Who Is Behind the ‘Radical Islam’ DVD?

[Charliebox]

_http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/20080923_who_is_behind_the_radical_islam_dvd/?ln

The blogosphere is alive with the sound of buzz—all about an inflammatory DVD on radical Islam being distributed to millions of households at the peak of election season.

Critics are calling the DVD, “Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West,” anti-Muslim hate, or politicking, or both. It doesn’t mention or even obliquely allude to the presidential candidates. It couldn’t, since it was made in 2006. But as whisper campaigns dog Obama with rumors that he’s a secret Muslim, the DVD showed up as an insert in some 70 newspapers, with an emphasis in swing states.

The obvious question: Who is behind it?

And the answer: The DVD is distributed by the Clarion Fund, a nonprofit set up by the film’s producer, Rabbi Raphael Shore. But not much is known about the group. It’s a 501(c)(3) charity, which means it can’t engage in partisan politics.

It did apparently have material on its Web site supporting John McCain, but then took it down.

Clarion has connections to Aish HaTorah, a strongly pro-Israel Jewish educational organization promoting Jewish identity and pride. Aish HaTorah has offices in Israel and the U.S.

Clarion’s corporate filings in Delaware list the same address as Aish HaTorah New York. Clarion’s two directors in 2006 were Shore and Jacob Fetman, who served as Aish’s CFO. In 2007, the organization listed its directors as Shore, Henry Harris and Rebecca Kabat. Rabbi Harris is educational director at Aish HaTorah NY and Kabat has also worked for Aish.

Shore himself has worked for Aish HaTora. He told the Washington Times in 1992 that he “went to Israel 10 years ago to try to ‘rescue’ his twin brother, Ephraim, from Aish HaTorah,” because he though it was a “big hoax.” Instead, Shore became convinced and joined the organization’s management. (Their other brother, David, created Fox’s TV show “House.")

Aish’s Ephraim Shore has also been president of the organization HonestReporting.com, which, according to Aish’s Web site, helped to produce and promote Raphael Shore’s film.

But don’t ask where the Clarion Fund gets its funding. It’s not telling. And with its 501(c)(3) status, it doesn’t have to.

I've talked to a few Americans online today, and I heard that they were receiving this DVD in thier mailboxes. Now I understand that it's election season and all, but these aren't being put out by a political party. This is pure propaghanda and the most horrifying part is that it's in DVD form. You can really tell the intelligence level of the people they are targetting by not putting something out the traditional way, in print.

I apologize if someone has started a thread about this already. I have done a quick search and haven't found anything relating to this in the forum yet.

 

[bedower]

Who is behind this DVD?

If I thought this was a serious question, my repy would be; "You have one guess!"

 

[Joe]

several possible reasons for this, one of them being that there may be some spectacular "muslim terrorist" attack in the offing, and the DVD is just to prime as many as possible in the US.

It's pretty sick though that the truth has been stood 100% on its head. Radical Islam my ass!

 

[Cyre2067]

My coworker got this DVD in her sunday paper and ended up watching. She expressed it's purpose in one word: Fear. She said that after watching it she was totally afraid of 'radical islam' and then she kinda noticed her irrationality, that it was associated directly with watching the DVD and it's 'spell' broke. She figured it was being sent out by republicans in order to get the fear factor up, since that seems to get them votes.

Disturbing news indeed.

 

[JonnyRadar]

yikes! must say i'm more frightened by the devious video-editing tactics of the "film"-makers than the subject matter itself. there's an abridged version of the "film" on google video, (_http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6331994107023396223) if anyone wants to catch a glimpse of the unabridged fear-mongering.

edit: someone should make a documentary about radical evangelism's war on, um... everyone... oh wait, they did, it's called jesus camp.