James Kirchick takes note in the Wall Street Journal that:
Earlier this month Madrid celebrated its annual gay pride festival, reputed to be the largest in Europe. It featured the usual mixture of calls for tolerance, righteous political speechifying, and raucous display of sexuality. But the Spanish capital also earned a dubious distinction this year not for anything it included, but for what it excluded: Israel.
The municipality of Tel Aviv had originally planned to sponsor a float in the Madrid parade. But Spain's Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Transgenders and Bisexuals revoked the invitation following Israel's raid on the Gaza flotilla that ended with nine dead pro-Hamas activists.
Israel is the only Mideast country that respects the rights of gay people. As Kirchick observes: "Saudi Arabia beheads gays. Syria arrests them in sting operations. Iran hangs them from cranes in public squares.... As for Gaza, one of Hamas's leaders has referred to gays as 'a minority of perverts and the mentally and morally sick.'"
31 Comments for “Moral Blinders”
posted by Bobby on
Spain has always been filled with anti-semites, before it was the Inquisition, then Franco, and now it’s fear of the arabs. What is surprising is that Spanish gays don’t realize who their real enemies are. Gay rights and Islam cannot coexist, they are mutually exclusive, there’s no “love the sinner” in Islam or “render to caesar what is of caesar…” Nope. Islam has always been intolerant of minorities, gentiles in the Muslim world are not allowed to proselytize, have Christmas trees… they can’t even eat in public during Ramadam.
posted by John on
Stupid and ironically, given their claim to hold dearly to such, very INTOLERANT. I’ll take Israel over all of the predominantly Muslim countries any day.
posted by Debrah on
Israel, and more specifically, Tel Aviv, is an oasis inside a Middle Eastern cauldron where 7th century sensibilities often prevail.
posted by TS on
Normally, with the responses so unanimous, I’d find a way to be the devil’s advocate. But I just don’t have it in me here. How could cultural relativism be so blind to its obvious complications?
posted by Jorge on
You can take my silence as approval and consent for the responses so far.
posted by Jimmy on
That gay people in Spain, or anywhere else, see beyond their own parochial self-interest to stand against what the world is increasingly coming to see: the insane and inhumane treatment of the people of Gaza by Israel, is evidence of a higher morality than than the tit for tat world so many chose to inhabit.
The unarmed flotilla sailed under the auspices of NATO ally, Turkey. The IDF, attacking in international waters, was intent on mayhem, this is clear, and was no doubt given the green light by a fanatical right-wing regime.
posted by Debrah on
United In Hate by Jamie Glazov
“Glazov very wisely poses some astute questions in his book. He speculates as to why the leftists, who talk of rights for their fellow believers, find it so easy to wrap their arms around Islamic terrorists, the most gay-hating, woman-hating and minority-hating force on earth, today. He also pondered on why ‘progressives’ heap admiration upon regimes under which they themselves would be eliminated. Why would Liberal women, who have a long history of talking about helping themselves right up to the highest rungs of the social ladder, ignore the suffering of millions of women living under gender-based Islamic oppression?”
posted by Jimmy on
“Why would Liberal women, who have a long history of talking about helping themselves right up to the highest rungs of the social ladder, ignore the suffering of millions of women living under gender-based Islamic oppression?”
So, women and children suffering under the crushing weight of a paranoid Israeli policy is better? Malnutrition, which humanitarians tried to allay, and were killed by the IDF for it, is rampant in Gaza. Israel is responsible for that.
Why do conservatives remain OK with such suffering?
posted by North Dallas Thirty on
Because, Jimmy, what you are whining about is roughly akin to the children and wives of SS officers starving due to the Allied blockade of Nazi Germany.
If you value the lives of the Palestinians, you would condemn the brutal, genocidal Hamas, whose stated goal is the extermination of all Jews and who has fired literally thousands of rockets from civilian areas into Israel, causing numerous casualties and damage.
But you don’t. You are simply using Palestinian women (who under Hamas are forced into the hijab and subjected to the strictest interpretation of Islamic law involving women as chattel) and children as smokescreens to cloak your brutal anti-Jewish bigotry.
Granted, you’re only repeating the Obama Party line, so we shouldn’t expect anything different. The Obama Party praises Hamas and blames Jews for all the problems of the world, as we see from the NAACP and its endorsees in the Black Panther and Reverend Jeremiah Wright movements. Anti-Jewish bigotry is the soul and core of the Obama Party, and as a good gay who does whatever Obama tells him to do, you’re going to repeat your anti-Jewish propaganda.
posted by Jimmy on
PF-
The first line made me want to puke, so I stopped reading.
posted by Jorge on
If you mean ND30’s post, you asked. That was the answer.
Having thought about this for more than a minute, I want to point out that the education system in Palestine has reinforced anti-Semitism throughout the entire culture. The percentage of women and children who affirm the murder of Israeli civilians through terrorist attacks is shocking, and it takes a person who is better than average to overlook that. I have never found out what the common Israeli citizen thinks about that.
posted by Bobby on
“That gay people in Spain, or anywhere else, see beyond their own parochial self-interest to stand against what the world is increasingly coming to see: the insane and inhumane treatment of the people of Gaza by Israel, is evidence of a higher morality than than the tit for tat world so many chose to inhabit.”
—Every heard that you shouldn’t judge a man until you walk a mile in his shoes? Those stupid European countries don’t know what it’s like to deal with suicide bombers, rocket attacks, terrorism, vandalism, and all the crap the Israelies have to prevent everyday while trying not to go too far for the sake of International opinion.
And what do you mean the flotilla people were unarmed?
“A senior officer involved in the report said at least 65 Turkish Islamic militants armed with metal sticks and knives were on the main ship, and had vowed to fight any effort by the Israeli Navy to board. The scuffles that ensued led to the fatal shootings by Israeli commandos.”
http://www.theage.com.au/world/inquiry-finds-flotilla-killings-justified-20100713-109d8.html?autostart=1
I saw the video of the arabs beating up the soldiers, and I read testimony of soldiers saying they where stabbed and had to shoot in self-defense. Those eight turks that died were probably trying to kill the soldiers.
“Why do conservatives remain OK with such suffering?”
—Because conservatives don’t take pity into people who bring the suffering to themselves by their own actions. The palestineans are a bunch of liars, they always tell us to give up land for peace. Well, 95% of the occupied territories are in Palestinean hands, even Gaza was returned. And for what? For more rocket attacks?
Jimmy, you just don’t know who your friends are. The people you’re defending are the very people that would kill you if given a chance.
posted by Marky on
@Jimmy. “The unarmed flotilla sailed…” But they did have arms, Blanche, but they did. And not only where they armed but they used them first.
The Spanish gay group like many other such organizations, which may start out with a legitimate purpose, are soon enough infiltrated by leftist ideologues. Once inside they hijack the organization’s infrastructure and funds to advance a political a agenda that has nothing to do with the original purpose of the group.
posted by Rodney Hoffman on
Spain’s Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Transgenders and Bisexuals didn’t go out and *invite* Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran, Gaza, etc. to participate after they disinvited Tel Aviv, so what, exactly is your point? That because Israel (partly) respects gay rights, they should never be criticized? That doesn’t sound very principled.
posted by Throbert McGee on
Wow, did a gay liberal just call someone else “paranoid”? That’s kinda funny, since “The homophobes are coming to get you!” is such an evergreen theme in gay politics.
Next thing you know, a Hamas leader will be calling someone else “mentally and morally sick”!
posted by Bobby on
Here’s a great quote from Randy Shilts “Conduct Unbecoming,” page 95. “As Donn Teal later noted, gay libbers joined their leftists comrades cutting Cuban sugar in Venceremos Brigade, despite the fact that Fidel Castro himself locked up Cuban gays in concentration camps. Gay lib leaders solemnly quoted Chairman Mao’s widsom from their own little red books, though Mao’s Red Guards were known to castrate “sexual degenerates” publicly. GLFers handed out FREE BOBBY SEALE posters alongside Black Panthers, even though black liberation guru Malcom X had commented, “All white men are blond, blue-eyed f-gg-ts.” Gays who had once been Uncle Toms to the Establishment were now Uncle Toms to the New Left.”
Right now gays are being Uncle Toms to the Muslims. Remember the quote from Stalin, “When we hang the capitalists they will sell us the rope we use.” If leftwing gays keep promoting Islam, they will soon find themselves persecuted, perhaps killed.
In countries like Lebanon you can get arrested just for trying to hook up with a man on a dating website. So forget about gay pride parades, in the arab world, even one on one dating is dangerous! In Egypt sometimes government agents pose as gay dates to entrap men.
But the Queers for Palestine don’t care about any of that and neither does Jimmy. Why be politically incorrect and complain about billions of homophobic arabs when you can target the only gay-friendly country in the middle east?
By the way, Palestinians not only hate gays, they hate greenhouses.
“American Jewish donors had bought more than 3,000 greenhouses from Israeli settlers in Gaza for $14 million last month and transferred them to the Palestinian Authority. Former World Bank President James Wolfensohn, who brokered the deal, put up $500,000 of his own cash.
Palestinian police stood by helplessly Tuesday as looters carted off materials from greenhouses in several settlements, and commanders complained they did not have enough manpower to protect the prized assets. In some instances, there was no security and in others, police even joined the looters, witnesses said. ”
http://www.haaretz.com/news/palestinian-militants-ransack-former-gush-katif-greenhouses-1.179788
Maybe we need a Queers for Greenhouses org to fight against these green murderers.
posted by Jimmy on
The 2nd Intifada, and everything that has come after, can be placed in the lap of the dead Ariel Sharon and the very alive, right-wing Likud party, which desperately needs the current situation to escalate, which is horrible to consider, in order to remain politically viable
I have no dog in this fight as I am as dispassionate about Arab Muslims as I am about Hebrew Jews (both of which are classified as Semitic). I owe nothing to either, so I can calls it like I seez it.
posted by Bobby on
“I have no dog in this fight as I am as dispassionate about Arab Muslims as I am about Hebrew Jews (both of which are classified as Semitic). I owe nothing to either, so I can calls it like I seez it.”
—Even though one group kills gays and the other group doesn’t? Even though one group lets gays serve in the army while another group uses the army to kill gays? You’re right, you don’t owe any group anything, but if I have to choose between the two of them, I choose the Israelis. It’s the same reason I would never donate a dime to Uganda when there are plenty of countries in Africa where they don’t hate gays nor do they want to kill them for being gay.
posted by Debrah on
Jimmy–
You probably didn’t even take the time to watch the Tel Aviv/Jerusalem video that I linked above, DID YOU?
If you had, you’d see that in a video touting the Israeli cities, there were gay couples prominently featured during the nightlife segment.
In many Arab countries and in Iran (Persia), you might, instead, see a gay couple beheaded in the public square.
A few days ago there was a news story about a woman in some Middle Eastern country (?)…I can’t remember which one……who is waiting to be stoned to death for adultery.
It’s impossible to believe that this kind of thing still exists anywhere on the globe.
But it does.
posted by Jimmy on
Debrah-
Do you think it’s news to anyone that gays face death in some Islamic countries? It’s not. That is not the point.
Imperial powers created this mess and it remains a mess today. The basis for the creation of the Israeli state is based on what? Religion? That God intended for the Jews to be returned to the “Holy Land”? Ha! Churchill was pretty awesome, but I doubt he had a direct line to the Almighty. Then, what is the basis? If it has something to do with heritage, then I expect my people, the Cherokee, to be returned to their rightful homeland post haste.
posted by Bobby on
“Then, what is the basis? If it has something to do with heritage, then I expect my people, the Cherokee, to be returned to their rightful homeland post haste.”
—Your people have Indian Reservations where they can sell cigarettes without paying taxes and have casinos without facing competition, so what are your complaining about? I
Israel has had a Jewish presence since the 11th century BEFORE Christ. By the way, the Tomb of Abraham is not in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, or Poland. You don’t have to believe in the bible, the archeological evidence is there to know why Israel is a Jewish state and why it must remain that way.
posted by Jimmy on
“Israel has had a Jewish presence since the 11th century BEFORE Christ. By the way, the Tomb of Abraham is not in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, or Poland.”
So? What does that have to do with anything, particularly Eastern European Ashkenazi? Seems to me the point is relevant to Hebrews, but of course, that’s not the point you’re making, Bobby.
“Your people have Indian Reservations where they can sell cigarettes without paying taxes and have casinos without facing competition…”
So?
posted by John on
Jimmy I could care less about arguments today concerning the founding of the State of Israel or a rehash of talking points from either side concerning the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict. What matters to me is this: as a non-Muslim gay man, Israel would treat me far better than any of the predominantly Muslim countries would. As an American I consider Israel, for all of its many faults, to be a far more reliable friend to my country than any of the predominantly Muslim countries. Add to this that in a contest between Israel and Hamas the latter loses completely in appeals to my support and the matter is closed as far as I’m concerned. Spain was wrong and I condemn their stupidity.
posted by Jimmy on
“Jimmy I could care less about arguments today concerning the founding of the State of Israel or a rehash of talking points from either side concerning the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict.”
So you do care, John? Be careful, observing that Israel has faults is not popular on this rightist forum. You may get called inaccurate, and essentially meaningless names.
posted by Bobby on
So? What does that have to do with anything, particularly Eastern European Ashkenazi? Seems to me the point is relevant to Hebrews, but of course, that’s not the point you’re making, Bobby.
—Duh, Judaism is not a race, it’s a religion. Whether a Jew is white, black, asian, hispanic, it doesn’t matter, they all have the right to return to Israel if they so choose to.
By the way, there is no such a thing as a Palestinean:
“Contrary to a well-orchestrated myth propagated by the Arab world as well as by western opinion-makers, the self-styled “Palestinians” do not comprise a people. There is no such thing as a Palestinian language or a Palestinian culture. Professor Efraim Karsh quotes the eminent Arab-American historian Philip Hitti, who in 1946 described the common Arab view: “There is no such thing as Palestine in history, absolutely not.”
Read the rest of the article here:
http://www.newswithviews.com/Eidelberg/paul117.htm
posted by Throbert McGee on
For someone who has no dog in the fight, Jimmy speaks anti-Israel with remarkable fluency…
posted by Jorge on
I have no dog in this fight as I am as dispassionate about Arab Muslims as I am about Hebrew Jews (both of which are classified as Semitic). I owe nothing to either, so I can calls it like I seez it.
Well, I must admit, I predicted you’d decline to defend your position as it was torn to shreds, but I wasn’t expecting such an entertaining excuse.
Oh, and there is nothing wrong with saying Israel has faults. We’re the Christian nation, after all. How could they compare? By the way, Jimmy, I got a brige in Brooklyn I’d like to sell you. It’s been blessed by my hand.
This is a hopeless exercise. I’d like to know what can be done to bring some sanity back to the corridors of power that are being misappropriated here. Otherwise I’m looking ten years ahead and seeing myself in a grisly uncle sam hat going you betcha, tea partiers.
posted by Jimmy on
“For someone who has no dog in the fight, Jimmy speaks anti-Israel with remarkable fluency…”
I’m bored with this. When the world is on fire, as the Baptists I know like to say, it will no longer matter. But, to speak the truth is not anti anything, other than anti-fantasy.
posted by John on
So you do care, John? Be careful, observing that Israel has faults is not popular on this rightist forum. You may get called inaccurate, and essentially meaningless names.
Jimmy there isn’t a person or nation in the world that exists now, has existed in the past, exists now or ever will exist (save for Jesus if you believe such as a Christian). So what? There’s a difference between acknowledging that everyone has faults, even disagreeing what they might consitute, and making such an issue of this that you willfully blind yourself to reality and become a “useful idiot”.
posted by Bobby on
Does Israel have faults? Sure, every country has faults. But comparing Israel to Palestine is like comparing a country that screws up once in a while versus a country that screws up all the time. The fact that Hamas still refuses to recognize the right of Israel to exist says a lot.
posted by Jorge on
But, to speak the truth is not anti anything, other than anti-fantasy.
Whenever I speak the truth, people accuse me of being anti-gay, anti-intellectual, and pro-inquisition.