Letter to Caroline Lucas, British Green MP who resigned from StoptheWar

Dear Caroline Lucas:

I am writing as a co founder of the New York State Green Party, as a former congressional candidate of the Suffolk County Green Party in New York State, and as someone who sought the U.S. Green Party presidential nomination in 2004. I was an environmental activist, writer and educator for over forty years, primarily as regional representative of Friends of the Earth-USA for a dozen years. I am no longer a member of the Green Party for reasons which may in some respects mirror yours for leaving the StoptheWar Coalition. I suspect that essentially all of my positions on economic, political, social and environmental issues would be considered to be “far left” upon examination. But my critical writings and statements on Islamism, sharia, Israel, women’s rights and civil liberties have made me anathema to the American left, which considers me to be a right-wing racist based SOLELY on my positions on Islamism. I have a feeling that you may feel their wrath shortly.

For the past ten years I have focused on Islamism and the above related issues, researching, reading and talking with many people, some of whom are ex-Muslims, and quite independently I began to conclude that Islamism as well as “stealth jihad” are indeed real threats to our civil liberties and Constitution….and now to our lives. Unfortunately the left and the liberals in this country were and remain in denial despite the mounting evidence that confirms it. This denial, and their recusal from the issue, especially from the incursions against free speech prompted by Muslim leaders of groups like CAIR and their cohorts, was intended to distance themselves from the Republicans and the right wing; therefore, any hint that the fears of Islamism and jihad (violent and otherwise) were justified was wholly rejected and suppressed. The American left, especially the mendacious anti-Israel pro BDS movement, recused themselves from the issue and the reality. Right now, they are using all their resources to discredit those who fear Islamism by pretending that the hyperbolic public statements by people like Pamela Geller and Donald Trump are completely baseless, irrational and nothing but hate speech and “Islamophobia”.

I am sure you understand all of these motives and tactics. They are unprincipled in the extreme and part of a media propaganda campaign that is, in my opinion, reliant on the Democratic Party, which is fearful of next year’s election and wants to separate itself from the more immoderate statements of the Republicans. This makes it impossible for them to state the truth. For example, since the Paris massacres, Huffington Post, the worst of the worst, now publishes daily a count of “Islamophobic” acts….about forty two since Paris in their estimation. Of course no Muslims have been harmed or killed at all; these were simply harassment and threats. But conveniently this same reporting neglected to make a count of the thousands of Islamist bombings and murders committed since 2001.

We once had impartial informed journalists like Christopher Hitchens. We do not have anyone like Nick Cohen in our country. And because no one believes what the right wing says, even when there is supportive evidence for its truth, all they read is the news from biased sources who are busy denying that there is any religious basis for terrorism, not least our president who has banned the use of that word as well as words like Islamism and jihad. This is PC run amok. This is deliberate deceit. Whatever the original stimulus for middle eastern unrest, Iraq or otherwise, the primary and ultimate cause is religious fanaticism, not American “imperialism.” Religious
conflict and violence have long characterized the Muslim world, where the flames of hatred against non-Muslims have now been re-directed at the rest of the world. Responsibility for today’s jihad rests with those who commit the crimes. That is in conformity with the rule of law. Unfortunately the Muslim world, not having undergone the Enlightenment, knows nothing about this concept.

There is a lot more to write but I felt it necessary to tell you that I respect your decision to separate yourself from the extreme left, which I believe represents a new kind of totalitarianism if not fascism. It is possible that you will find yourself in agreement with some on the right. I trust you have the strength and integrity to deal with that without denying the facts on the ground. I wish you the best of luck, and please be assured that there are many others like me who look to independent thinkers like you to follow their conscience.

Sincerely,

Lorna Salzman