Pamela Geller Wrong About “Sexual Jihad” Fatwa

by Sheila Musaji



Pamela Geller has published Islamic ruling encouraging “Sexual Jihad”: Prostitution for the holiest in which she introduces an article from Al Monitor Tunisians Raise Alarm on Possible Fatwa Encouraging ‘Sexual Jihad’



Of course, Geller opens with her her own comments (as did her partner in the hate group AFDI), Robert Spencer): “That’s one wild and crazy religion you got there. Islamic religious authority has sanctioned prostitution for terrorists as “sexual jihad.” Who said there is no feminism in Islam? Daniel Greenfield quips that jihadists have found a way to legalize prostitution by calling it “Sexual Jihad,” giving Muslim women three life paths. 1. Staying indoors 2. Killing themselves 3. Becoming Islamic prostitutes.”



Key points from the Al Monitor article on which she bases her faulty observations:

- it is a possible fatwa (i.e. may not even exist) and was circulated anonymously on the internet

- when Tunisian people heard about it they were upset

- the Tunisian Minister of Religious Affairs Noureddine al-Khadimi rejected any such “sexual jihad” fatwas, saying that the Tunisian people and state institutions are not obligated to adhere to them.

- the reports that such a fatwa even existed came from the internet, primarily Syrian regime websites, the goal of which may be to tarnish the image of the Islamic fighters.

- this fatwa was not issued by a Tunisian cleric or a religious institution — whether official or civil

- News websites and social networks in Tunisia circulated a fatwa attributed to Sheikh M. A., in which he calls upon “Muslim women” to perform jihad through sex. However, sources close to the sheikh denied that he had issued the fatwa, stressing that anyone who circulates or believes it is insane.



So, a simple reading of the article would tell anyone with basic reading skills that no “religious authority” had issued this fatwa, actual religious authorities condemned any such fatwa, there may not even have been a fatwa issued by anyone, there is no “Islamic ruling encouraging sexual jihad”. None of this reflects on Islam as a “wild and crazy religion”.



All of this sounds remarkably like a series of recent “fatwa alarms” spread by these same Islamophobes as if they represent mainstream Islam and Muslims. Here articles responding to these claims:

About that Supposed Egyptian Necrophilia Law & fatwa, Sheila Musaji http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/about-that-egyptian-necrophilia-law

Crucifixions in Egypt & Al Azhar Fatwas Encouraging Violence?: More Islamophobic Nonsense, Sheila Musaji http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/crucifixion-story

Cucumber “fatwa” seems to be only shoddy reporting, Sheila Musaji http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/cucumber-fatwa

Exhibit A in How an Islamophobic Meme Can Spread Like Wildfire Across the Internet, (fabricated story of a Saudi cleric issuing a fatwa condoning gang rapes in Syria) Sanam Naraghi Anderlini http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/exhibit-a-in-how-an-islamophobic-meme-can-spread-like-wildfire-across-the-i

Holier than thou: extremism against Islam, Sheikh Musa Furber http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/holier-than-thou-extremism-against-islam

How AlterNet and Salon fell for Saudi “gang rape” fatwa peddled by Islamophobes, Ali Abunimah http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/how-alternet-and-salon-fell-for-gang-rape-fatwa-peddled-by-islamophobes

Islamophobes See “Jihad” Everywhere, Sheila Musaji http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/jihad-everywhere

Resources for dealing with Islamophobes, Sheila Musaji http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/there-is-a-reason/0019403

What everyone “knows” about Islam and Muslims, Sheila Musaji http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/what_everyone_knows

Yes, MEMRI, there is a Fatwa from Khamenei forbidding Nukes, Juan Cole http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/yes-memri-there-is-a-fatwa-from-khamenei-forbidding-nukes

What is a fatwa? Who can give one? (supposed Al Azhar fatwa authorizing violence against protestors), Sheikh Musa Furber http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/what-is-a-fatwa-who-can-give-one

What sort of human being spends their life looking for anything that can even remotely be used to defame an entire religion, and spreading those stories without any fact-checking? And, when even their creative minds can’t find something to distort, simply make up lies. This behavior is an example of pure Islamophobia.

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RESOURCES FOR DEALING WITH ISLAMOPHOBIA SUMMARY

The Islamophobia Industry exists and is engaged in an anti-Muslim Crusade. They have a manifesto for spreading their propaganda, and which states their goal of “destroying Islam — as a culture, a political ideology, and a religion.” They produce anti-Muslim films. They are forming new organizations and coalitions of organizations at a dizzying speed, not only nationally, but also internationally. They have formed an International Leadership Team “which will function as a mobile, proactive, reactive on-the-ground team developing and executing confidential action plans that strike at the heart of the global anti-freedom agenda.”

The Islamophobia of these folks is very real, it is also strikingly similar to a previous generations’ anti-Semitism, and it has predictable consequences. The reason that this is so obvious to so many is that rational people can tell the difference between legitimate concerns and bigoted stereotypes.

Sadly, the Islamophobic echo chamber has been aided by some in the Jewish and Christian clergy, and even by some of our elected representatives, particularly in the GOP.

The claim that the Islamophobes are “truth-tellers” and “defenders of freedom” who actually “love Muslims” and have never engaged in “broadbrush demonization” or “advocated violence”, or that nothing that they say could have had anything to do with any act of violence, are nonsense. The claim that they are falsely being accused of Islamophobia for no reason other than their legitimate concerns about real issues and that in fact there is not even such a thing as Islamophobia, or their claim that the fact that there are fewer hate crimes against Muslims than against Jews or that some Muslims have fabricated such crimes “proves” that Islamophobia doesn’t exist, or that the term Islamophobia was made up by Muslims in order to stifle their freedom of speech, or that anti-Muslim bigotry is “not Islamophobia but Islamorealism” are all nonsense.

These individuals and organizations consistently promote the false what everyone “knows” lies about Islam and Muslims (including distorting the meaning of Qur’anic verses, and distorting the meaning of Islamic terms such as taqiyya, jihad, sharia, etc.).

The most commonly repeated false claims about Muslims and Islam are that:

Islamophobes falsely claim to see “JIHAD” PLOTS everywhere, particularly where they don’t exist. They, like Muslim extremists, don’t understand the true meaning of the term jihad. The Islamophobes have uncovered countless examples of “shocking”, non-existent Muslim jihad plots.

Islamophobes generalize specific incidents to reflect on all Muslims or all of Islam. Islamophobes consistently push demonstrably false memes such as: - we are in danger from creeping Sharia, - the Muslim population is increasing at an alarming rate, - 80% of American Mosques are radicalized, - There have been 270 million victims of “jihad” - There have been 17,000+ “Islamic terrorist” attacks since 9/11 - Muslims in government are accused of being Muslim Brotherhood plants, stealth jihadists, and creeping Sharia proponents and should be MARGINALIZED or excluded. Muslim and Arab organizations and individuals are connected to the infamous Muslim Brotherhood document or the unindicted co-conspirator label, or accused of not condemning Hamas, telling American Muslims not to talk to the FBI, of being “Jew haters”, etc.

When Islamophobes are caught in the act of making up or distorting claims they engage in devious methods to attempt to conceal the evidence.

When Islamophobes are caught in the act of making up or distorting claims they engage in devious methods to attempt to conceal the evidence.

There is a reason that many, even outside of the Muslim community see such demonization of Muslims as Islamophobic. There is a reason that the ADL has stated that Brigitte Gabriel’s Act for America, Pamela Geller & Robert Spencer’s Stop the Islamization of America (SIOA), David Yerushalmi’s Society of Americans for National Existence (SANE) are “groups that promote an extreme anti-Muslim agenda”. There is a reason that The Southern Poverty Law Center has designated SIOA as a hate group, and that these individuals are featured in the SPLC reports Jihad Against Islam and The Anti-Muslim Inner Circle. There is a reason that these individuals and organizations are featured prominently in: — the Center for American Progress reports “Fear Inc.” on the Islamophobia network in America and Understanding Sharia Law: Conservatives skewed interpretation needs debunking. — the People for the American Way Right Wing Playbook on Anti-Muslim Extremism. — the NYCLU report Religious Freedom Under Attack: The Rise of Anti-Mosque Activities in New York State. — the Political Research Associates report Manufacturing the Muslim menace: Private firms, public servants, and the threat to rights and security. — The ACLU report Nothing to Fear: Debunking the Mythical “Sharia Threat” to Our Judicial System — in The American Muslim TAM Who’s Who of the Anti-Muslim/Anti-Arab/Islamophobia Industry. There is a reason that the SIOA’s trademark patent was denied by the U.S. government due to its anti-Muslim nature. There is a reason that these individuals and organizations are featured in just about every legitimate report on Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred.

See Resources for dealing with Islamophobes for many more reasons that these people cannot be trusted.







Sheila Musaji is the founding editor of The American Muslim (TAM), published since 1989. Sheila received the Council on American-Islamic Relations 2007 Islamic Community Service Award for Journalism, and the Loonwatch Anti-Loons of 2011: Profiles in Courage Award for her work in fighting Islamophobia. Sheila was selected for inclusion in the 2012 edition of The Muslim 500: The World’s 500 Most Influential Muslims published since 2009 by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre in Amman, Jordan. Biography You can follow her on twitter @sheilamusaji ( https://twitter.com/SheilaMusaji )