The Third Jihad: Radical Islam's Vision For America
| The Third Jihad | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Wayne Kopping Erik Werth |
| Story by | Wayne Kopping Michael Pace Raphael Shore Erik Werth |
| Produced by | Erik Werth Raphael Shore |
| Narrated by | Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser |
| Edited by | Wayne Kopping |
| Music by | Alun Richards |
Production company | Public Scope Films |
| Distributed by | Gallagher Entertainment |
Release date |
|
Running time | 72 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Languages | English Arabic Persian |
The Third Jihad: Radical Islam's Vision For America is a 2008 documentary style film directed by Wayne Kopping of South Africa and Erik Werth. It was produced by Werth and Raphael Shore, a Canadian-Israeli, with financing from the Clarion Project, an organization described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as an anti-Muslim group.[1]
The film dwells on the idea of an alleged threat to the United States by radical Islam using a Muslim Brotherhood document[2] accepted as evidence in the 2007 Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development terror financing trial. Based on the document, the filmmakers contend that radical Islamists are engaging in a "multifaceted strategy to overcome the western world," waging a "cultural jihad" to "infiltrate and undermine our society from within".[3] The film is narrated by Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser, a controversial Muslim American.
The film later created widespread controversy when media discovered that it was being shown to New York Police Department recruits purportedly as a training video.
Production
[edit]Raphael Shore, producer of Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West, and founder of the Clarion Fund is the producer of The Third Jihad. The film was directed and edited by Wayne Kopping, who was also the Director, Editor, and Co-Writer of Obsession.[4] Co-Directing and Co-Producing the film was Erik Werth . The film is narrated by American Muslim Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser.[5][6][7]
The film uses video clips from American Broadcasting Company (ABC), Fox News Channel, MSNBC, CNN, As-Sahab media production house of the Al-Qaeda terrorist organization, Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), Islamic Republic of Iran News Network (IRINN), Al-Aqsa TV and other non-specified news outlets.
Synopsis
[edit]According to the filmmakers website, the film "reveals that radical Islamists driven by a religiously motivated rejection of western values cultures and religion are engaging in a multifaceted strategy to overcome the western world."[3] In contrast to the concept of violent jihad, the filmmakers introduce the concept of "cultural jihad as a means to infiltrate and undermine our society from within."[3] The overriding theme from their perspective is how this "cultural jihad" is a threat to United States national security.[5][8][9][10] The film contains excerpts of speeches by Islamic organizations and terrorist groups, includes interviews with government officials, interspersed with footage of terrorist attacks, human rights violations, and growing support of jihadist movements. A distinction is drawn between radical Islam and Islam as a whole.[citation needed] An article in The New York Times states that " portrays many mainstream American Muslim leaders as closet radical Islamists, and states that their “primary tactic” is deception.".[11]
Persons interviewed in the film include: former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Director of the American Center for Democracy Rachel Ehrenfeld, founder and president of the Alliance of Iranian Women Manda Zand Ervin, former Jammaa Islameia terrorist Dr. Tawfik Hamid, British columnist and author Melanie Phillips, Cleveland E. Dodge Professor Emeritus of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University Bernard Lewis, Wayne Simmons, founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy (AIFD) Dr. M. Zuhdi Jasser, Senior Fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies Walid Phares, head of Masjid Al Islam mosque in Washington, DC Imam Abdul Alim Musa, Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman, former CIA Intelligence Expert Clare Lopez, FBI Assistant Director for Public Affairs John Miller, President of the National Ten Point Leadership Foundation Rev. Eugene Rivers, journalist and author Mark Steyn, former CIA Director during the Clinton Administration Jim Woolsey,[12] and Police Commissioner of New York City Raymond Kelly.
Use by NYPD for training
[edit]The film was used to train New York Police Department officers during required counterterrorism training. One officer who viewed the film at an NYPD training facility stated "It was so ridiculously one-sided, it just made Muslims look like the enemy. It was straight propaganda".[13] Members of the City Council, civil rights advocates, and Muslim leaders objected to the Department's use of the film.[14] Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne said that it "never should have shown to officers," stating "it was reviewed and found to be inappropriate."[11][13]
In January 2012, The New York Times reported that documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act indicated that 1,498 officers viewed the film during the period it was used for training.[13][14][15][16] Police Commissioner of New York City Raymond Kelly, who was interviewed in the film, later stated he considered that decision a mistake and called the film "objectionable."[11]
Promotion and endorsements
[edit]Fox News Channel Hannity showed a preview of the documentary live on December 22, 2009.[17] The Third Jihad received endorsements from former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani, U.S. Senator Jon Kyl, U.S. Representatives Trent Franks and Sue Myrick, among others.[18]
References
[edit]- ^ "EXTREMISTS TO ADDRESS ANTI-MUSLIM ACT! FOR AMERICA CONFERENCE NEXT WEEK". 3 September 2015. Archived from the original on 2016-05-27. Retrieved 2018-05-10.
- ^ "An Explanatory Memorandum On the General Strategic Goal for the Group in North America" (PDF). United States District Court - Northern District of Texas. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 June 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
- ^ a b c The Third Jihad Archived 2015-12-11 at the Library of Congress Web Archives Film Website
- ^ Franklin Lamb, "Israel threatens Lebanon and Obama" Archived 2010-10-10 at the Wayback Machine, Al-Ahram Weekly, August 27 - September 2, 2009, Issue No. 962, accessed August 17, 2010
- ^ a b "The Third Jihad: Radical Islam's Vision for America". Haaretz. June 11, 2010. Archived from the original on 2012-10-26. Retrieved August 19, 2010.
- ^ "Film asserts radical Islamists waging cultural jihad in U.S." Tucson Citizen. October 20, 2008. Archived from the original on September 18, 2012. Retrieved August 19, 2010.
- ^ Matthew J. Morgan; John L. Esposito; Jean Bethke Elshtain (2009). The Impact of 9/11 on Religion and Philosophy: The Day that Changed Everything?. Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-230-60844-3. Retrieved August 19, 2010.
- ^ Michael Cosgrove Archived 2010-07-31 at the Wayback Machine, Digital Journal, August 30, 2009
- ^ Bradley Vasoli (January 16, 2009). "'The Third Jihad' Presented In Wynnewood". The Philadelphia Bulletin. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved August 19, 2010.
- ^ Ron Rhodes (2010). The Coming Oil Storm. Harvest House Publishers. ISBN 978-0-7369-2846-5. Retrieved August 19, 2010.
- ^ a b c MICHAEL POWELL (2012-01-24). "In Shift, Police Say Leader Helped With Anti-Islam Film and Now Regrets It". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2017-03-11. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
- ^ "The Third Jihad". The Third Jihad. October 5, 2008. Archived from the original on December 11, 2015. Retrieved August 19, 2010.
- ^ a b c Robbins, Tom (Jan 19, 2011). "NYPD Cops' Training Included an Anti-Muslim Horror Flick". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on 2011-01-23. Retrieved Jan 24, 2011.
- ^ a b Powell, Michael (Jan 24, 2012). "In Police Training, a Dark Film on U.S. Muslims". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2012-05-03. Retrieved Jan 24, 2012.
- ^ Tencer, Daniel (Jan 19, 2011). "NYPD officers shown Muslim-bashing film in counter-terror training". The Raw Story. Archived from the original on 2011-01-23. Retrieved Jan 24, 2011.
- ^ "NYPD Used Anti-Muslim Video in Training Courses". Democracy Now!. Archived from the original on 2011-01-24. Retrieved 2011-01-25.
- ^ "'The Third Jihad'". Fox News. Archived from the original on 2011-05-21. Retrieved August 19, 2010.
- ^ "The Third Jihad website - Approbations". Archived from the original on January 29, 2010. Retrieved May 7, 2011.