Wafa Sultan - Real Hollywood Courage

The NY Times profiles Wafa Sultan, who provides an example of real courage to the folks in LA who think, for example, that it takes moral courage to condemn Joe McCarthy:

For Muslim Who Says Violence Destroys Islam, Violent Threats

By JOHN M. BRODER

LOS ANGELES, March 10 — Three weeks ago, Dr. Wafa Sultan was a largely unknown Syrian-American psychiatrist living outside Los Angeles, nursing a deep anger and despair about her fellow Muslims.

Today, thanks to an unusually blunt and provocative interview on Al Jazeera television on Feb. 21, she is an international sensation, hailed as a fresh voice of reason by some, and by others as a heretic and infidel who deserves to die.

In the interview, which has been viewed on the Internet more than a million times and has reached the e-mail of hundreds of thousands around the world, Dr. Sultan bitterly criticized the Muslim clerics, holy warriors and political leaders who she believes have distorted the teachings of Muhammad and the Koran for 14 centuries.

She said the world's Muslims, whom she compares unfavorably with the Jews, have descended into a vortex of self-pity and violence.

 

Her comment about the Jews had to sting:

Perhaps her most provocative words on Al Jazeera were those comparing how the Jews and Muslims have reacted to adversity. Speaking of the Holocaust, she said, "The Jews have come from the tragedy and forced the world to respect them, with their knowledge, not with their terror; with their work, not with their crying and yelling."

She went on, "We have not seen a single Jew blow himself up in a German restaurant. We have not seen a single Jew destroy a church. We have not seen a single Jew protest by killing people."

She concluded, "Only the Muslims defend their beliefs by burning down churches, killing people and destroying embassies. This path will not yield any results. The Muslims must ask themselves what they can do for humankind, before they demand that humankind respect them."

Fortunately for the easily offended in the Muslim world, they do not need to respond to her criticisms:

The other guest on the program, identified as an Egyptian professor of religious studies, Dr. Ibrahim al-Khouli, asked, "Are you a heretic?" He then said there was no point in rebuking or debating her, because she had blasphemed against Islam, the Prophet Muhammad and the Koran.

The Times also provides an entry in the never-ending Unintentional Irony contest:

Shortly after the broadcast, clerics in Syria denounced her as an infidel. One said she had done Islam more damage than the Danish cartoons mocking the Prophet Muhammad, a wire service reported.

Well, the cartoons were ignored at their initial publication.  One might even say that it has been the response to the cartoons that damaged the Muslim world.

Here are the MEMRI excerpts from the broadcast.  And let's give major props to Alexandra von Maltzan of All Things Beautiful, who picked up on this interview in February.

The Washington Times further popularized it with a March 4 editorial, and Michelle Malkin also joined in.

Comments

[clarice]

Dr. Sultan is an amazing woman and I hope these threats do not materialize.

[MTT]

TM,

I started sending my friends the MEMRI link of Wafa Sultan in February. I entitled the emails, "The World's Bravest Woman."

Ain't that the truth.

I recall responding to something SMG wrote around the same time, essentially writing that it was seeming impossible to stop the information war against Bush (and by extension, Western Freedom).

Well, maybe a miracle will happen. And maybe that miracle is Wafa Sultan.

Here's hoping.

[larwyn]

Yeah, but do you think she'll win a PULITIZER?
I missed this yesterday - speaks for itself - lot of laughs!

By Michelle Malkin · March 10, 2006 01:06 PM
Editor and Publisher has a leaked list of Pulitizer Prize finalists for the journalism awards. Here's an excerpt:

COMMENTARY
Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times
Cynthia Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Chris Rose of the Times-Picayune

INVESTIGATIVE

The Washington Post (revelations about Jack Abramoff)
South Florida Sun-Sentinel (FEMA probe)
Los Angeles Times (Getty Museum)

NATIONAL

The New York Times (NSA wiretapping revelations)
The New York Times (body armor)
Copley News Service/The San Diego Union-Tribune ("Duke" Cunningham)

PUBLIC SERVICE

The Blade of Toledo (“Coingate”)
The Washington Post (package on terrorism)
The Sun-Herald of Biloxi, Miss. (Katrina)

BEAT REPORTING

The Washington Post (Dana Priest, secret prisons)
The New York Times (Barry Meier, defective heart implant)
Clarion-Ledger of Jackson, Miss. (Jerry Mitchell, civil rights murders)

INTERNATIONAL

The New York Times (China)
Los Angeles Times (Muslims in Europe)
The Washington Post (Iraq coverage by Steve Fainaru)

EXPLANATORY

The Washington Post (David Finkel for reports about Yemen)
Miami Herald (breakdowns in hurricane warning system)
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel (rabies)

[JM Hanes]

"[Dr. Ibrahim al-Khouli] said there was no point in rebuking or debating her, because she had blasphemed against Islam, the Prophet Muhammad and the Koran.

That's the beauty of heresy, isn't it? Dr. al-K succinctly demystifies its enduring appeal.

[windansea]

wow...you go girl

Wafa for Pulitzer!!

[JM Hanes]

larwyn

Once again, we note the Pulitzer's glaring omission of Claudia Rossett for investigative kudos, or beat reporting, or public service, international, explanatory. It would require acknowledging the U.N. brontosaurus in the middle of the room, of course.

TM

How about mounting a bloggers' Pulitzer Challenge?

There's Claudia, and Wafa per windandsea, Byron York on Plamegate?, Stephan Hayes on Saddamgate, Mark Steyn for commentary. I suspect we could even come up with some non-denominational nominations for the odd lefty here and there.

And how about merit-based nominations for official MSM paper of record? The underrated Chicago Trib might make an excellent, democratically established, replacement for the self-appointed NYTimes.

[clarice]

You named all my top picks JM--

[maryrose]

Excellent picks JMH>
All deserving of awards.
What a magnificent woman is Wafa Sultan.
On Fox News Report: teacher who compared Bush Administration to Nazi Germany is discussed along with young man who taped him. Of course Neal is in favor of the teacher; who by the way has been reinstated. The young man will be transferring to a new school.

[TexasToast]

As JMH says, heresy is soooo easy. One doesn't have to think! Ask Sandy O'Conner about Delay and Cornyn. ;)

[richard mcenroe]

Thank goodness, we've identified another Arab Congress can't trust.

[larwyn]

Pulitzer Prize
NATIONAL nominee:

The New York Times (NSA wiretapping revelations)

Two Questions:
1)In addition to the reporters, will the editor and publisher also get a copy of the prize to keep them company in Levanworth?

2) (Wishful thinking) Can the Pulizer Committee be brought up on charges for aiding and abeting after the fact of the crime? Or can we just go back to Duranty?

[the Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon Her]

Lovers of Islam Unite! - Pancakes for Mohammed, peace be upon Her

Keep your calendars open for Sunday, March 18th, at 11 AM for the first annual Pancakes for Mohammed, peace be upon Her, Sunday Pancake Fundraiser at Dennys. This is a great way to raise money for our Islam saving cause while eating great pancakes. And remember, “Hold the sausage please!”

For those of us who are trying to convince our Muslim brothers and sisters about the true gender of the Prophet, peace be upon Her, come out and speak up and bring a few shekels to donate. Also, be sure and bring your best drawing of the Prophet, peace be upon Her. I propose that each group vote on the best depiction of the Prophet, peace be upon Her and pay for the winning artist to eat for free.

Now remember, drawing the Prophet with a bomb on Her head has already been done, so please, choose something else.

http://mohammedpeacebeuponherisawoman.blogspot.com/

[Curious George]

It's really sad what deception the Muslim leaders are living under. I wish that the could hear how logical what she has to say really is!

[MayBee]

In 10 years, Hollywood will make a movie about this woman (starring Sandra Bullock) and call itself brave for bringing her to the world's attention.
When he receives his award for best supporting actor for the role of Dr. Ibrahim al-Khouli, Tim Robbins will first thank the makeup department, and then will castigate the west for making muslims men feel so impotent they have no choice but to lash out against all that criticize Islam.

In 15 years, his speech will be memorialized in the Oscar telecast's montage saluting how Hollywood changed the World.

[larwyn]

Beautiful! MayBee, beautiful!

[larwyn]

Jeez, now NOW can blame all those nasty rapes, honor killings and daily physical abuse of muslim women on George Bush.

If we would just leave Afghanistan and Iraq to them, all those Islamists wouldn't be forced, forced, forced to take out their rage on the womenfolk.

[Specter]

IHP pancakes for Muhammed....hold the sausage....guffaw...I thought FNL was last night.

[Jim K.]

From the Times:
Dr. Sultan bitterly criticized the Muslim clerics, holy warriors and political leaders who she believes have distorted the teachings of Muhammad and the Koran for 14 centuries.

As far as I could tell (from watching the entire video on MEMRI), she believes no such thing. She is no longer a Muslim, and nowhere in the interview does she suggest that there are some benign teachings that have been distorted. This seems to be a fabrication by the reporter to fit her views into the NY Times's way of thinking--that the fanatics have a distorted view of Islam, as opposed to actually representing Islam. Dr. Sultan makes no distinction between the Islam of the fanatics and some other more benign version.

[kim]

Oh, Jim K., this may get interesting. I lent my copy of 'Satanic Verses' out several years ago and haven't seen it since, to my regret, and astonishment, for I usually don't regret the losses.
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[richard mcenroe]

"In 10 years, Hollywood will make a movie about this woman (starring Sandra Bullock) and call itself brave for bringing her to the world's attention."

Except that the character will be a humanities professor at NYU or Berkeley and the Muslims will be Baptist neoNazi's out of Texas.

[JM Hanes]

No doubt!

[Rafa]

First, it was Oriana Fallaci.

Then Irshad Manji.

Now, it's Wafa Sultan.

Three brave women. Three real heroines.