset we are.


12 posted on 09/29/2014 11:56:17 AM PDT by Iron Munro (We can make it work with only one square per restroom visit -- Sheryl Crow)
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To: SeekAndFind

He can’t be a terrorist without his secret Al Qaeda decoder ring.


13 posted on 09/29/2014 11:57:10 AM PDT by Hugin ("Do yourself a favor--first thing, get a firearm!",)
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To: SeekAndFind

Ok they don’t want to call it terrorism - they want to call it workplace violence. Makes no sense. But let’s go down that path for sake of argument. Would they agree to call it Islamic workplace violence? My guess is they would be more concerned with that than calling it terrorism which could also be domestic terrorism.

The point being — they seemed obsessed with eliminating the linkage between violent acts and Islam.


14 posted on 09/29/2014 11:59:27 AM PDT by plain talk
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To: Buckeye McFrog
This is very good...

It’s only terror if the political fallout hurts Republicans.

Heard any body counts, civilians, baby milk factories? Where the hell is Code Pink, or all the other harpies?

Have you heard anything from move on dot org? Betray who?

Yes Darth Cheney, you were right. That stare was priceless.

5.56mm

15 posted on 09/29/2014 12:02:21 PM PDT by M Kehoe
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To: SeekAndFind
Al Qaeda itself isn't a top down organization; it's more like a franchise. It's ridiculous not to label this terror just because there is no link to Al Qaeda or ISIS.

One of the purposes of posting beheading videos is to encourage copycats. Of course this is terrorism.

16 posted on 09/29/2014 12:10:13 PM PDT by colorado tanker
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To: SeekAndFind

Do all REAL terrorists carry membership cards? Is that the only way to determine if it was a REAL terrorist attack.


17 posted on 09/29/2014 12:10:37 PM PDT by jim_trent
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To: SeekAndFind

It’s predictable. The left, headed by a corrupt “justice” department, refuses to condemn murder committed by a member of the ROP.
Because they love the ROP and hate normal people.


18 posted on 09/29/2014 12:13:22 PM PDT by I want the USA back (Media: completely irresponsible. Complicit in the destruction of this country.)
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To: The Sons of Liberty
Almost none outside local media outlets in Seattle noted that Brown had intentionally targeted gay men is his campaign of vengeance.

That's interesting. Islamophilia trumps homophilia. The left has a hierarchy of preference for politically correct groups. Now we know muslims rank near the top, above even homosexuals.

19 posted on 09/29/2014 12:14:27 PM PDT by Spirochete (GOP: Give Obama Power)
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To: Spirochete
That's interesting. Islamophilia trumps homophilia. The left has a hierarchy of preference for politically correct groups. Now we know muslims rank near the top, above even homosexuals.

Yep, and American homosexuals are in for a really big surprise when the Left decides it's time to choose between them.

Useful idiots.

20 posted on 09/29/2014 12:27:29 PM PDT by Talisker (One who commands, must obey.)
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