‘Obsession,’ a $140 million campaign contribution to defeat Obama
by Julianne Malveaux, NNPA columnist
To be sure, the “Obsession” film begins with a disclaimer that the majority of Muslims are peaceful. But then, a series of frightening and violent images are highlighted as example of Islam’s war against the West. The hour-long film makes it appear that Islamic forces attack the West, without context. How many of these attacks, no matter how reprehensible, have we provoked?
To be sure, the perpetrators of Sept. 11, 2001, were beyond reprehensible. Instead of apprehending them, though, we decided to go to another country and start a war that is now costing us about a trillion dollars.
Radical Islam does not have to attack the West. We’ve done ourselves – and our economy – damage enough with a war that has caused us to lose esteem and allies all over the world. While most of the world embraces a war against terrorism, the link between Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden has yet to be established.
The Clarion Fund, which produced and distributed “Obsession,” spent millions of advertising dollars so that newspapers around the country would include their DVD as a paid insert. In Denver and Dayton, Portland and Philadelphia, Las Vegas and Lansing, readers were treated to a DVD that sells for $12.95 on the Internet.
It costs $4.95 to review the DVD online. And the Clarion Fund claims that 28 million were distributed. If the DVDs wholesale at $5 a piece, the Clarion Fund made a $140 million campaign contribution to those who would connect Obama with “radical Islam.”
Couldn’t they just be pushing a cause? There is the adage, “Timing is everything”.
You have got to question the timing of this distribution in an election that appears to be closer than it ought to be if we simply went on the merits of the candidates. “Obsession” injects fear and apprehension into a campaign that is already full of irrationality and emotion – from the women who were supposed to be swayed by the addition of Sarah Palin to the McCain ticket, to the people who hesitate to vote for Obama because he is of African descent.
Now, there is the fear mongering over radical Islam and a film designed to incite both fear and anger. At a time when we ought to be building bridges, “Obsession” builds barriers between Muslims and others.
A more useful film might compare sections of the Bible with sections of the Koran to understand how much all religions have in common. As I watched “Obsession,” I remembered the taut post-9/11 days in the United States when many Muslims were seen as suspects in 9/11 incidents.
In Washington, D.C., where I lived at the time, Muslim cab drivers seemed to take special care to display an American flag in or on their car to indicate their fealty with our country or to protect themselves from violence. Fearful and angry Americans beat random Muslims, and accusations flew. Because of the secrecy that permeates that time, we are not sure whether innocent Muslims, accused of terrorism, were deported. We do know that our “intelligence” agencies were granted increased power because of the “war on terrorism.”
All of us should be educated about the dangers that face our country. One of those dangers is intolerance. As the United States becomes increasingly diverse, we need to learn more about all of the cultures that make up this great nation.
We need to learn more languages so we can be more competitive with other countries. And we need to learn about the range of Islamic thinking, in cultural context. Radical Islam has been partly shaped by aggression on the part of the United States.
Timing is everything. These DVDs weren’t given away six weeks before an election except to attempt to influence the election. If you watch “Obsession,” do so with a grain of salt. If you object to the message, reach out to the Clarion Fund and let them know that while they have the right to distribute propaganda, everyone is not swayed by it.
Julianne Malveaux is president of Bennett College for Women. She may be reached at presoffice@bennett.edu.
I’ve done some work on “Obsession,” and I take offense to your blanket characterization of the film as “propaganda” – and that film promotes intolerance. You mention the disclaimer at the beginning of the movie (a movie that came out 2 years ago, but after reading this you’d never know that fact) but fail to mention what it actually says, which I will do here:
“This is a film about Radical Islamic terror. A dangerous ideology, fueled by religious hatred. It’s important to remember, most Muslims are peaceful and do not support terror. This is not a film about them. This is a film about a radical worldview, and the threat it poses to us all, Muslim and non-Muslim alike.”
Sure, some of the images are frightening and violent – but then again, I think we can all agree that the savage world views and actions of these radicals are pretty damn scary, too. Yet, you claim that “Obsession” offers a “deliberately and distortedly frightening view” of these extremists. Really? Is there any need to distort the words and actions of these hateful zealots? Is it not enough to see burning buildings and hate-filled screeds against everything that we as individuals living in a free and democratic society enjoy daily? The intent of this movie is to not “stir up” hatred against any religious group or minority – it offers images and snapshots of a brutal and savage mindset that threatens both our country and the majority of Muslims who are getting a bad name because of these extremists.
Thanks for letting me share my point of view.
BHarold: Is there any reason U. S. intends to provide 30 blllion dollars grants to Israel in next 10 years? Who are the savages? What is the definition of savegery? Killing 2 million Koreans or 2 million Vietnamese as a passtime? Or on the fun trip by obliterating twin cities in Japan even though Japan was ready agreed to surrender? By the way, by lying to the world, by overturning the security council resolutions, attacking a country, murdering 4 million people – I guess the figure is still rising. Savages and apes have dethorned an demoratically elected government in 1953 in Iran by imposing a brutal dictator. Oh’ my God, savages do not engage with dictators. Are you sure? Then pull out hypocritical amabassadors from Saudi Arabia, Kuwaait? Why not? I need oil man? I did not support Musharraf for 10 years!!! Then interfering and instigating Georgia to intimidate Russia! What happened? Forgot to tell something. Who provided millions of dollars of weapons to the same dictator to attack Iran murdering another couple of millions. Brother! Do we think like humans? Are we really humans? There is something wrong in our genes man? How can we sanction a nation for almost a decade and kill 2 million of them – because they practise different religion? This is part and parcel of Judo-Christian definition of civility? Where is the end? Enough is written about 200 million red indians missing in action. Enough is written about 400 years of savegery of transportation of millions of Africans, don’t even go there. Put your head in the sand boy. Do it now? No wonder 70% Germans beleive the Yankees are the greatest threat to this planet. Show me one nation where our Country is popular today? We eat like pigs, spend like beasts, walk like arrogant monkeys, shout like uncontrolled donkeys, attack others with no mercy. Killing, murdering, razing cities, sanctioning, spreading false has become our integral part of civiliztion. Look where we are today. We are financially finished. Our dollar is worth a toilet tissue. Thanks to Saudi Arabia for artifically supporting our dollar. Thanks to oil producing Muslim countries for exchanging oil with dollars, otherwise, we would have been finished long time ago.
Robert Mulcary,
You have spoken the truth mate. West by birth is an evil world controlled by the pupet masters (Jews).
muslim scholars and the custodian of the 2 holy masjids in saudi arabia have the undeniable duty to defend islam and strongly condemn any such radical attacks by any groups or governments, on our religion. our enemies are getting bolder when our scholars and the saudi king are quiet or apologitic. muslim organisations and groups should also arrange big peaceful protests to counter such unrealistic propagandas/movements. it has been the western countries like america and britain who are afraid of our way of living and our belief, they have been trying to exploit us, change us and force us to accept their values and living styles, not vice versa. but they always dont say what they do and always say what they dont do, shame on them! they colonise our lands and kill our peoples and forced us to accept their demoralised western values for centuries and we ourselves are witnessing all these happening in iraq and afghanistan. if we dont speak for ourselves, who will speak for us?
to BHarold: the movie is targeting muslims without any doubt, dont try to defend the undefendable. you shall show the atrocities done by the american army & allies in iraq and afghanistan to justify your claims. how are the ‘millions’ of innocent children, women and men, unarmed in these countries being killed and tortured by your government/soldiers?? do you have heart? do you have brain? besides the murders and tortures, all infrustratures in these countries are destroyed by your people.
The vast majority of Muslims are peaceful, but the extremists are hell-bent on using terrorism to destroy Western values and replace them with a system of oppression. Radical Islamists have hijacked Islam to incite hatred, violence, human rights abuses, and the murder of innocent people. The film Obsession: Radical Islam’s War Against the West is about radical Islamists, not all Muslims.
There are some people in America who would like to forget about the terrorist threat or wish it away. Obsession reveals the dangers of this thinking. That’s why the movie is controversial, but it’s also why every American should see it.
The Nov. 2nd article unfairly calls Obsession, an award-winning documentary, ‘dangerous” and ‘designed to incite fear.’ Yes, reality can be dangerous and the reality is that radical Islam is a real scary danger to the Western world. The film relies on the actual words of radical Islamists to paint an accurate depiction of the manner in which Muslim extremists have hijacked Islam to incite hatred, violence, human rights abuses, and the murder of innocent people. The threat of radical Islam is dangerous, not the film.
Obsession has received positive coverage in many respected media outlets, including on CNN and Fox News (http://www.obsessionthemovie.com/media_main.php). The film has been screened in hundreds of locations from college campuses to Capitol Hill. Additionally, it has been used as a training tool by think tanks, law enforcement and the United States military. This documentary has helped millions of Americans learn about the threat of radical Islam.
Our distribution of the award-winning documentary Obsession this fall was intended to elevate the threat of radical Islam as an issue that needed to be addressed by both the presidential candidates. We were not looking to influence the vote. Neither campaign was involved.
We congratulate President-elect Obama on his election win and we urge the incoming Administration to develop a comprehensive plan to curtail the threat of radical Islam in the U.S. and internationally.