I have just finish reading Two Conservatives latest post on the Faisal Gill-Haters, and I detected a certain melancholy. Since we all succumb to such occasionally, this melancholy is understandable. Try as we might, there are distinct limits as to how much we can change each other. Free will is exactly that. What we choose to believe is what we will believe, and there is only so much others can do to change that.
Some people have always believed they should hate other people. Such people do not seem to need a reason; what they need is an excuse, an excuse to feel they are doing the “right thing.” How they feel is what counts. Real evidence is not required, just “good, “vicious gossip that coincides with what they want to believe anyway.
That is why Two Conservatives reviewed the evidence against the Faisal Gill in frustration. Based upon that evidence, the notion that Gill is some kind of terrorist is patently silly. Unfortunately, for some people, evidence does not matter. With the skillful manipulation of a little “good” gossip, we can create an echo chamber that resonates with our hatred. For some people, hatred matters that much.
Consider what the Faisal Gill-Haters have done. They have ignored or cast absurd aspersions on the formal investigation (see here and here) that exonerated Gill. Instead, they constantly reference old posts, all of which predate the investigation which cleared Gill, and they have boldly repeated the same old lies and innuendo over and over for months.
When someone falls for their tripe, they use this dupe (see BVBL post on Redstate) as a trusted reference on the validity their charges. Yet all the dupe is doing is nothing more than repeating the same old lies and innuendo.
Unfortunately, repetition works. For too many, the facts do not count. What counts is the boldness of the accuser and the seriousness of the charges.
If you have ever wondered why Nazi propaganda worked, then consider this case seriously. The Nazis skillfully repeated gossip, gossip that appealed to the prejudices (in that case against Jews) of the German people.
Don’t kid yourself. You and I are just as susceptible to such manipulation. When we allow our feelings, what we want to believe, to outweigh objective analysis and reason, then we too can be led to take the side of bigots.
Take a serious look at the evidence against Faisal Gill. What it comes down to this; Gill associated with the wrong people. Because Gill associated with the wrong people, particularly Muslim terrorist sympathizers, it can easily be made to appear that he did things that are especially unwise and illegal. Nonetheless, Gill was formally investigated and cleared. In addition, Gill has many respected references. The suggestion that Gill is guilty of anything simply does not hold water.
Finally, consider Gill’s principle accuser. Given that Gill has provided legal representation against this man in a lawsuit (see here and here), is it unreasonable to assume this fellow has an axe to grind?
Reason, however, has little to do with this matter. What is at issue is what people want to believe. Will people trust their reason and have faith in the respected people who have vouched for Faisal Gill? We cannot easily know what is in people’s minds, and in the competition for the Republican nomination for Delegate, 51t District, Julie Lucas is valid candidate of significant merit. Thus it is a shame such garbage as Faisal Gill’s supposed connections with terrorists has become part of this contest.
Fortunately, there is always reason to hope. Like every other minority group in this nation, Northern Virginia’s Muslim community will sooner or latter be made to feel welcome and allowed to participate in the larger community. Our past strongly suggests we can do this, that we can peacefully assimilate new immigrants, but, as usual, it will be easier said than done.
“Take a serious look at the evidence against Faisal Gill. What it comes down to this; Gill associated with the wrong people.”
That should be “associates.” His continued relationship with Asim Ghafoor has yet to be explained anywhere. My concern lies here, not in the past stuff that gets drudged up.
George, what is wrong with his “association” with Asim?
You certainly aren’t refering to the false accusation at BVBL that Asim “leaked” classified information, are you? BVBL is not a reliable source of information, witness the number of retractions he has to make on easily verifiable facts.
If you simply read the WP article regarding Asim, you will see that, far from claiming he leaked information, Asim is in fact the person who TOLD the FBI that they had given out classified information. it was a different lawyer given the same information that leaked it. Asim tried to help our country hide it’s secrets when our country carelessly released them.
But to the gang, Asim is evil because he represented people who turned out to have “ties” to terrorism.
Like most of what you read, it’s all a shell game. A post on AMC says they told people not to help the FBI. But on the same website you find they were recruiting people to join the FBI who spoke arabic, and they were encouraging people to cooperate. There were muslims who were good patriotic people who saw AMC as a benign organization, and the fact that AMC remained and it’s leaders weren’t all thrown in prison shows that it wasn’t simply a “terrorist” organization.
But I’ve fallen into the trap again, trying to answer charges that aren’t meant to be answered.
Julie Lucas is lucky that the people who defend Faisal are NOT of the mind to throw accusations around to see if something sticks. She thinks she was “attacked” because of a comment about wanting “democrats” to vote for her, while her supporters claim Faisal wants illegals and terrorists to vote for him. Which is the real smear?