Patterico's Pontifications

3/17/2019

Student Activists With Their Own History Of Bigotry Accuse Chelsea Clinton Of Causing The New Zealand Massacre

Filed under: General — Dana @ 12:00 pm



[guest post by Dana]

Chelsea Clinton, who had been invited to attend a prayer vigil at NYU for the victims of the New Zealand massacre, was confronted by students who blamed her for the deadly attack which left 49 50 innocent people dead:

When Chelsea Clinton showed up at a vigil Friday night in New York for victims of the New Zealand mosque massacre, she was confronted by a small group of college students who accused her of inciting the violence.

Last month, the former first daughter joined throngs of Democrats and Republicans in condemning language used by Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), one of the two first Muslim women elected to Congress, that they saw as perpetuating anti-Semitic stereotypes.

At the vigil, the New York University students said reactions like Clinton’s “stoked” hatred of Muslims.

“This, right here, is a result of a massacre stoked by people like you and *the words that you put out into the world,” one student told Clinton, according to a video of the confrontation. “And I want you to know that and I want you to feel that deep down inside. Forty-nine people died because of the rhetoric you put out there.”

“I’m so sorry that you feel that way,” Clinton said. “Certainly, it was never my intention. I do believe words matter. I believe we have to show solidarity.”

After the incident, student Leen Dweik said of her confrontation with Clinton:

… she thought that Clinton’s attendance at the vigil was “ridiculous.”

“Our collective memory is not that short,” she said. “You can’t be in a position of authority and responsibility and say things like that and get away with an ‘I’m sorry.’”

Dweik responded to the criticism with a Twitter thread, in which she explained that she felt angry and sad at the vigil, “in a space that was supposed to center me and my fellow muslims in mourning and instead became a space in which non-muslims preached abt [sic] love while turning around and supporting violent campaigns against muslims globally.”

Here is video of the encounter.

As for Clinton condemning the language used by Rep. Omar, here is the tweet that allegedly “stoked hatred of Muslims”:

Untitled

So let me get this right: Because Chelsea Clinton, who is not an elected official, held an elected official (who happens to be a Muslim WOC) accountable for her use of inflammatory language and politely cautioned her to be careful of the anti-Semitic *words she puts into the world, she simultaneously outed herself as an Islamaphobic white supremacist. Therefore she is partly to blame for a terrorist attack committed by a real-life Islamaphobic white supremacist more than 7,000 miles away! Sure, why not. This is troubling on a number of levels. What stands out to me though, is that this illogical leap is underscores how such loyalty to a politician based on a shared faith or view (of Israel), renders one unwilling, and I would even say unable to hold elected officials accountable for their every word and every deed. And that is problematic. Nothing, absolutely nothing should stand in the way of us criticizing our elected officials and speaking out against them when they behave badly. We have an obligation to do so. If we let anything cloud our vision, be it faith or simple partisanship, it prevents us from looking at politicians with a necessarily shrewd and wary eye. Necessary because we understand the inherent weakness of man, regardless of the individual in question. To be willfully blind and pledge loyalty because of one or two factors is to risk green lighting bad behavior from those with great power. Human nature knows no boundary when it comes to unfettered power. And given that behaving with impunity is man’s natural inclination if one is not constrained by fundamental values, principles, and accountability to others, it then becomes vital that public officials are constantly aware of the fact that their feet will always be held to the fire. No matter who they are, no matter what they believe. Absolutely no elected official should be exempt from such accountability. (Preemptive strike: of course this includes Trump.)

After receiving blowback for their confrontation with Clinton, the two students attempted to justify their attack in an op-ed that Buzzfeed, unsurprisingly, published. I’ll just post an excerpt which tells you all you need to know (about the young women and Buzzfeed). It is loaded with the universal, tone-deaf irony of bigots everywhere:

We went to the vigil for one reason: to grieve the loss of innocent lives that were stolen from this world by vile hatred. We wanted to join our friends and colleagues in a time of heartbreak and agony, to remember the 49 Muslims who were murdered for being Muslim. As a Jewish American-Israeli and a Palestinian Muslim, we understand far too well the consequences of anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim bigotry, and white supremacy. And as activists who are unafraid to speak the truth, we know we have a duty to call out any bigotry wherever it exists.

As people in unwavering solidarity with Palestinians in their struggle for freedom and human rights, we were profoundly disappointed when Chelsea Clinton used her platform to fan those flames. We believe that Ilhan Omar did nothing wrong except challenge the status quo, but the way many people chose to criticize Omar made her vulnerable to anti-Muslim hatred and death threats.

We were shocked when Clinton arrived at the vigil, given that she had not yet apologized to Rep. Omar for the public vilification against her. We thought it was inappropriate for her to show up to a vigil for a community she had so recently stoked hatred against. We were not alone in feeling uncomfortable — many students were dismayed to see her there.

Many have said it was unfair to connect Chelsea’s words to the massacre in Christchurch. To them, we say that anti-Muslim bigotry must be addressed wherever it exists. This is not about left and right. This is about people who do and do not have power, and how those with power use it. A global environment of hatred and vilification against Muslims created this killer. Spurred on by professional bigots, anti-Muslim hate now permeates our culture and politics, and everyone, as a matter of urgency, should consider the role they play in enabling it. That includes Chelsea Clinton.

This isn’t hard. You know where they’re coming from. Bigots typically believe they are justified in their own bigotry (which they clearly don’t see as bigotry). They see it as a righteous cause that only the enlightened are able to discern. What’s interesting, however, is when the whole of the bigot comes to light. From Leen Dweik, one of the op-ed writers:

Untitled2

Untitled2

As the other student/op-ed writer, Rose Asaf has deleted/made private her social media accounts, you can read more about the political views she holds here and here:

Rose Asaf has spread hatred of Israel and expressed opposition to a bipartisan bill drafted in response to growing anti-Semitism in the United States.

Asaf is a co-founder of the anti-Israel Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) organization at New York University (NYU). She is also a member and the 2018 incoming secretary of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP).

Asaf is a supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and is the author and sponsor of a 2018 divestment bill at NYU.

Asaf has promoted the #returnthebirthright initiative launched by JVP against the Birthright Jewish heritage tour.

Asaf is also affiliated with IfNotNow (INN), an organization that uses disruptive tactics to drive a wedge between the American Jewish community and Israel.

(Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.)

–Dana

84 Responses to “Student Activists With Their Own History Of Bigotry Accuse Chelsea Clinton Of Causing The New Zealand Massacre”

  1. Something about a plank and speck…

    Dana (023079)

  2. You give them too much credit for their ignorance, they’re not even pretending to make a good faith argument. Forget a plank and the speck, they deserve nothing but an F and a U.

    Jerryskids (702a61)

  3. Another case of a Jew (Ms. Dweik) being an anti-Semite. The first I heard of them was their defense in Buzzfeed, and they lost me at “Omar did nothing wrong”. Then I saw the videos. Foolish girls.

    Paul Montagu (d49d0a)

  4. Again, words are violence.

    NO THEY’RE NOT!

    These students are frightening. It will take years of deprogramming to make them reasonable people. With the culture so far to the left, that won’t happen. I do notice Ms. Activist’s t-shirt. She wants lots of free stuff. And her other writings indicate she believes whites are the problem.

    You’re in the wrong place, sweetie.

    Patricia (3363ec)

  5. Chelsea must’ve felt like Trump responding to one of her inane twitter attacks.

    Munroe (fb9278)

  6. Chelsea caved because her two closest role models have never had good principles.
    “Me first” and rote checking off of the identity politics boxes.
    Identity politics eventually has to eat its own. With that many barking mad groups, a person is bound to alienate one or the other. Apologizing doesn’t work, and usually only alienates yet another group.
    Couldn’t happen to a nicer family

    steveg (a9dcab)

  7. To be strictly fair, demolishing Israel IS a solution. Of course, driving the ‘Palestinian’ ‘refugees’ into the sea would be a solution, too. And one that is, historically, better justified. Not WELL justified, but better justified.

    C. S. P. Schofield (f7316d)

  8. Social Justice Warrior values are at the crossroads of free speech and white hate.

    mg (8cbc69)

  9. Good to know Muslum rep. Omar is running Fox News.

    mg (8cbc69)

  10. Diversity admissions at NYU seems to be working out well.

    Munroe (af62ec)

  11. That ship sailed, mg, with the double whammy of Saudi plurality financing and the woke Murdoch boys.

    urbanleftbehind (b9194f)

  12. Sometimes the little elephants act wrong and need the big elephants to tell them to stop.

    Nic (896fdf)

  13. To be strictly fair, demolishing Israel IS a solution.“

    I always considered ‘solution’ in geopolitical context to mean ‘correct answer’, and that is anything but.

    Same with driving Palestinian refugees into the sea. I prefer Palestinians shaking off the coil of ignorance and hate currently stoked by their religious/political leaders.

    That’s a tall order I know but IMHO the only true solution, and one which might actually come about if the Palestinians ever stopped to consider they’ve been treated worse by Muslims than they have by Jews.

    harkin (09d352)

  14. It’s not the first time Chelsea has pissed off the enemies of the civilization:

    Arriving at Oxford just after the September 11 attacks, Clinton was drawn to other American students who were also feeling the emotional after-effects of the trauma. She told Talk magazine:

    Every day I encounter some sort of anti-American feeling. Over the summer, I thought I would seek out non-Americans as friends, just for diversity’s sake. Now I find that I want to be around Americans – people who I know are thinking about our country as much as I am.[32]

    Clinton was criticized for those remarks in the London press and by the newspaper Oxford Student, whose editorial attacking her angered the university.

    nk (dbc370)

  15. Does Webb Hubbell rock a red ball cap when no one is looking?

    urbanleftbehind (b9194f)

  16. Also, Fox can put Pirro back on tomorrow night; I’d rather ESPN fire Jay Bilas for his hot take disparaging that 9th place power conference college basketball teams are kept home by small conference autobids.

    urbanleftbehind (b9194f)

  17. “To be strictly fair, demolishing Israel IS a solution.“

    So is nuking the entire middle east, or kicking all Muslims out of the country. Terrible solutions, sure, but, to be strictly fair, they ARE solutions.

    What a stupid argument.

    Kevin M (21ca15)

  18. Anyone with celebrity and a Twitter account will eventually piss off the enemies of civilization. They might piss off civilization’s friends more, though (e.g. Matt Damon).

    Kevin M (21ca15)

  19. BTW, before they get demolished, I believe Israel has a 50-city bucket list.

    Kevin M (21ca15)

  20. I’m sure they consider their hate justified and wholly without bias. They’re completely delusional with no help of deprogramming.

    NJRob (60195f)

  21. Why are you surprised asked the scorpion?

    frosty48 (d65153)

  22. I think that the thing that bothers me is the inherent hypocrisy of the people carrying on. They are all about trying to police the language of others, but not their own. And it’s not language they are policing, but thought.

    Simon Jester (5721e2)

  23. @23 It’s not just language. Muslims have been killing Christians for a while, especially in Egypt. And the silence is deafening.

    frosty48 (d65153)

  24. there is no $$$ in it for clintons to support ilhan omar. as deep throat said in watergate follow the money with the clintons. democrat establishment told democrat base trust us we know what we are doing hold your nose and vote for clinton. they told base clinton is the smart choice not bernie sanders. the clinton establishment wing of democrat party has been discredited and now is repudiated! pelosi is speaker only as long as when AOC say jump nancy asks how high. the democrats boner.

    lany (4bec5b)

  25. R.I.P. Dick Dale, king of the surf guitar

    Icy (46abc2)

  26. Bland vanillas father in law is from Chicago:

    https://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/98/98501_us-mexico-nyt-the-mag-piece-on-el-paso-juarez-very-good-read.html

    Guess what land he owns where the rest of the wall would go.

    narciso (d1f714)

  27. There, their, they’re, mg.

    nk (dbc370)

  28. Then go wipe it out.

    I think you might find the Jewish people – in the form of the nation of Israel – a little less compliant in their elimination this time around.

    MJN1957 (6f981a)

  29. MJN1957 (6f981a) — 3/18/2019 @ 7:13 am

    🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

    nk (dbc370)

  30. @23 Has the best analysis. This is not about logic or hypocrisy. It’s about control of discourse and thought. A terrible massacre occurred on the other side of the globe, so let’s exploit that to shut up our opposition.

    Bored Lawyer (998177)

  31. Has anyone attempted to explain what is “Islamophobic” about stating the view that public officials should not traffic in anti-Semitism?

    The obvious implication is that Jew-hatred is so deeply intrinsic to Islam that criticizing Jew-hatred is tantamount to attacking Islam.

    One other possible explanation is that Chelsea Clinton is a kafir who (indirectly) criticized a Muslim, which is an attack on the moral hierarchy that holds any Muslim to be superior to any kafir.

    If there’s any other way to find “Islamophobia” or “hate” in the statement, I’m not imaginative enough to see it.

    Radegunda (694c3c)

  32. Yes, this murderous attack at the mosques in NZ was terrible. But so was the murderous attack on the Catholic church in the Philippines, to name one. But did you hear about that? I bet not. My two college students hadn’t. And THAT is the problem-the ongoing problem-of lying by omission. The worldwide left-leaning media is creating a ‘reality’ for people that is not true. As was brutally learned by the naive/misled? Georgetown-grad bicyclists in Kazakhstan and the naive/misled? female hikers raped and beheaded in the Atlas mountains in Morocco.

    margaret (dd3e84)

  33. I did read about the attack in the Phillipines. In the NYTimes as it happens. Terrible.

    (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/28/world/asia/isis-philippines-church-bombing.html)

    “People hear what they want to hear and disregard the rest.” If they want to stay informed and be honest with themselves and others they will. If they want to believe BS they will do that too.

    JRH (8f59ea)

  34. And if they want to villify journalists who risk their lives to keep us informed about events in the wider world they will absolutely do that. Bet on that.

    JRH (8f59ea)

  35. Trump and Chelsea bombed a church in the Philippines, too? The monsters!

    nk (dbc370)

  36. Chelsea Clinton is a distraction- a clueless, seemingly idle rich kid, constantly intruding on events, like a perennial political candidate, desperately trying to “matter,” to someone about something. She’s worse than a clueless, self-absorbed American backpacker, who thought he could better international relations by hiking near an Iranian radar installation, and whose subsequent arrest and incarceration triggers an international incident over his appalling stupidity.

    We could have had a real debate on these issues–but this wandering hiker got involved, and now its somehow about her feeble efforts to sound nice.

    The other problem–the real problem–is the people who attacked her. They seemingly speak in the language of Palestinian militants, who cannot imagine anyone not sharing their implicit desire for the destruction of Israel. Allowing this ancient hatred to fester in the US is going to become worse, not better.

    While we sigh with disgust at having to defend Chelsea Clinton, most Americans can see what’s happening here.

    Harcourt Fenton Mudd (5e0a82)

  37. A younger Robert Davi would not give much of damn, seeing as he was a pretty good South American baddie in many roles back in the day – now he’s too gray-headed to pass.

    urbanleftbehind (5eecdb)

  38. But I agree with JRH. We notice what pricks us.

    nk (dbc370)

  39. Except the press took pains to hide the details in Bataclan to cover up rotherdam to tell squirrel at pulse loudly.

    Narciso (5df884)

  40. Cairs main concern over the first wtc was the backlash

    Narciso (5df884)

  41. It just so happens prog feelings just fits their statist sensibilities

    https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2019/03/trumps-perfectly-normal-decision-on-boeings-737-max-b.php

    Narciso (5df884)

  42. I can’t believe Buzzfeed is still in business–who is pouring money into this dumpster fire?

    Rochf (877dba)

  43. I guess it is petty of me to admit, but though I think Chelsea was blameless it was amusing to see her get screamed at by the SJWs and painful to watch her utter lack of a defense or offense. But I guess when you are out of practice…

    margaret (dd3e84)

  44. JRH you underestimate the deadly power of groupthink, and miss the larger point that NZ is plastered over every TV news channel and the Philippines-not so much.

    margaret (dd3e84)

  45. NBC news mostly, oh Erdogan is allowing full streaming of the massacre.

    Narciso (5df884)

  46. margaret (dd3e84) — 3/18/2019 @ 10:26 am

    FYI, the Philippines incident was rather well covered by the MSM. And you are not taking into account (this is something I said the other day) that New Zealand is a fellow member of the Anglosphere and a fellow offshoot of Western European culture. The Philippines is not. A little over a century ago, we were suppressing Philippines because we presumed we had the right to rule them. But basically, from psychology and culture, New Zealand is close to us, the Philippines is not. A Filipino who visits here has to handle the task of communicating in a language totally different from the mother tongue. A New Zealander who visits here has, in contrast, only the worry that he or she will be mistaken for an Australian.

    kishnevi (0c10d1)

  47. @32/@33. A pox on all their houses; they’ve been squabbling and fighting there for thousands of years. We sell ’em arms then pay ’em not to fight. Whadda racket. If only that damned asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs had arrive 5 or 6 hours earlier…

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  48. Margaret your point about the murder of Christians in the Phillipines was part of a larger point criticizing a media who lie and purposely omit information.

    Staying on the topic of persecution of Christians: If we know about Christians getting murdered in the Phillipines, or about churches and Bibles being burned in China, or about the attempted criminalization of evangelism in Russia, it’s usually *because* reporters have brought us the information.

    My point: If we know the information it’s not because of niche websites and blogs but because of organizations like the AP, BBC, NYTimes, and yes, even dreaded CNN who have boots on the ground and resources to pay people to do actual reporting, usually at some risk of life and limb.

    Bias exists and should be criticized. But that criticism should be tempered by consideration of how we get information in the first place.

    JRH (8f59ea)

  49. Its exceedingly rare, like the blackout re rotherdam, the epidemic of acid attacks in greater London the sexual assaults in Stockholm one might have to draw some cinclusions.

    This incident is a gift to the press, take everybidys guns and shut up about everything else

    narciso (d1f714)

  50. as disco undoubtedly is aware, the problem isn’t over there anymore it’s it hamlet towers, san denis, and malbeek,

    narciso (d1f714)

  51. @ 55. I should have amended my statement. Occasionally niche websites, NGO’s or groups like OpenDoors do really good reporting on persecution of Christians. But even OpenDoors relies heavily on MSM reporting.

    JRH (8f59ea)

  52. He’s got some nerve… https://twitter.com/sahouraxo/status/1106650637461266433

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  53. JRH agree and point taken and I remember James Foley.

    margaret (dd3e84)

  54. just more of the same, just different note,

    thefederalist.com/2019/03/18/the-dishonest-campaign-against-the-ar-15/

    narciso (d1f714)

  55. media will only care about about muslims killing christians when you make them care. you don’t care enough to make them care.

    lany (b6a9ca)

  56. People outside of Brazil barely paid attention to the school shooting in Brazil that took placed two days before the New Zealand massacre.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/13/world/americas/brazil-school-shooting.html

    Maybe all such killers will fell they have to reach 49 to be newsworthy, and won’t even try because they can’t reach that kind of toll (or score) without a bomb.

    Sammy Finkelman (102c75)

  57. 8. A solution to what?

    They would immediately fight over the spoils.

    Sammy Finkelman (102c75)

  58. “FYI, the Philippines incident was rather well covered by the MSM. And you are not taking into account (this is something I said the other day) that New Zealand is a fellow member of the Anglosphere and a fellow offshoot of Western European culture. The Philippines is not.“
    kishnevi (0c10d1) — 3/18/2019 @ 11:15 am

    If only Chicago were part of the Anglosphere the MSM might care that more than 11 NZ mosque massacres happened there in 2018.

    Munroe (01ad30)

  59. The Phillipines there should be less of an excuse because of its status as a US treaty acquisition, historic home of many US military installations and the considerable diaspora. Another reason that the west may not seemed as disposed to clutch with thoughts and prayers with regard to developing world Christian’s is that many Americans feel that the Musl8m attackers will be dealt with swiftly, brutally and with no quarter in response to their evil act whether by the state (only viable when Christians are not a distinct minority) or self defense forces.

    urbanleftbehind (ada767)

  60. If only Chicago were part of the Anglosphere the MSM might care that more than 11 NZ mosque massacres happened there in 2018

    Valid point. But news is driven by headlines and melodrama. Whereas the Chicago murders happened more or less one at a time, one killer at a time. In Christchurch one man killed 50 people all at once. In Chicago 500 killers killed 500 individuals one by one spread out over a 12 month period.

    Kishnevi (e5d356)

  61. Well you cant blame guns they have been illegal since 1982, surprisingly shootings still go on.

    Narciso (a2a22f)

  62. the young pioneers of the social justice warriors know whom to blame!

    lany (d0b6a5)

  63. Now the same ‘demolish Israel’ nitwit is turning on Omar, who today in a WaPo opinion piece says she supports a two state solution.

    Omar must have seen that story about MN Dems looking to finance someone to unseat her next time round.

    harkin (09d352)

  64. Well you cant blame guns they have been illegal since 1982, surprisingly shootings still go on.

    If that’s Chicago you’re talking about, McDonald v. City of Chicago was not about the right to keep and bear Big Macs, and Moore v. Madigan had nothing to do with a James Bond actor or an Alabama judge. We have “shall issue” concealed carry for handguns, and no restrictions on guns kept at home or at a fixed place of business. And a “no-duty to retreat” law of self-defense and the good sense not to call it “stand your ground”.

    nk (dbc370)

  65. And if I were inclined to fisk the natterings of nutjobs that Second Amendment issues would cause fractures alone racial lines, I would point out that Otis McDonald was black. Black people want to be able to protect themselves and their loved ones just as much as white people do.

    nk (dbc370)

  66. IL and the cheeseheads up north were the last 2 states to permit concealed carry, a fact that was driven in the public mind after the Sikh temple shooting in oak creek wi in August 2012 – several temple goers had submitted paperwork in the early months of 2012 (cc law effective 11.1.11) only to still be awaiting their cc permit when the shooting occurred.

    urbanleftbehind (ada767)

  67. @ 74 if you give black men 5 years for crime with a gun the black women in chicago will vote you out!

    lany (d0b6a5)

  68. unless she is busy aborting a baby, lany.

    mg (8cbc69)

  69. the Joyce Foundation has been going after firearms for 25 years ago, hence the fast and furious stunt which is dismissed as an oversight, which the bureau looked the other way.

    narciso (d1f714)

  70. RIP Rowdy Roddy Piper on that one, Narciso. They were a hybrid of lizard and robot if I remember correctly.

    urbanleftbehind (cc3dfe)

  71. Sure, but also the way they flood the news with junk that looks like it’s real or relevant,

    narciso (d1f714)

  72. 69. There were probably some duplicates. But the real reasons nobody pays much attention to the nmurdersd in Chacago is:

    1) They take place in areas most educated people avoidm, and know very little about.

    2) the local politicians don’t want people to pay attention to that.

    Sammy Finkelman (b0ece0)


Powered by WordPress.

Page loaded in: 0.0964 secs.