'Allahu Akbar' can be hate speech

We read:

"In his Nov. 25 letter ["Warning constitutes 'hate speech'"], Tom Panarese chastised the editors for publishing a Nov. 20 letter titled "Everyone, take cover at these words." This earlier letter's author stated, "I have instructed my family and friends to take cover when they hear the phrase, 'Allahu Akbar.'"

Mr. Panarese, a journalism educator, accused The Free Lance-Star of irresponsibly printing "hate speech" by publishing the earlier letter.

Sir, wake up. For tens of thousands of innocent people, "Allahu Akbar" have been the last words in the air prior to their violent, sudden, and senseless deaths. That isn't hateful; it is a fact. Recently, 13 of our brave and dedicated soldier-citizens died and dozens more were injured in a hail of gunfire as these words were shouted out by Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan.

While the phrase can be used in peaceful settings, Islamist terrorists have appropriated the words to deliberately strike fear in the hearts of the "infidel non-believers," this according to written directions provided to the 9/11 hijackers.

Through his critique of the FLS and the earlier letter, Mr. Panarese identifies himself as a poster child for passively complicit, misdirected PC behavior. Hopefully none of his journalism students is part of the Fort Hood massacre investigation team.

Source

Posted by John Ray (M.A.; Ph.D.).