Manja Ressler's Blog

I won’t tweet, ever!

I never thought I’d be grateful to the ADL, but I am, for speaking out against Holland’s newest NaLi. What is a NaLi? Fair question.

In the twentieth century a certain Adolf Hitler misused the popularity of socialism to name his party National Socialist (which obviously is a contradictio in terminis) to suggest that he wanted the best for “the people”. The catch was, as we all know, that the definition of “people” excluded whole categories of human beings, like Jews, Gypsies (Roma), homosexuals, socialists, etc.). The “utopia” the Nazis promised, would just be for Aryans.

In the twenty-first century, a certain Geert Wilders uses the popularity of liberalism (remember though, that this means something different in Europe: basically “laissez-faire” economic policies) to lure people into thinking he wants the best for “the people”, so he named his party “Freedom Party”. His ideology is National Liberalism, also a contradiction in terms.  The catch is, obviously, that at least one category of human beings, namely Muslims, are excluded from the “benefits” of his liberalism: Mr Wilders’ “utopia” is only for non-Muslims (and who knows who is next on the list of people to be excluded).

So, Nalis. Thank you ADL, for not wanting Mr Wilders to speak on September 11th at Ground Zero. But there my gratitude ends. The ADL has thrown its considerable weight in the battle over the mosque/cultural center/swimming pool that is to be built near Ground Zero. Because a Muslim institution in that place would hurt the feelings of those who lost loved ones on 9/11.

Let’s first remember what ADL stands for: Anti-Defamation League. It started out as an Antisemitism watchdog and in that capacity has done wonderful things; later it expanded its scope to other kinds of defamation. So how is it possible that the ADL itself now participates in defamation? To suggest that any Muslim organization, regardless of its intentions, world view, etc. does not belong anywhere near the WTC-site, is playing into the hands of those who appeal to our worst instincts: THE Muslims are to blame for the horrible acts of terror that were perpetrated on September 11th, 2001.

So, even though the ADL distances itself from Wilders, it promotes the same attitude, which is a shandah, as we Jews say.