In Alabama, as in so many other states, mosques are proliferating. While in most areas of the country, politicians would quake in fear of being called “Islamophobic” and avoid expressing any concern, Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville is taking the bull by the horns, He is speaking frankly about wanting to stop the Islamic influx into his state, and receiving the predictable pushback that everyone gets when calling attention to the threat of jihad violence and the oppressive character of Sharia: he’s being called a racist, bigoted “Islamophobe.”
The local establishment media propaganda outlet, AL.com, took the predictable line on Sunday, making the story all about the outrage that Tuberville has provoked, rather than about the possibility of jihad coming to the land of the Crimson Tide and Muscle Shoals. “Leaders of a Muslim school,” the lefty rag reported, “are denouncing comments made against them by U.S. Senator and Alabama gubernatorial candidate Tommy Tuberville who called their religion a cult and a threat to America.”
It seems that the Islamic Academy of Alabama is looking to “rezone commercial property in Hoover to move from its longtime location in Homewood.” On Monday, the Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously against this proposal. Those who voted it down said that their votes were because of “concerns of traffic and the long-term land use for the area.” However, AL.com adds darkly that “some residents at the hearing made no secret that they didn’t want Muslims in their community,” and the black-hatted Tuberville “agreed with the anti-Muslim sentiment expressed by the crowd.”
Tuberville said: “Muslim communities are moving everywhere. In every state, they’re building mosques, they’re having these five prayers a day, they’re pushing this cult on everybody across this country.” AL.com added that “Tuberville said the school is a tool used to influence young people and convert them to Islam.”
Tuberville added: “In the future, in a year, I’ll be the governor,” and he is indeed running for that office. “And I’ll be damned,” he said, “if we’re going to do that in the state of Alabama. We’re going to protect the people of Alabama; we’re going to protect our constitution. We’re going to protect our state and we’re going to protect our country.”
Without making any effort to determine whether there was really any constitutional threat from the growth of Islam in Alabama, AL.com quoted Stacy Abdein, the assistant principal of the Islamic Academy of Alabama: “Not one word of these allegations reflects the teachings, values, curriculum or culture of our school. They are irresponsible fabrications that fuel fear, prejudice and division.”
Abdein also leaned heavily into victimhood mode, claiming that “statements made by Tuberville and others jeopardize the safety and wellbeing of her students.” Summoning up all of the self-righteous indignation she could muster, she said: “When public officials spread dangerous myths about innocent students and families, they embolden hostility and increase the likelihood of harassment or targeted threats, undermining the safety and well-being of our entire school community. At a time when our community should be coming together, statements that demonize innocent children and families are not only false, they are dangerous.”
It wasn’t just Tuberville. Abdein was also outraged that state Rep. Mac Butler (R-Rainbow City) had said: “We really just don’t have a place for such here. Where you’re screaming ‘kill the infidel, death to America.’ That’s just not welcome here. There are plenty of Muslim countries that would welcome that.”
To that, Abdein responded: “Most of our students would not even know the word ‘infidel’ outside of hearing it in the news this week. Our curriculum focuses on academic excellence, character development, compassion, leadership, respect and dignity of every human being, regardless of background or belief.”
AL.com makes no effort whatsoever to explain why Tuberville and Butler are saying these things, or what they may have against Islam. It’s all just “fear” and “prejudice.” Islam’s jihad imperative and its institutionalized devaluation of women and non-Muslims isn’t even alluded to. Instead, the author of the AL.com article, one Joseph D. Bryant, highlights Abdein making her claim that the Islamic Academy of Alabama teaches the “dignity of every human being, regardless of background or belief.” Nothing here about how the Qur’an calls non-Muslims “the most vile of created beings” (98:6).
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Meanwhile, notice that all this is taking place in the context of a controversy in Hoover, Alabama. In 2014, a Muslim woman named Hoda Muthana went from Hoover to join the Islamic State (ISIS). Later, her sister and her sister’s husband went also.
Was the Islam that Hoda Muthana and her sister and brother-in-law practiced completely different from the Islam that was taught in Hoover, Alabama? If it wasn’t, has anything changed since those days, or is the divine call to wage jihad against the infidels still taught in Hoover? It looks as if Sen. Tuberville has ample reason to be concerned.
Sen. Tuberville doesn't deserve the treatment he got from AL.com, but no other establishment media outlet will present this story accurately. For the real story, you have to come to PJ Media. Become a PJ Media VIP with promo code FIGHT for 60% off.
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