Scott Horton Interviews Eli Clifton
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Eli Clifton, National Security Reporter for ThinkProgress.org, discusses his co-authored report “Fear, Inc.: The Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America;” naming the names of the organizations, bankrollers and bloggers that drive the fear and loathing of Muslims; why frenzies of bigotry and intolerance tend to disappear almost overnight, once the spell wears off; and a few positive signs, like Herman Cain and Rick Perry eschewing anti-Islamic rhetoric in their presidential primary campaigns.
MP3 here. (32:06)
Eli Clifton is a National Security Reporter for ThinkProgress.org. Eli holds a bachelor’s degree from Bates College and a master’s degree in international political economy from the London School of Economics. He previously reported on U.S. foreign policy for Inter Press Service, where he served as deputy Washington bureau chief. His work has appeared on PBS/Frontline’s Tehran bureau, The South China Morning Post, Right Web, Asia Times, LobeLog.com, and ForeignPolicy.com.
eCAHNomics
August 31st, 2011 at 11:25 am
Oh grow up Mr. Clifton. Do you think the mafia of Islamaphobia gives a ff how they appear in history books? Their agenda is to take over ME oil NOW. Anything & everything they can do to advance that is fair. After all, McCarthyism went a long way in bolstering MIC. Mission accomplished. And I wonder if the subject is even mentioned in textbooks.
eCAHNomics
August 31st, 2011 at 11:28 am
BTW, great pic of Scaife on thinkprogress. Straight out of central casting for alcoholics.
eCAHNomics
August 31st, 2011 at 11:45 am
This might be a good place to remind that the Xtians LOST the crusades.
Mark Erickson
September 1st, 2011 at 6:42 am
Love love love the show Scott. Made you a hero on my blog linked above. But. The recording level of the guests has to come down. Or your level come up. I’m getting tired of flicking the volume back and forth all interview. If you can fix it, I’ll contribute. That’s all the criticism I have. The rest is amazing.
On think progress, what are the topics that drive you crazy?
maxi
September 1st, 2011 at 8:14 am
Eli Clifton has a very benign view on Islam.
Islam is the only monotheistic religion in which the theme of "jihad" – i.e. religious war, is a central theme in the Koran.
It also makes various other recommendations on civil law such as the rights of women, divorce known as "Sharia" therefore it is more like a sect than a religion.
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September 1st, 2011 at 10:05 am
[...] Rozhovor s Eli Cliftonem o článku Fear, Inc.: Kořeny islamofobní sítě v Americe na Antiwar Rad… 0.000000 0.000000 Rate this: Share this:ShareFacebookDiggPrintEmailLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. from → média, zábavní průmysl, VIDEO ← Rasistické vraždění libyjských rebelů No comments yet [...]
Ian
September 1st, 2011 at 11:59 am
You have no idea of the meaning of "jihad", please refrain from making such statements and in the process, exposing yourself as clueless.
mike
September 1st, 2011 at 1:03 pm
What is the meaning of jihad?
asem tohamy
September 1st, 2011 at 1:38 pm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jihad
asem tohamy
September 1st, 2011 at 1:39 pm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jihad
asem tohamy
September 1st, 2011 at 1:42 pm
The term 'jihad' has accrued both violent and non-violent meanings. It can simply mean striving to live a moral and virtuous life, spreading and defending Islam as well as fighting injustice and oppression, among other things.[14] The relative importance of these two forms of jihad is a matter of controversy. A poll by Gallup showed that a "significant majority" of Muslim Indonesians define the term to mean "sacrificing one's life for the sake of Islam/God/a just cause" or "fighting against the opponents of Islam". In Lebanon, Kuwait, Jordan, and Morocco, the majority used the term to mean "duty toward God", a "divine duty", or a "worship of God", with no militaristic connotations. Other responses referenced, in descending order of prevalence:
Wiley
September 1st, 2011 at 9:28 pm
The silliness of this interview is that neither Clifton nor Scott can say any informative and scholarly and experiential about Islam. Hence, they've allowed the neocons to define not only the debate but the narrative. So what we get is: neocons are evil, therefore anything they say about Islam is de facto wrong.
Wiley
September 1st, 2011 at 9:43 pm
Someone with a radio show needs to have both of these dudes on to discuss just what they know about Islam – it's doctrine, history, various interpretations, etc. We'd discover that they know very little. This isn't to justify the neocons. Though it does confirm Ortega: the mass has entered realms wherein they haven't got the first clue about what's going on.
I know I'm being rude. I think Scott's show is the best interview show available. That said, sometimes he's just in over his head and a bit too gullible. And the left always loves a sucker.
maxi
September 1st, 2011 at 11:52 pm
I'm not saying discriminate against muslims. I'm just saying understand what their religion is.
I am personally against "Islamophobia" – a government-created paranoia that is used to justify endless interventions and fascist/racist policies at home.
US foreign policy is actually allied with radical muslim elements in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, and Libya. …This is why it is so important to dismantle this military apparatus, which supports the most radical elements abroad.
Mark Erickson
September 2nd, 2011 at 6:09 am
Wiley. Why don’t you pick out the things in this interview that are wrong and rebut them?
Wiley
September 2nd, 2011 at 6:52 am
Agreed. But I'm personally against words like "Islamophobia." I mean, the beginning of this interview was a joke. "The Islamophobia projects." It's a wonder the guy didn't immediately slip into accusations of "hate crimes." Leftist pricks like this are the very ones who would have the editorial staff of Antiwar.com lined up and shot for "hate crimes" were they ever to take firm hold of the state.
bader khamdam
September 2nd, 2011 at 8:13 am
Good old taqqiya! tohamy. http://wikiislam.net/wiki/Jihad_%28Primary_Source…
Antiwar.com’s Week in Review | September 2, 2011 « Antiwar.com Blog
September 2nd, 2011 at 8:27 pm
[...] Horton spoke with Eli Clifton about the coordinated effort to foment Islamophobia in America. John Glaser was on the show to talk [...]
El Tonno
September 3rd, 2011 at 4:17 am
Crusade care-o-meter at 0%!
Also: This might be a good place to remind people that the mercantile Venetians instrumented the Crusaders to attack their commercial enemy: Constantinople!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Crusade#Sack_…
End of Roman Empire sealed.
Lulz were had.
El Tonno
September 3rd, 2011 at 4:22 am
My ex-left heart agrees with the sentiment.
Robert
September 3rd, 2011 at 8:50 am
Ask the Palestinians about the beneficence of Zionism, whether Jewish or Christian-oh, don't bother the MSM never reports what they have to say anyway.
george been
September 4th, 2011 at 5:16 am
Scott, the fact of the matter is that if you take the memes and indicting allegation of culture and attitude you mentioned which supposedly justify Islamophobia, and apply them instead to Joos, then those statements would indeed be very close to the truth of what is going on.
Loqman Gibran
September 4th, 2011 at 5:32 am
Being a born Muslim, raised in Pakistan, I look at these west-toxicated liberals who has no clue what Islam is like. They are suffering from the syndrome: grass is greener on the other side. I would like to invite them to a Muslim country such as Pakistan or Iran or Saudi Arabia or Yemen or Morocco or Indonesia and say something critical of Islam or Muhammad, and I want to see how they will be the first ones to dash for an escape out of the country. The liberal’s ignorance about Islam is almost pathologic
Guest
September 5th, 2011 at 8:52 am
Thank you, I couldn't have stated it better. Indeed it is the Muslims who suffer the most under Islam.
Guest
September 5th, 2011 at 8:58 am
Thank you bader for that very informative source. More people need to inform themselves of the facts regarding Islam and not get their facts from these phony intellectuals who have no contact with reality.
Guest
September 5th, 2011 at 9:15 am
Oh! the irony! It is you who is clueless. Stop embarrassing yourself and inform yourself about Islam. Islam was peaceful in the very beginning but as Mohd. gained strength, the tune changed. Search the Koran for 'love' and 'kill'. Kill is mentioned 133 times in 100 verses and love is mentioned 64 times in 55 verses.Please do note that "love" of the Koran talks only about love of Allah to Mohammad or about muslims loving their prophet, not one time about loving each other, nevermind loving thy enemy.
Islam preaches that women are deficient in intelligence, do you agree with that?
Maidhc Ó Cathail
September 5th, 2011 at 9:18 am
Does Mr. Clifton have any thoughts on why George Soros might have funded this report? Or on why the report tends to obscure the obvious Israeli source of the Islamophobia network? Or on why it favourably cites the ADL’s criticism of Islamophobic provocateurs like Geller and Spencer, without wondering why one de facto Israeli agent (the ADL) is drawing attention to the provocations of other de facto Israeli agents (Geller, Spencer et al.)?
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September 5th, 2011 at 12:58 pm
[...] response to an Antiwar Radio interview with Eli Clifton, co-author of recent Open Society-funded report “Fear, Inc.: The Roots of the [...]
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September 8th, 2011 at 10:23 pm
[...] Islamophobia is a disturbing sentiment that has intensified in the West over the past ten years, and recently the Centre for American Progress released a report titled ‘Fear, Inc.: The Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America’, which chronicles how a small group of anti-Muslim organisations, think tanks, financiers, politicians and media commentators are able to proliferate the fear and hatred of Muslims in America. Antiwar radio conducted a great interview with co-author of the report Eli Clifton. [...]
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September 12th, 2011 at 1:58 pm
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