When Is Terrorism Not "Terrorism," in the Twisted World of Donald Trump?
December 23, 2016 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us
Only hours after the attack on the Christmas market in Berlin where all kinds of people go this time of year to shop, eat, drink, and hang out, Donald Trump issued a statement claiming: “Innocent civilians were murdered in the streets as they prepared to celebrate the Christmas holiday. ISIS and other Islamist terrorists continually slaughter Christians in their communities and places of worship as part of their global jihad.”
from RefuseFascism.org:
Donald Trump, the President-elect, is assembling a regime of grave danger. Millions of people in the U.S. and around the world are filled with deep anxiety, fear, and disgust. Our anguish is right and just. Our anger must now become massive resistance – before Donald Trump is inaugurated and has the full reins of power in his hands.
Should we fail to rise with determination and daring in our millions now to stop this, the consequences for humanity will be disastrous. We, the undersigned, know in the depths of our beings, the catastrophe that will befall the people of the world should the Trump/Pence regime assume full power.
We therefore CALL FOR A MONTH OF RESISTANCE beginning on December 19th, reaching a crescendo by the January 20th, 2017 Inauguration.
Read more at RefuseFascism.org.
In reality, at the time he made his statement, Trump had no idea who was at this market, who carried out the attack, or why.
In reality by far the greatest numbers of victims of terrorist attacks, where the religious affiliation of victims can be determined, are Muslims.1
But Trump used this incident in Berlin to threaten new repression, new terror, new wars: “These terrorists and their regional and worldwide networks must be eradicated from the face of the earth, a mission we will carry out with all freedom-loving partners.”
The Washington Post reported that when asked about his plans to register Muslims within the U.S. and ban Muslims from entering the country, Donald Trump responded, “You know my plans.” And Trump, who made demonizing and threatening Muslims a key element of his campaign, and who has brought fanatic “war-on-Islam” crusading military men into the core of his cabinet, declared, “All along, I’ve been proven to be right. One hundred percent correct.”
Contrast that with…
In the warped worldview of Trump and his advisors, no evidence is ever needed to equate all terrorism with a Muslim war against Christians. On the other hand, no crime committed in service of or “inspired” by Christian fundamentalism is terrorism.
On June 17, 2015, Dylann Roof—a publicly declared Nazi-loving, Confederate-flag-waving, virulent white supremacist—slaughtered nine Black people engaged in Bible study in a Charleston, South Carolina house of worship. The earliest news accounts reported that Roof told victims, “I have to do it.... You rape our women and you’re taking over our country and you have to go.”
Trump’s response: “The tragedy in S.C. is incomprehensible. My deepest condolences to all.”
“Incomprehensible”??!? A white terrorist had come into a Black church, murdered people and gave an ugly racist explanation to one of the few survivors.
Condolences to “all”? Who are the “all”? Why not condolences to the murdered victims and their families?
When a man who declared he was saving fetuses from being chopped up and sold, shot up a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado last fall, Trump was asked on Meet the Press whether “heated rhetoric” about Planned Parenthood contributed to the attack.
Trump insisted, “We don't even know the purpose. I mean, he hasn't come out, to the best of my knowledge, with a statement as to why it happened to be at that location.”
The interviewer followed up with, “We have reporting that he [the murderer] was talking about baby parts and things like that from law enforcement officials during his interview.”
Trump responded, “Well, I will tell you there is a tremendous group of people that think it's terrible, all of the videos that they've seen with some of these people from Planned Parenthood talking about it like you're selling parts to a car. I mean, there are a lot of people that are very unhappy about that.” Here Trump was referring to and giving credence to totally discredited claims that Planned Parenthood sells “baby parts.”
In other words, Trump refused to acknowledge, let alone condemn, the on-record anti-abortion motives of a terrorist who attacked a Planned Parenthood clinic. But he expressed sympathy and understanding for the mentality of the attacker and others like him.
So in the sick and twisted fascist mind of Donald Trump, when is terrorism not "terrorism"? When Christians do it in the service of a fascist agenda!!
* For example, in early July 2016, a coordinated bomb attack in Baghdad, Iraq resulted in the deaths of over 300 people and injured hundreds more. The attack targeted Shia Muslims. ISIS claimed responsibility. The attack garnered only passing mention in Western media.
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