With the Pittsburgh shooting so fresh and anti-Semitism (alas) so necessary a topic, it’s♛ time for 𒊎a reckoning with the Women’s March. This January, women who say they stand with Jews need to boycott the Women’s March.
The first year of the march, it made sense that many otherwise normal people would attend. It was just two months aꦬfter Donald Trump’s shocking victory. Many were dazed and upset. The march was quickly organized by people whose ꦆnames were not yet known to everyone.
Linda Sarsour is one of the leaders. Articles soon sprang up about terrible co🔯mments she made: She supported the radical Muslim Brotherhood. She praised Sharia l꧙aw, which, among other things, includes second-class status for women. She was open about her fandom of Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam.
In 2012, : “When we write the history of Islam in Ame🦄rica, the Nation of #Isla🧔m is an integral part of that history.”
Perhaps she didn’t know Farrakhan said “Hitler was a very great man” in a 1984 speech or that in 1985 he warned Jews: “And don’t you forget๊, when it’s God who puts you in the o🎀vens, it’s forever!”
Maybe she was ignorant of his 1996 remark about “fake Jews,” that is, Jews who disapprove of his anti-Semitic comments: “You are the synagogue of Satan, and you have wrapped your tentacles 𒅌around the US government, and you are deceiving and sending this nation to hell.”
People change, goes the argument, and comments Sarsour made were several years agoཧ, before 🃏she became a high-profile political figure on the left. Perhaps she’s more responsible now.
But in September, Sarsour said American Muslims shouldn’t “humanize” Israelis. There was no overwhelming response from the left to remind her that Israelis are actually human. American Jews who ignore this hatred are fooling themselves. Anti-Semitism is specifically about d🔥ehumanizing Jews until their murder makes sense.
In Ju🌳ly, she tweeted birthday wishes at a fugitive cop-killer. This is not a woman who has done a lot of intro🍰spection and changed her views. Why stand with her?
Then there’s Women’s March co-president Tamika Mallory. In a February 2018 speech, Farrakhan said, “Jews were responsible for all of tꦿhis filth and degenerate behavior that Hollywood is putting out, turning men into women and women into men. White folks are going down. And Satan is going down. And Farrakhan, by God’s grace, has pulled the cover off of that Satanic Jew, and I’m here to say your time is up, your world is through.”
Mallory attended the speech. She once posted a picture of herself embraced by Farrakhan, refe☂rring to him as “the GOAT” (Greatest Of All Time). So when she pointedly refused to condemn Farrakhan’s anti-Semitic and anti-ꦕLGBT comments after being asked, it was no surprise.
The Women’s March organization issued a tepid statement, witho💛ut any apology or condemnation of Farrakhan, saying it wouldn’t “tolerate anti-Semitism.” But it is doing exactly that.
What’s the point of a march run by leaders who effectively condone comments like Farrakhan’s? One of the March’s “Unity Principles” is: “We firmly declare that LGBTQIA Rights are Human Rights and that it is our obligation to uplift, expand and protect the rights of our gay, lesbian, bi, queer, trans o♓r gender non-conforming🎀 brothers, sisters and siblings. We must have the power to control our bodies and be free from gender norms, expectations and stereotypes.” Yet when faced with someone pushing a vile stereotype, Mallory & Co. do nothing.
Why march with such women? And note: While “Black women, Native women, poor women, immigrant women, disabled women, Muslim women, lesbian queer and trans ♋women” are all specifically mentioned in the “Unity Principles,” Jewish women are not. Meanwhile, anti-Semitic attacks account for more than half𒁏 of all hate crimes in the US. Maybe it’s not a coincidence.
Make no mistake: These aren’t comments made years ago; they’re happening now. Just last May, Mallory praised the “bravery” of Hamas terrorists. Two weeks ago, Farrakhan compared Jews to termites.
Some𒊎 marchers think they can find common ground with these women. That’s misguided. A conservative marching alongside white nationalist Richard Spencer, because they both happen to agree on, say, economic issues, would rightly be pilloried. This should be no different.
Sure, protest Donald Trump, if you like. Free expression is vital. But don’t do it under the Women’s March umbꦗrella. Start another march, join with friends, do something different. It’s November, you have more than two months to think and plan.
But don’t prop up people whose values are 🌃so corrupt. Don’t march in the Women’s March. It’s too late to plead ignorance. They can’t say they don’t know. And neither can you.