Muslims sue Facebook for allowing sites exposing jihad violence

 

Robert Spencer, whose Jihad Watch website documents the violence inflicted by Muslim extremists, is warning that such information may be cleansed from the internet.

He explains it’s because of a new lawsuit against Facebook complaining of “anti-Muslim hate groups.”

And the problem, writes Spencer, is that an Islamic activist group with influence on Capitol Hill is describing as “hate” groups legitimate organizations such as Jihad Watch, the David Horowitz Freedom Center and the Center for Security Policy.

“Anyone who has been paying attention can see what is coming. This site and the others targeted will disappear from Facebook and ultimately from the Internet altogether, whether as a result of this suit or some other. This suit itself has a very good chance of succeeding, as Muslim Advocates is extremely powerful and influential,” Spencer wrote.

He cited a report from tech news site Engadget of a “consumer protection lawsuit” accusing Facebook executives Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg of misleading Congress and falsely stating the company “removes content that violates its policies.’

It is an organization called Muslim Advocates that alleges “anti-Muslim hate” is all Facebook, causing “real-world harm.”

Spencer wrote: “As one example of Facebook’s failures on the matter, the organization points to a list of 26 anti-Muslim hate groups it shared with the company. Of those, 19 still have a presence on the network, and many have names with obvious anti-Muslim connotations, such as ‘Jihad Watch’ and ‘Understanding the Threat.'”

Mary Bauer, a lawyer for Muslim Advocates, charged Facebook allows “pervasive content that persists despite academics pointing it out.

“Facebook has made a decision to not take this material down,” he said.

Facebook’s policy states: “We do not allow hate speech on Facebook and regularly work with experts, nonprofits, and stakeholders to help make sure Facebook is a safe place for everyone, recognizing anti-Muslim rhetoric can take different forms.”

Spencer noted Engadget “never even for a moment considers the possibility that some or all of these groups have been unfairly characterized, and neither does any other media story I have seen on this suit.”

“Neither Engadget nor any other ‘news site’ reached out to me for comment, or, apparently, to anyone else involved with the targeted groups, as none of the stories about this suit contain a single quote from anyone except Muslim Advocates and Facebook.”

Spencer said the point is whether his work, and the work of others, will be banned without “any opportunity for discussion, explanation, or appeal.”

“The answer to that question appears to be yes. Is the American court system going to take for granted and validate with legal precedent the claim that opposing jihad violence and Shariah oppression of women, gays and others constitutes ‘anti-Muslim hate’? The answer to that question appears to be yes as well,” he said.

“So any day now could be the last day for Jihad Watch and other sites that oppose jihad terror. The U.S. will, probably before the end of this year, enter a marvelous new world free of ‘anti-Muslim hate,’ that is, free of any criticism of Islam, jihad, or Shariah.”

He noted that Muslim Advocates is a powerful organization, having influenced the U.S. government to ban training material that is “offensive” to Muslims.

Documents in the case identify the so-called “anti-Muslim” groups as ACT for America, American Freedom Alliance, American Freedom Defense Initiative, American Security Rally of Montana, Bosch Fawstin, Center for Security Policy, Christian Action Network, Citizens for National Security, Citizen Warrior, Clarion Project, Committee to End the CSI Refugee Center. David Horowitz Freedom Center, Family Security Matters, Jihad Watch, Pig Blood Bullets, Political Islam, Radio Jihad, Refugee Resettlement Watch, Secure Michigan, Soldiers of Odin, Stop the Islamization of the World, Sultan Knish a blog by Daniel Greenfield, Treasure Valley Refugee Watch, Understanding the Threat, The United West and Virginia Christian Alliance.

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