Tuesday, February 19, 2008

COMMENT: Daniel Pipes caught out misrepresenting HREOC Commissioner


Photo of Commissioner Innes appearing in the body of an article distributed by Daniel Pipes ...


Neo-Conservative American columnist and chronic Muslim-hater Daniel Pipes is using the controversy over the recent speech of the Archbishop of Canterbury to peddle lies about sharia, the Islamic sacred legal tradition.

Pipes has started distributing an article to various newspapers which seeks to explain why the West should unite ...

... to stop the progress of this medieval legal system so deeply at odds with modern life, one that oppresses women and turns non-Muslims into second-class citizens.


Given that the Archbishop spoke about sharia tribunals in his speech in the same breath as Beth Din tribunals, it would be interesting if Pipes was prepared to make the same assertion about the sacred law of his own faith.

More intersting is the fact that the body of the article includes a photograph of Graeme Innes, a Commissioner of the Human Rights & Equal Opportunity Commission. The photo is accompanied by this caption:

Australian Human Rights Commissioner Graeme Innes and his guide dog. Innes is often denied service by taxi drivers.


It is unclear how Pipes reached this conclusion about Commissioner Innes. However, I would suggest that Commissioner Innes would not agree with Pipes' comments, and certainly would not agree with how his name has been mentioned in what is essentially an exercise in manufacturing hysteria against a particular faith tradition and those associated with it.

When this alleged story first appeared in the tabloid Daily Telegraph, I thought I'd give Commissioner Innes a call to confirm the report. Commissioner Innes and I are both UNIFEM White Ribbon Day ambassadors. After speaking to the Commissioner, I wrote a column for Crikey which can be read here.

Here is what Commissioner Innes told me:

"If religion was used as an excuse by a cab driver, it was maybe mentioned once out of twenty times. The cab driver never mentioned any particular religion and just said it was for religious reasons. I never mentioned any specific religion and never intended to cast aspersions on any religion. I have spoken to the Telegraph editor yesterday and expressed my concerns about how the editorial focussed on a particular sector of society while I expressed frustration with taxi drivers across the board."


I'm not sure if the Daily Telegraph apologised to Innes. I am also not sure if Pipes will be apologising to Innes. On his weblog (referred to in his op-ed submission), Pipes writes these words:

Human Rights and Disability Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes, himself blind and reliant on a guide dog, said he is refused service on average once a month, including twice in two days recently. "He has been told on a number of occasions that it would be against a driver's religion to allow a dog in the cab," writes Heath Aston in Australia's Daily Telegraph. "He has also been refused by drivers claiming to be allergic to dogs and even scared of dogs. He has also been left clutching at air on busy Market St by one belligerent driver who told him he had to take the non-existent cab in front."


Pipes is now trying to drag Commissioner Innes into his personal web of sectarian bigotry. One wonders if Mr Pipes was aware of Commissioner Innes' comments on the incident reported in the Tele.

Some 11 months ago Commissioner Innes issued this press release concerning taxi drivers and guide dogs. Nowhere in the press release is the ethno-religious background of the offending drivers mentioned.

Pipes is using Commissioner Innes' experiences with a small group of taxi drivers to incite hatred toward persons of nominally Muslim background, faith and/or heritage. Pipes owes Commissioner Innes an apology.

UPDATE I: A version of this article (without reference to Commissioner Innes) has been published here.



Words © 2008 Irfan Yusuf

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22 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are wrong. See: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21785791-421,00.html. There is only one religion where dogs are a problem, and that is Islam. I hope you don't censor this because you disagree. If you do disagree, please cite references to support your argument.

Irf said...

So I'm wrong, am I? Gee anonymous, have you spoken to Commissioner Innes? Do you know what he's said? Are are you relying on a story from an American-owned Sydney tabloid?

Have you been to the houses of Hindus and Sikhs and seen pet dogs running around? No? I wonder why.

There is consensus among jurists of Islamic sacred law that dogs are allowed for the purposes of securing one's premises and as guide dogs. If you aren't happy with that consensus, perhaps you should write your own book of Islamic sacred law and see if your alleged expertise can gain wide acceptance among observant Muslims.

Anonymous said...

Read this you fat lying c***

http://www.answering-islam.org/Silas/dogs.htm

Muslims may not own dogs. Dogs are of the devil and dog owners are slaves of the devil. The only muslim I have ever heard of owning a dog was Benazir Bhutto for which she was roundly condemned and her favourite dogs were constantly 'assassinated' by muslims.

You have avoided trying to claim that there is a single muslim taxi driver in Sydney that will pick up a dog. Instead you defend muslims by saying that the Commissioner has not specifically mentioned them and therefore they must be innocent.

You claim Hindus won't pick up dogs and therefore the muslims are all innocent.

The Commissioner has not said he could find an muslim who was helpful enough to pick him up. By the same pathetic logic you have used that means the Commissioner by not specifically saying that a muslim has picked him up means that no muslim has picked him up and therefore they are all guilty.

There are bad muslims out there and some of them might pick him up but not out of courtesy or decency but for the money.

Your pathetic spin is ludicrous. Everyone accepts muslims for what they are and doesn't expect any better from them.

Muhammed was increasingly anti-dog at every new opportunity and always insistent that black dogs be killed.

Go to any park that has muslims and dogs and watch the muslim children attacking the dogs with sticks and stones. The poor dogs who love people and children are so confused by this.

I'd prefer to kill a muslim than kill a dog.

Anonymous said...

Yusuf, I have Two question:

Based upon what you wrote, I have these questions, I hope you answer properly.
I’m Jewish and as you know, Muslims love to call Jews pigs and monkeys, a clear demonstration that muslims think that Jews are an inferior kind and muslims a superior kind to Jews and infidels- in my opinion.
Since you cannot stand us and oppress us in such a manner, I have a question, taking in consideration the case of the blind man- who ASA I know is not Jewish:

Can I refuse, as a taxi driver, to allow islamists, in my cab, because, I’m deadly afraid of them, they do not give me allergies, like dogs give to some Islamists, but a huge heart attack simulation. And, in the same way they disgust me, I disgust them so it is a win-win game- b/c an Islamist would never want to take a cab from a Jew- right- because again Jews are pigs and monkeys to Muslims and every time a muslim see a Jews behind the tree the muslim have have to kill the Jews b/c allah says that? So can I refuse a ride to an Islamist?

What you think…..

I also fear Islamists, in the same way the muslim fears the dog- in your blog- because since you think we are animals, we feel as up to being slaughter- in the same way the Islamists fears the dog as a predator.I'm sure that as a victim myself, you understand my question.

Another question that I have is how Muslims lie about the fact that the Egyptians from the past were muslims, b/c History teaches us that the Egyptians had contacts with dogs and even venerated them as gods, so or Muslims lie on part of their history (of course), or lie about dogs.

Thanks, Yusuf- and "all the best""
Tell me your thoughts- I'm all yours hearing you.

Anonymous said...

The above argument given by Yusuf is NOT acceptable, as a result of the following reasons:

1. IF In Shariah, dogs are treated as such so in Saudi Arabia for example, the reaction of the taxi driver would be 100 % suitable, but not in Australia- In Australia, this is discrimination, since shariah is NOT the system in Australia, the taxi driver should be punished in the same way for example a foreign woman is currently condemned by muslims in SArabia for having had a coffee with a man in public.
2. Mr. Yusuf does not bring any counter argument to anonymous when he/she requests solid references.
3. I have never seen an Indian taxi driver deny a ride to a poor disable with his dog- no matter the way his culture addresses dogs, so your counter argument is invalid.
4. Mr. Yusuf neglects the veracity and reliance of the cited source by anonymous, IN ADVANCE AND THUS with prejudice-when Yusuf himself says: Are you relying on a story from an AMERICAN OWNED Sidney Tabloid....

Why Mr. Yusuf, are you automatically against Americans?- why didn’t you say Sidney tabloid...What's the problem with the fact that this tabloid may be American owned?

Waiting for your sincere answer,

Sincerely,

Anonymous said...

Yusuf put a very inferior cartoon about Dr. Pipes. Looks like Yusuf is an Islamist and a liar. Dr. Pipes, never, ever said that Muslims Internment Camps in the USA is good.
Hey, but why use the media to perform a job as a decent journalist, seeking the truth and perhaps, only perhaps a decent lawyer (if that possible in Yusuf's realm) if yusuf can use it a path for an intrinsic and obvious personal Jihad?
Looks like also that Yusuf thinks himself as a genius that was not acknowledged by humanity when he furthers his cartoon by displaying Dr. Pipes as considering himself a genius in his nomination.
Dr. Pipes never said or ever considered himself a genius. But, Yusuf, despite of the disparity in between his education done perhaps who knows where and in what way, and Dr. Pipes's education having gotten DECENTLY in Harvard cum laude, perhaps Islamist Yusuf feels, let's say....less....you know…Not everybody have the talent to be a genius in chess, in math and in humanities with such a superiority. Are you frustrated, cookie Yusuf? Are you macho enough to display my commentary and answer?

Anonymous said...

The Message: Anonymous said...
"...The above argument given by Yusuf is NOT acceptable, as a result of the following reasons:"....

Comes in regards to Yusuf's answer to Anonymous 1 in the first message displayed and the cited URL.

Anonymous said...

Yusuf:
You are an alleged liar because in your culture it is an honor to lie to anybody (Al Taqyia), in other words, b/c you are an Islamist?

I know people in other faiths also lie, and lie a lot, but never I heard anybody saying that it is an honor, very differently than Islam.

So what’s your game? Criticize Dr. Pipes, in order to gain the recognition and financial support from the parasite left and Islamists that make their miserable slice of bread upon travesty manners to Saudi and Islamic Fascist Terrorists?

B/C, you call Dr. Pipes a Muslim hater...well, or you insult other Muslims' intelligence or you show how deplorable you are in terms of intellectual strength.

Many Muslims support and love Dr. Pipes, if they were hated by him, this support would have never existed. So, the fact that indeed you are a liar is proven, on the other hand, you pathetically look to hate Americans. When you say to the first blogger:

"...Are you relying on a story from an American-owned Sydney tabloid?"...

You make clear that you problem was that the tabloid was American Owned. Having not the URL been cited, your question about "American" would not denote your hate for America, b/c it would be a matter of tracking from where the information came. Yet, in the case above it was a matter of honor to say American owned" as if b/c of that it is worse. You, Yusuf, are an American hater, in my opinion and of course, I have a new question:

Do you know that CAIR (The council of American Islamist relations), an organization that helps terrorists from Hamass is composed by ARAB islamists AMERICANS.....What's you opinion about CAIR and of course, the fact that they are Americans...So, b/c CAIR is American owned, according to your "soberb" logic, they are not trustable/ Indeed, I'm still to see you plotting CAIR- AN AMERICAN OWNED, source and criticize it.

A Last question is the genocide done by Muslims in Kosovo, where Muslims exterminate, actually have been exterminating infidels to rob their assets and later say that Islam is the religion that grows most today...Obviously, if you kill infidels, and convert the rest and have so many future terrorist, sure it grows most...

What's you opinion about the genocide done by your kind in Darfur?
What, your Jihad is going on there b/c you are trying to defend yourself from those who attack you?

You are a bad thing to humanity, and that's my opinion. You are a curse, while Dr. Pipes is a blessing.

Go eat more chocolates, habyby Yusuf….More and more chocolates...

SHUKRAH, Habyby.

Anonymous said...

Far out, irf. It looks like all of Pipes' idiot brigade (all 6 of them) have emerged from their West Bank jewish-settler camps (or rather, sheltered workshops for deranged North Americans) and are visiting your blog.

Keep it coming, guys! You just succeed in making Pipes look even more dumb than he is. With friends like you morons, who needs enemies!!

Anonymous said...

"I'd prefer to kill a muslim than kill a dog."

Hey dude, are you from from Kiryat Arba? You remind me of that madcap doctor who hated Abraham so much that he spilt blood at Abraham's tomb. Maybe you are the rabbi who did his funeral service and who said: "The blood of a thousand Arabs isn't worth one Jewish fingernail".

Why don't you do what your German equivalent (Adolf Hitler) did. Just take some poison and shoot yourself.

Anonymous said...

Far Out, Banjo looks to be a sissy Islamist girl, hungry to dance the Jelly Belly Dance.
Hey, are YOU descendant of pigs and monkeys like you say Jews are?
B/c Avraham was our patriarch, so if Jews are animals, muslims are worse, b/c Ishmael was bastardized, do you recall that?
Go move your pelvis and dance the jelly Belly dance to excite your muslims....
Hey. are you Yusuf Irfan, sissy girl, the same Islamist Jerk ?

I bet you are...Since you are Yusuf, let me say that although you were born in 1969 you look so fatty Jerk that you look as being in your 60s...How deplorably ugly you are, Banjo Bafooon...

And, if you are not Yusuf, Hey banjo, do you see how bafoon and sissy girl your owner, Yusuf is...
What a bluf....so much in honor of muhamad and the god of the moon allah.

Keep on comming and showing how disgusting YOUR kind is....no matter what kind you belong to...

Anonymous said...

Anon, if you reckon I'm Irf then I reckon you must be Danny-boy Pipes. It kinda makes sense cause you and he have alot in common ...

Anonymous said...

In regards to Dr. Pipes, he is light years superior to all of you....Shove it and please, let me guess something about you...
You do not know any foreign language other than English, do you? It is just that your English is so Neanderthal, meaning that how any human being (if you are one) can ever learn a foreign language if he cannot even write at a level of an idiot in his own mother tongue...
Still waiting for Yusuf answer…I guess the dog… (Ooppss, the cat), ate his tongue….

Anonymous said...

Mr. or Mr.(s). Irfan Yusuf, the journalist a perfect idiot that prays several times a day in a hope of guaranteeing 72 to the third virgins in paradise (who knows how deplorable his close life is on earth) recently state that he does not find Dr. Pipes attractive...well, I doubt...I think that not only IT (Yusuf), finds him attractive, but also envies him deeply...there is not pagan god of the moon or a self proclaimed prophet that is holy to the kind of Yusuf, that can ever elevate IT to the level of even contemplating being next to Dr. Pipes. It is too much honor...This is barely for mortals, imagine for Irfan Yusuf. I really doubt....Of course, frustrated Irfan Yusuf (the born “man”) will never, but wish…..:-) I find this (yusuf) aberration’s commentary very good. It would be addressed in serious blogs that speak about the despicability of the phenomena Irfan Yusuf...Too Much chocolate, what a female commentary (I like chocolate). Do you have any glimpse of macho spirit inside you Yusuf, to post it? I doubt....

Irf said...

Anon @ 256, can you or your buddy Daniel Pipes show me where in the Qur'an is there mention of 72 virgins as a guaranteed reward? Name the chapter and verse please. Go on.

It's such fun having neo-Nazis on my blog!! Like their hero, Adolf Hitler, their hands shake so much that they cannot press the right keys on the keyboard ...

Anonymous said...

"Muslims may not own dogs. Dogs are of the devil and dog owners are slaves of the devil."

OK, so you quote one Christian fundamentalist polemical site. Well done. Thanks for enlightening us on the latest Islamid jurisprudence on the issue. When I want to learn about Jewish jurisprudence, I'll make sure I visit a neo-Nazi site.

"The only muslim I have ever heard of owning a dog was Benazir Bhutto ..."

Wow, so you've met Benazir Bhutto? Was that recently? Was it before or after her assassination? Did she appear with her father? Had you taken your pills at the time? Were the voices inside your head still talking to you?

"The Commissioner has not said he could find an muslim who was helpful enough to pick him up."

Where did he say that, d#ckhead? Why don't you e-mail his office and find out what he said? Show me one speech or press release where he said this.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

It looks like Irfan Yusuf is no more than a lady complaining about life in the kitchen...He speaks about the fact that Dr. Pipes wrote in his blog the following words: "...He jumped on me"...
In response to that, Irfan Yusuf says that he has no interest/attraction in/to Dr. Pipes, reason why he would never jump on. Well, like children younger than 5 years old, Yusuf did not trespass the barrier in between the concrete and the abstract thought. Like a 2 years old, Yusuf, Irfan interpreted Dr. Pipe’s speech literally. Instead of understanding such a simple thing in its connotative realm, Yusuf, Irfan, a gossiper born in 1969 in Delhi, who knows his "pedigree" for to say, from a Muslim family, adopted the writing of Dr. Pipes in its denotative way, exactly like a small child that is not able to understand abstract thought. From there you know what Irfan Yusuf is. Yet important to remind that he praises the heinous racist Edward Said, an Islamist Saudi Sponsored that used in his life to inject racism, double standards and hatred against the Jews. An inferior scholar. Important yet to remind that Edward Said was Americans and it is clear that Irfan Yusuf considerably dislikes anything American unless it corroborates his bestial manners and inferior work: A typical case of perfect travesty.
If Little Chocolate eater and obese Irfan yusuf supports Said, he is no less that a heinous racist and a beast..in this case, a muslim beast.

Anonymous said...

Irfan: "It's such fun having neo-Nazis on my blog!! Like their hero, Adolf Hitler". Uh oh, who hasn't researched Hitler? Irfan, Islam was Hitler's wet dream, his comments are much documented. Hitler's cause and Islams were parallel; violent indiscriminate 'Jihad' (aka genocide). Shouldn't Islam be embracing Hitler, rather than denouncing him?

Anonymous said...

tg, tell that to the spanish jews who sought refuge from the ottoman sultan after being subjected to the horrors of the pope's inquisition. tell it to their descendants whose Mishnah was protected by bosnian moslems during the WWII.

christians have a history of killing jews. moslems learned anti-semitism from the english and the russians. did moslems manufacture that forgery called "thr protocols of the learned elders of zion"?

Anonymous said...

gul we can both handpick historical events to make a point; the expulsion of Jews and Chrisitans from Islamic Spain, Moslem anti-Jewish polemics, etc, etc, but you miss my point entirely, that is the revolting, agressive and downright violent (as we've established) push of religion and the fanaticism that shadows it. Hitler was crushed, the West (and its religions) learnt valuable lessons, but the same can't be said for Islamists (who today still embrace such abhorrent ideologies). BTW how are Muslim - Jewish relations in the world today? As peachy as the mid 8th Century?

Irf said...

How are Muslim-Jewish relations to day? That depends on which part of the world you look at. From what I've seen, they're quite cosy in Australia.