Robert Spencer Smeared as 'Islam Basher' in ALA Panel Controversy

Atlas Shrugs has the main story, "CAIR'S Jihad on the West: Robert Spencer Silenced."

Spencer's report is here, "ALA, Panelists Cave to Pressure from Terror-Linked Group, Panel with Spencer Canceled."

Spencer's participation at the American Library Association's annual meeting was attacked by the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR). The group has long been under investigation as providing material support to international terrorist organizations. See, "The CAIR-Terror Connection", "CAIR and Islamic Jihad", and "CAIR Served in Federal Fraud and Racketeering Case."

Note something interesting: I'm seeing some articles from the Library Journal identifying Spencer as an "Islam Basher." Notice the slur against Spencer in this piece, "ALA Conference 2009: Panelists Quit Session Featuring 'Islam Basher'." And note especially the complete dishonesty at the Library Journal's follow-up report, "ALA Conference 2009: Organization Behind Islam Panel Issues Statement."

Myra Appel, chair of the Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Roundtable (EMIERT), has released a public statement (below) regarding the recent cancellation of the ALA panel "Perspectives on Islam."

Neither Appel’s statement nor the earlier response from ALA President Jim Rettig address the Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ (CAIR-Chicago) claim that none of the panelists were informed of Spencer’s participation. But on his Jihad Watch web site, the man at the heart of this controversy, Robert Spencer, contests CAIR’s claim, publishing as evidence a month-old email from Appel informing the panelists of his involvement.

The link to Spencer's "Jihad Watch web site" goes to the homepage, but not to the URL at the post with the published evidence ("ALA, Panelists Cave to Pressure from Terror-Linked Group, Panel with Spencer Canceled").

Of course, Spencer's essay publishes all the pertinent information, which fully reveals both CAIR and the ALA as bureaucratic ayatollahs of intolerance.

Also, check out Dave Gaubatz's report on CAIR's activities at the recent meeting of the Islamic Society of North America (www.isna.net/home.aspx):

On my first day at the conference I had noticed an ISNA security officer following me wielding an extended ‘Billy Club'. I stopped and took a picture of him and he scurried off. A couple hours later I observed two clean shaven and well dressed people following me throughout the convention. I continued my shopping for Islamic terrorist manuals.

Finally after an extended time one of the gentlemen stopped me and asked if I was "Dave Gaubatz". I said "Yes". He introduced himself as an FBI Agent and the other person as a local Detective. I shook hands with them and asked them how I might help. They appeared embarrassed, but said CAIR and ISNA officials had asked for me to be followed because I may be a threat.

I asked why. They had no answer, aside from saying they know I support law enforcement and often speak to law enforcement groups. I remarked, "Yes I do." They again appeared embarrassed and said they knew of my background in Iraq. I nodded. We exchanged cards, and as they were beginning to walk away, I handed the FBI agent a stack of violent Islamic manuals calling the FBI racist and other names and calling for Muslims to commit crimes against law enforcement. The FBI Agent turned red.