Resources for Responding to Obsession DVD Mass Distribution

by Sheila Musaji

The Background:

This week, 28 million copies of a DVD of the film “Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West” will be distributed free of cost in newspapers across the country.  The following is what I have been able to discover in the media about this propoganda campaign.  The film was first released a few years ago and has been shown around the country.  I wrote about my impressions and concerns when I viewed the film in 2007 and again in early 2008 when “Fitna” another such film was released.  Except for David Horowitz’ use of the film as the centerpiece of his Islamo Fascism Awareness weeks for the last couple of years it has mostly been shown by local community venues and on campuses and sponsored primarily by Republican and Jewish groups.  It is also sold on the internet.

Now, a DVD of this film has been bundled inside more than 70 newspapers and magazines and delivered nationwide to subscribers.  “There is no greater threat than radical Islam,” said Gregory Ross, spokesman for the Clarion Fund, a New-York based nonprofit organization that is paying newspapers to distribute the DVD. “It needs to be pushed to the forefront of the political discussion.” (Controversial film on Islam delivered nationwide, Yonat Shimron)

Copies of the DVD were distributed free at the DNC, and at the RNC by the recently formed group watch obsession.org headed by Tom Trento.  Earlier this year, the Florida Attorney General required employees to watch this video.  The Republican Jewish Coalition has also distributed free copies of the film in promotional mailings to U.S. rabbis and other Jewish mailing lists.

The DVD seems to only be distributed in swing election states.  (‘Terror’ DVD Getting Delivered to Millions This Weekend—via Newspapers, Gregg Mitchell)

“Aimed at voters in the battleground states the week of September 11, the film is more than a scare tactic or a campaign ploy. It smacks of classic propaganda, boosted through this clever marketing deal by association with the authority of the New York Times brand. The point is to frighten viewers and, it seems clear, to frighten American voters across the country in order to raise security concerns ahead of all other issues in the election.” (Right-Wing Terror Film Delivered To Swing-State NY Times Readers, Denise Dennis)

The DVD is being distributed as paid advertizing:  “According to reports in the Huffington Post, 28 million copies of the film are being delivered this week. The DVD has already been inserted into copies of The New York Times distributed in Midwestern states. This weekend and next, it is slated to be distributed in many newspapers in the electoral battleground states of Ohio, Michigan, Florida, Pennsylvania and Colorado, in addition to North Carolina.” (Muslims Rap DVD in Advertiser, Tim Funk)

“Funding is coming from a New York-based group called the Clarion Fund, a shadowy outfit whose financial backers are unclear. … Although supposedly a 501 c(3) non-profit, this week the Clarion Fund’s website featured an article supporting John McCain.” (Pro-McCain Group Dumping 28 Million Terror Scare DVDs in Swing States, Erik Ose) This article also includes a state-by-state list of most of the 70 newspapers in swing states that have agreed to deliver this garbage to their subscribers and is being regularly updated with new information.

‘’The threat of Radical Islam is the most important issue facing us today,’’ reads a paragraph on the sleeve of the DVD. ‘’But it’s a topic that neither the presidential candidates nor the media are discussing openly. It’s our responsibility to ensure we can all make an informed vote in November.’’ (Is DVD a wake-up call or propaganda?, Josh Drobnykj)

“Anyone can see an electoral vote pattern to the targeted areas, with almost all of the battleground or “swing” states represented. (The daily newspapers in only one such state appear to have refused the ad, Minnesota.) These papers have allowed themselves to be caught up in a “neo-con” propaganda scam in the context of the presidential campaign, and during 9/11 week.  As of Saturday, September 13, the rationalizations of the publishers and ad personnel at the two N.C. newspapers were either beggarly excuses for new sources of revenue, or politically naïve in the extreme. (Delivering Propaganda, As If It is Toothpaste, William E. Jackson, Jr.)

And, even fringe groups like the United American Committee are getting in on the distribution and advertising of this DVD and sent out an email saying:  “We are assisting in the distribution of MILLIONS of copies of the film ‘Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West’ launched by the Watch Obsession Committee. THIS SATURDAY an airplane hauling a banner with a menacing photo of bin-Laden will be flying over Los Angeles promoting the film, and at the same time a truck with the same message will be circling the streets of L.A., everyone in America must see this film and wake up to the threat posed to our way of life by Islamic aggression.”

Representatives from both presidential campaigns said they were not aware of the DVD mailing.  (DVD on radical Islam offends Lemoyne recipient. Carrie Cassidy)

In 2006 a Washington Post poll found that 58% of Americans say there are more violent extremists within Islam than in other religions and 46% have a negative view of Islam.  In 2007, a CNN poll found that 53 percent of Americans believe conflict between Islam and Christianity is “inevitable,” up from 45 percent in 2003.

You can bet that this campaign will negatively influence the attitudes of Americans towards Islam and Muslims and that a poll done anytime in the next few months will show that percentage to have risen again, dramatically.  You can also bet that lots of ordinary Muslims will have to answer questions from their co-workers, school-mates and neighbors in the coming weeks.

9/18/08 It seems that this campaign has now begun a massive mailing in addition to the newspaper distribution, directly to homes across America.  “At least part of the mailing was sent under the postal permit of Christians United for Israel, a leading Christian Zionist organization. Which also seems to have promoted the DVD on This book by David Brog, interesting enough the forwword is by John Hagee, a BIG time supporter of Israel” according to the We the People site.

And, in a related demonization effort pointed out by Jeff Siddiqui in the article “Obsession:  Deja Vu! Never Again?” Islamic Financing is now under attack.

This following information is an effort to provide some resources for dealing with questions about this film.  We will update as we get more information, and ask that you contact us with any additional resources.

What can you do?

If you received one of these DVD’s with your newspaper CAIR is asking that you write to the paper asking them not to promote anti-Muslim hate.

Familiarize yourself with the issue, read MPAC’s analysis – Responding to Obsession – Truth Over Fear, MPAC http://www.mpac.org/truthoverfear/case-studies/index.php or 9/18 updated and expanded version at http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/expoing_obsession_truth_over_fear/0016721

The American Muslim has three resources available online:  Resources for Responding to “Obsession: Radical Islam’s War With the West” DVD Mass Distribution to 28 million Americans.  Who is behind Relentless, Obsession and The Third Jihad? for a background on those responsible for the production, mass distribution, and promotion of the film.  In-Depth Summary & Analysis of “Obsession: Radical Islam’s War on the West” for a point by point discussion of the film. If you are able to help with research to expand and update these efforts please contact TAM.

Erik Ose of the Huffington Post has a complete list of the newspapers distributing this, if your paper is one of these, please contact them.

Imam Muhammad al-Darsani of the Islamic Center for Peace has established a website called “Obsession Watch” where he will attempt to provide information and updates as they develop.  He is also asking for help in this effort.

One brave newspaper the Greensboro News & Record in North Carolina has refused to carry this “advertizing”.  Contact them to thank them http://www.news-record.com/

A second newspaper, the Saint Louis Post Dispatch has refused to distribute these DVD’s.  (9/23/08) Please contact Jen Wood, the Post-Dispatch’s vice president of advertising to thank her at
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jwood@post-dispatch.com and the Editor at
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pdeditor@post-dispatch.com

The President of Interfaith Alliance National, Rev. Welton Gaddy has issued a statement on the distribution of this DVD. (9/23/08) You can thank him at
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info@interfaithalliance.org

The President of the Triangle Interfaith Alliance (Raleigh, NC) has issued a statement on the distribution of this DVD. (9/23/08) You can thank him at
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bingham@ncsu.edu

A new website has just been put online called Obsession With Hate.  It is an effort of the organization Hate Hurts America. (9/24/08)

The Detroit Free Press has also refused to distribute the DVD.  Please thank them by sending a letter to the editor Caesar Andrews
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candrews@freepress.com (9/24/08)

Check back with this resource as it is updated daily.  And, if you have any additional information or resources please email them to the TAM editor.

RESOURCES

American extremists use Islamic extremism to fuel anti-Muslim hate, Ray Hanania http://www.arabisto.com/p_blogEntry.cfm?blogEntryID=1242

American Muslims Must Accept That They Are Not Equivalent to Real Americans, Sheila Musaji http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/american_muslims_must_accept_that_they_are_not_equivalent_to_real_americans/

Anti-Muslim Film Produced by Pro-Israel Partisan Boosts McCain, Richard Silverstein http://www.israelenews.com/view.asp?ID=3104

Are Muslims “The Enemy Within?”, Sheila Musaji http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/are_muslims_the_enemy_within1/

The Battle of the Films – Obsession and Fitna Versus Schism, Sheila Musaji http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/obsession_fitna_and_schism/

The Big Lie About ‘Islamic Fascism’ , Eric S. Margolis http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/the_big_lie_about_islamic_fascism/

The Bridge with Islam, Rabbi Haim Ovadia http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/the_bridge_with_islam/

Can only Muslims be terrorists, Kamran Memon http://iviews.com/articles/Articles.asp?ref=IV0307-2020

Claim that all terrorists are Muslims ignores history, Sheila Musaji http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/claim_that_all_terrorists_are_muslims_ignores_history/0012587 (see also our article collections on: Christian extremism and terrorism http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/christian_extremism1/ and Jewish extremism and terrorism http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/jewish_extremism/ and religious extremism http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/religious_extremism_religious_right/ )

Clarion Fund puts lipstick on pig documentary http://popprog.blogspot.com/2008/09/clarion-fund-puts-lipstick-on-terrorism.html

Clarion plans a sequel to Obsession called “The Third Jihad” http://frontpagemag.com/Articles/Printable.aspx?GUID=3F1BB207-6426-4F2D-9382-3321B29E766F

Clarion Fund, distributor of DVD refuses to name sources (VIDEO) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1CS4wmhIbo

Coming Soon: More Fearmongering With Obsession Sequel, Nick Poatler http://www.huntingtonnews.net/columns/070320-patler-comment.html I can imagine that historians will one day look upon this period as a time when xenophobia swept through an America that refused to look itself in the eye. Documentaries like “Obsession” may even be shown in future classrooms as a tool for understanding the uses of sensational propaganda in history, right along side “The Birth of a Nation,” which terribly demeaned African Americans in the early twentieth century, and Nazi documentaries that dehumanized Jews as vermin. And hopefully they will say that in these times it was darkest before the dawn. 3/20/07

Debunked: Ten Conservative Myths About National Security, By Sara Robinson http://www.alternet.org/audits/98766/debunked:_ten_conservative_myths_about_national_security/

Did Sheldon Adelson Fund Anti-Obama Propaganda DVD Distribution?, http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/2008/09/14/did-sheldon-adelson-fund-anti-obama-propaganda-dvd/

Documentary Review: Uncovering the Obsessions of “Obsession”, David Shasha http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/documentary_review_uncovering_the_obsessions_of_obsession/

Documentary on Islam Considered Unfair http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007%5C02%5C27%5Cstory_27-2-2007_pg7_29 2/07

Domestic terrorism in the U.S. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_terrorism_in_the_United_States

“Fascist-Islamophobia”: A Case Study in Totalitarian Demonization – Five parts, Dr. Robert Dickson Crane http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/fascist_islamophobia_a_case_study_in_totalitarian_demonization/

Fighting Words: The Abuse of Islam in Political Rhetoric, L. Ali Khan http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/fighting_words_the_abuse_of_islam_in_political_rhetoric/

Film on “Radical Islam” Tied to Pro-Israel Groups, Khody Akhavi http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=37090 A controversial documentary on the threat of radical Islam, promoted by the two most-watched U.S. cable news networks, was marketed and supported in part by self-described “pro-Israel” groups, according to an IPS investigation. 3/26/07

Free Speech vs Intolerance http://media.www.dukechronicle.com/media/storage/paper884/news/2007/03/02/Editorial/Free-Speech.Versus.Intolerance-2754629.shtml 3/2/07

GOP should accept American Muslims, Nafees Syed http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/printedition/2008/09/14/syeded.html

Hate mail courtesy of your daily newspaper, Wayne Garcia http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/politicalwhore/2008/09/15/hate-mail-courtesy-of-your-daily-newspaper/

David Horowitz ‘Declares’ Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week for October 22-26, 2007 on college campuses across the U.S.  http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/islamo_fascism_awareness_week/

David Horowitz’ Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week, An Idea Whose Time Has Passed, Sheila Musaji http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/david_horowitz_islamo_fascism_awareness_week_an_idea_whose_time_has_passed/

Interfaith Dialogue a Moral Duty to Finding Common Ground, Louay Safi http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/interfaith_dialogue_a_moral_duty_to_finding_common_ground/0015710

Interfaith statement about Obsession (Florida interfaith leaders) http://obsession.swflnet.com/news_obs/stories/interfaith_leaders_release_statement.htm

Islamic Fascist terminology causing general racist reaction, Dave Johnson http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-johnson/terror-alerts-causing-gen_b_27630.html

Islamic Fascists?  Deceptive Labels & Propoganda are Counterproductive, Sheila Musaji http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/islamic_fascists1/

“Islamic terrorists”:  Who are they insulting?, Sheila Musaji http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/who_are_they_insulting/0016647

‘Islamo-fascism’ is an Oxymoron, Enver Masud http://www.twf.org/News/Y2005/1025-Oxymorons.html

The Islamo-Fascist Rationale for Abandoning Liberty, by Jacob G. Hornberger 3/16/07 http://www.fff.org/comment/com0703f.asp

ISLAMOPHOBIA: MEDIA, PROPOGANDA & PERCEPTION – article collection http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/media_radio_tv_film_print_free_speech/

Islamophobia and Arabophobia: Laying The Groundwork – Us vs. Them, Sheila Musaji http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/islamophobia_laying_the_groundwork_us_vs_them/0016128

Islamophobia Does Not Represent American Values, Sheila Musaji http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/islamophobia_does_not_represent_american_values/

Islamophobia worse in America now than after 9/11, survey finds, Analysts blame politicians and media coverage http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/mar/10/usa.religion

Israeli Zionists Attempt to Tilt US Elections With Mass Distribution of `Obsession`(discusses connections between Raphael Shore, Aish Ha Torah, Clarion Fund, Discovery Seminar, etc.) http://www.israelenews.com/view.asp?ID=3116

Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas reports that a showing of Obsession is being hosted on September 5 and 6th by DATA, Anti-Defamation League and B’nai B’rith International. http://www.jewishdallas.org/content_display.html?ArticleID=193658#2

Judeo-Christo-Fascism Awareness Week Comes to American Campuses!, Rabbi Arthur Waskow http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/judeo_christo_fascism_awareness_week_comes_to_american_campuses/

The Language of Islamophobia, Dr. Jeremy Henzell-Thomas http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/the_language_of_islamophobia/

Bernard Lewis speaks and Obsession film shows at same program at Hebrew University of Jerusalem http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2007/02/11/islamists%E2%80%99-historiography/ 2/07

The License to target Islam, by Ghassan Michel Rubeiz http://usa.mediamonitors.net/content/view/full/54747

Mission statement of Honest Reporting, producers of Obsession http://www.honestreporting.com/a/page.asp?page=4

Mistranslation in Obsession http://obsession.swflnet.com/obsession_lie.htm

Muslim Voices Against Terrorism and Extremism – article collections http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/muslim_voices_against_extremism_and_terrorism_2/

Muslims and people of conscience we have to fight against this “Obsession”, Robert Salaam http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/muslims_and_people_of_conscience_we_have_to_fight_against_this_obsession/0016738

Muslims rap DVD ad in the Observer http://www.charlotteobserver.com/100/story/190032.html

Muslims Who Fought Against the ‘Real’ Fascists, Sheila Musaji http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/muslims_who_fought_against_the_real_fascists/

Neo-Kharijite’s Not Islamic Fascists, Dr. Hesham A. Hassaballa http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/neo_kharijites_not_islamic_fascists/

Not all Muslims are terrorists, but …, Dr. Hesham Hassaballa http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/not_all_muslims_are_terrorists_but/

Not all terrorists are Muslims, M. Shahed Alam http://www.counterpunch.org/shahid10242006.html

`’NYT` Distributes Movie That`s Harsh on Islam, Paid for by Rightwing Fearmongers http://www.israelenews.com/view.asp?ID=3119

Obsession:  Deja Vu! Never Again?, by Jeff Siddiqui http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/obsession_deja_vu_never_again/0016723

Obsession, Fear and Loathing from Israel, John de Groot http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/pulp/2008/09/obsession_local_newsapers_dist.php

Obsession Generates Applause and Controversy http://www.stljewishlight.com/topstories/372310241815237.php

“Obsession” – Happy Ramadan:  “The Third Jihad” – Happy Eid, Sheila Musaji http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/the_third_jihad_happy_eid/0016730

Obsession:  The Merchants of Venom, By Dr. Aslam Abdullah http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/obsession_the_merchants_of_venom/0016735

Obsession Obsessed With Conflict Not Solutions, Aaron Greenblatt http://www.nyunews.com/opinion/1.638921 1/07

Obsession Over Obsession: the Power of Propoganda, Michael Garberich – In a film that so adamantly rails the influence of self-sequestered mass media, it ironically ignores the possibility of its own bias and its influence over a public possessing limited, mediated communication with a foreign culture. http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2006/09/08/68851

Obsession Promotes Intolerance of Islam http://media.www.mtsusidelines.com/media/storage/paper202/news/2007/03/19/Opinions/obsession.Promotes.Intolerance.Of.Islam-2779546.shtml 3/18/07

Obsession:  Radical Judaism’s War With Islam, Sheila Musaji http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/obsession_radical_judaisms_war_with_islam/

Obsession,’ the Radical Right’s War on Islam, By Ahmed Rehab http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/obsession_the_radical_rights_war_on_islam/0016739

Obsession Review: Obsession With Islam http://www.tabsir.net/?p=365

Obsession Review by Jared Cinman http://jarredcinman.wordpress.com/2006/10/01/movie-review-obsession-radical-islams-war-against-the-west/ This film makes one important point: there are extremists out there, and they are dangerous. Point taken. But surely we already knew that? There is nothing new in this documentary apart from the extreme tone with which it is composed. And by presenting such a de-contextualised and one-sided story, it becomes an example of the kind of propoganda it deplores. Far from offering new and shocking insight into radical Islam, it pours petrol onto the fire of the hatred growing on both sides of this religious, political and economic impasse.

Obsession Review http://www.honestreporting.com/obsession/

Obsession site’s timeline of Islamist linked terror, Sheila Musaji http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/through_the_looking_glass_muslim_timeline_for_world_rule/

Obsession Sparks college debates http://www.flathatnews.com/news/453/obsession-sparks-college-debates 3/2/07

‘Obsession’ stokes passions, fears and controversy, Dapha Berman http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/873843.html

`Obsession` Stars Have Lectured at U.S. Military Colleges; U.S. Navy Uses Film http://www.israelenews.com/view.asp?ID=3168

Obsession, War Against the Truth http://www.onmilwaukee.com/myOMC/blog/show/1982

The Paranoid and Abhorrent Obsession with Muslims in the Media, By Jeremy Henzell-Thomas http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/the_paranoid_and_abhorrent_obsession_with_muslims_in_the_media/

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Jewish Community to Show “Obsession” film and Host Dennis Prager http://www.jewishexponent.com/ViewArticle.asp?ArtID=2697

an article on Daniel Pipes site reports that Sharona Shapiro, the AJC’s Michigan Director noted in an article that “Finally, the antisemitic placards at the rally were a horrendous display of Israel as Nazi obsession. Signs compared President Bush to Adolf Hitler and equated Stars of David with Nazi swastikas; one sign read, “Israel Nazi Are the Same Thing.” This ugly comparison demeans the victims, Jewish and non-Jewish alike, of Nazi genocide, demonizes Israelis, and dehumanizes those who support Israel.” regarding an Arab rally in Detroit.  This is interesting because of the similarity between this demonization and that of all Muslims in the film “Obsession”.  http://www.danielpipes.org/blog/644

Pro-McCain Group Dumping 28 Million Terror Scare DVDs in Swing States, Eric Ose http://www.huffingtonpost.com/erik-ose/pro-mccain-group-dumping_b_125969.html

Putting lipstick on propaganda doesn’t change it, Del Stone http://www.nwfdailynews.com/news/clarion_11254___article.html/fund_obsession.html

Reform Jewish leader tells U.S. Muslims at ISNA Convention that Islam is being demonized 9/2/07 http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/remarks_of_president_of_the_union_for_reform_judaism_to_isna_convention/

Republican Jewish Coalition mails Obsession and book by CUFI’s executive director to Rabbi’s (2/07) http://www.jewsonfirst.org/08a/cufi_obsession.html

Resources for responding to Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week, Sheila Musaji http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/islamo_fascism_awareness_week/

Responding to Obsession DVD – A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Disarm Fear-Mongering, Fatemah Keshavarz http://www.counterpunch.org/keshavarz09162008.html

Responding to Obsession – Truth Over Fear, MPAC http://www.mpac.org/truthoverfear/case-studies/index.php or 9/18 updated version at http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/expoing_obsession_truth_over_fear/0016721

Responses to claims made about Islam, Muslims, the Qur’an, etc. article collections http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/american_muslim_resources_collections_of_articles_and_references/

Resources on Islamophobia including incidents, anti-Muslim statements, etc. http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/american_muslim_resources_collections_of_articles_and_references/

Review of Film Obsession: Radical Islam’s War With the West “But Obsession is at its essence a predictable product of the propaganda genre. Proclaim objectivity about the subject. Frame it at the beginning and end with Edmund Burke’s famous quotation about how all that is needed for the forces of evil to triumph in the world is for good people to do nothing.  Show the interviewees who hold favourable opinions through flattering camera angles and clear focus, their faces carefully made up and lit with studio lighting. These are obviously intelligent, rational, knowledgeable people. Show all who hold enemy views in grainy, jumpy newsreels or home-video style that makes “them” look as unattractive as possible, distorted, even less than human.  … Pick a point of view and repeat it over and over. Ignore contradictory evidence or viewpoints. Add enough scenes of blood and carnage for a Hollywood thriller. Draw repeated comparisons to Hitler and his Nazi designs for world domination—complete with a map of the Nazis spilling across Europe like black ink.  The radical Muslims are at war with the Jews and the Christians. Don’t be fooled like Neville Chamberlain holding aloft the deal-with-the devil paper bearing both his signature and that of Hitler, proclaiming “peace in our time.” The painful became the absurd toward the end of the “documentary” when the focus is on Jews as targets of radical Islam. The propaganda-laden Obsession shows how Arab news and entertainment media broadcast images that portray Jews as sub-human or evil. True, but the irony was laughable, except that no one was laughing in the Imax.” http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/westview/story/3528812p-4077825c.html

Review of Obsession Film Toronto Showing “Day isn’t here to say anything that could help Canadians understand the terror issue today. He’s here to ratchet up the fear. This is the order of the day, and Obsession delivers the goods. As mind-numbing a propaganda piece as there ever was, Obsession is a relentless journey through the entrails of Islamofascism.  There are shocking clips from Palestinian TV of children singing about killing the infidel. Young men are shown training to be suicide bombers. An endless procession of frothy imans spew invective at just about the whole of humanity except those who fall within their narrow comfort zone.  Indeed, the film really has me, scares me to death, in fact, until near the end when we see the iconic and fraudulent footage of the statue of Saddam being brought down in central Baghdad just after the U.S. invasion.
Come on, folks. This footage has been definitively discredited and acknowledged for what it is: staged U.S. propaganda. The fact is, Obsession may be a wake-up call, but to buy into its premise requires its audience to ignore the obvious question: Why is there this purported worldwide hate-on against the West?  Day’s simple-minded assumption laces the entire Obsession narrative. We “need to come to grips with the fact that terrorists do this out of sheer hatred of differences,’’ he tells the crowd.  Nice try, but it conveniently ignores the elephant in the room: generations of mistreatment of the Muslim world by meddling Western powers propping up despotic, corrupt and sometimes, ironically, Islamist regimes; Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land; the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq; and now a Canadian-backed onslaught in Afghanistan which is killing not just Taliban fighters but civilians as well. http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2006-07-06/news_story.php

Schism documentary online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpiccERJaFk

Selected images from Obsession http://vickijohnson.org/issues/obsession/abridge/scenes.html

Selective Hearing of Muslim Voices Against Extremism and Terrorism, Sheila Musaji http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/selective_hearing_of_muslim_voices_against_extremism_and_terrorism/

Shoebat, Saleem, and Anani – Three Arab Villages Are Missing Their Idiots, Sheila Musaji http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/print/walid_shoebat_kamal_saleem_zacharia_anani/

Should Muslim Americans Be Afraid?, Sheila Musaji http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/should_muslim_americans_be_afraid/

Significant Terrorist Incidents, 1961-2003: A Brief Chronology http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/pubs/fs/5902.htm

Spiritual jihad against terrorism, Sheila Musaji (5 parts) http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/a_spiritual_jihad_against_terrorism_part_i/

Terrorized by ‘War on Terror’, Zbigniew Brzezinski http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/23/AR2007032301613.html

Us vs Them, Paul Craft http://www.stanfordreview.org/Archive/Volume_XXXVIII/Issue_2/Opinions/opinions4.shtml 3/10/07

VIDEO: Obsession: Radical Islam’s War With the West 12 min. summary version http://www.obsessionthemovie.com/12min.htm
VIDEO:  Obsession Film Distribution is Hateful Political Propaganda and Fearmongering http://ahmedbedier.blogspot.com/2008/09/video-clarion-fund-obsession-film-mass_23.html

Walid Shoebat’s New Incarnation http://www.newvoices.org/cgi-bin/articlepage.cgi?id=238 “the audience had eaten up every word of Shoebat’s speech. Most affected were the visitors from off-campus, but it was clear that many of the Wesleyan students were transfixed as well. Here was an irrefutable source, impervious to accusations of bias or racism, exonerating them of responsibility for the terrible situation in the Middle East–and dumping it on the other side. Shoebat had confirmed the deeply-rooted Jewish communal fear of destruction–in this case at the hands of the Palestinians–while absolving the Jews from blame in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  … For all of his railing against pro-Palestinian propaganda, Shoebat himself preaches a gospel of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that is utterly black and white. Shireen Tawil, an American with a Lebanese-Palestinian background and a 2004 graduate of Wesleyan, was struck by Shoebat’s analysis. “He presented the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as a religious war, Muslims vs. Jews, which is a very dangerous oversimplification,” said Tawil. “He presented all Palestinians as Muslim terrorists, never delving into what living under occupation is like, the human rights abuses that occur, the psychological effects of living under occupation, or anything of the sort.” http://www.newvoices.org/cgi-bin/articlepage.cgi?id=238

Walid Shoebat Preaches Violence Not Peace http://www.usforacle.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticle&ustory_id=c4c6f849-2ec2-420b-9f0d-fdac22304338&page=1
Walid Shoebat Denied Entry Into Canada http://www.canadianchristianity.com/cgi-bin/bc.cgi?bc/bccn/0704/04israel

Why Are Some Florida Jewish Groups Sponsoring Anti-Muslim Hate Speech?, Ahmed Bedier http://ahmedbedier.blogspot.com/2006/03/why-are-some-florida-jewish-groups.html

War against tolerance, Chris Hedges http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20080211_the_war_against_tolerance/

What is The Clarion Fund? – Marketing Hate to the Masses, Joachim Martillo http://eaazi.blogspot.com/2008/09/what-is-clarion-fund.html

When Language Grows Darker and Darker, Joan Chittister http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/when_language_grows_darker_and_darker/

Who is behind Relentless, Obsession and The Third Jihad?, Sheila Musaji http://www.theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/who_is_behind_relentless_obsession_and_the_third_jihad1/0016736

Will America Tolerate Anti-Muslim Discrimination, Moustafa Bayoumi http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/editorials/hc-bayoumi0911.artsep11,0,5275389.story

The world according to Brigitte Gabriel http://www.ajn.com.au/news/news.asp?pgID=3403

Wrong War, Wrong Word, Katha Pollitt http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060911/pollitt