Minimize Islamic Terrorism in America? Just Manipulate Statistics

by A. Z. Mohamed
August 17, 2017 at 4:00 am

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10851/islamic-terrorism-america

While Islamist terrorists have committed fewer attacks in America since 9/11 than "far-right-wing violent extremists," they have killed more victims. — United States Government Accountability Office report, released on April 6, 2017. Titled "Countering Violent Extremism: Actions Needed to Define Strategy and Assess Progress of Federal Efforts".
Both right-wing and Islamic extremists are the enemies of Western civilization; all must be investigated and penalized. The attempt by the Left to minimize the dangers of the jihadists among us is not only counter-productive; it is immoral.

Well before Donald J. Trump was elected to the U.S. presidency, many have been claiming that more Americans have been killed by "right-wing extremists" than by Islamic terrorists.

A study released in June 2015 by the New America Foundation on "Terrorism in America After 9/11" ostensibly gave credence to this assertion. Focusing on one graph in the study and the authors' summary of the statistics – that the "death toll [from attacks since September 11, 2001] has been quite similar to other forms of political, and even non-political, violence that Americans face today" -- a number of media outlets and progressive groups pounced on the data.

Referring to the New America Foundation findings, Time magazine's Joanna Plucinska reported:

"Since 9/11, white right-wing terrorists have killed almost twice as many Americans in homegrown attacks than radical Islamists have... [During this period], 48 people were killed by white terrorists, while 26 were killed by radical Islamists."

In March 2017, the self-described "multi-media network for the latest Progressive news, commentary and analysis," The Ring of Fire, also referred to the New America Foundation study. In a program titled "Right Wing Extremist Have Killed More Americans than Terrorists," broadcaster Farron Cousins said:

"In terms of people from Muslim countries coming to the United States committing any kind of act of terror, 50 people have died in the United States since 9/11 attacks. 254 have died since the 9/11 attack from right-wing extremists violence and acts of terror here in the United States."

He went on to state that right-wing extremists "are killing five times more American citizens than anyone from any Muslim country... coming into the United States."

More recently, on August 14, 2017 -- two days after a deranged white supremacist killed a woman and wounded 19 other demonstrators in Charlottesville, Virginia -- MSNBC also pointed to the New American Foundation study. The network's Stephanie Ruhle announced, "Between 2001 and now, we have seen three times more deaths caused by right-wing extremists than Islamic terrorists."

This repeated assertion is both disingenuous and politically motivated. Far more reliable is the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, released on April 6, 2017. Titled "Countering Violent Extremism: Actions Needed to Define Strategy and Assess Progress of Federal Efforts," the report illustrates that while Islamist terrorists have committed fewer attacks in America since 9/11 than "far-right-wing violent extremists," they have killed more victims.

Both right-wing and Islamic extremists are the enemies of Western civilization; all must be investigated and penalized. The attempt by the Left to minimize the dangers of the jihadists among us is not only counter-productive; it is immoral.

On April 15, 2013, Islamic terrorists detonated two bombs at the Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring several hundred others. (Image source: Aaron Tang/Wikimedia Commons)

A.Z. Mohamed is a Muslim born and raised in the Middle East.

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Recent Articles by A. Z. Mohamed

To the Secretary General of Muslim World League, 2019-01-24
How Extremist Scholars Promote Terrorism, Violence, 2018-11-08
Saudi Arabia: Challenges for "Vision 2030", 2018-10-16
Abbas: The Same Mistakes as Arafat, 2018-09-06
Is Canada Prepared for the Threat of Returning Jihadists?, 2018-08-30

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Comment on this item

8 Reader Comments

George Guansing • Sep 1, 2017 at 00:46

Very sad to note that there still US citizens knowing very well the carnage and atrocities committed in the name of Islam be it right wing or extremist Muslims is still being defended by those no-compassionate politically correct mentality politicians most of whom in the US is from the Democratic Party and the members of the EU led by Germany and France.
It is either that the they have been corruptly bought over by the Theocratic OIC to destroy the Democracy enjoy by the the Democratic nations who from majority of the world.

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Phil Copson • Aug 23, 2017 at 09:42

(1) ".... right-wing terrorists have killed almost twice as many Americans ...48 people were killed by white terrorists, while 26 were killed by radical Islamists." (2) broadcaster Farron Cousins said: "In terms of people from Muslim countries...50 people have died in the United States since 9/11 attacks. 254 have died...from right-wing extremists...." (3) MSNBC... network's Stephanie Ruhle announced, "... we have seen three times more deaths caused by right-wing extremists than Islamic terrorists."

Twice as many, three times as many, five times as many - they just don't care what they say. Disappointed that this article highlights the claims but makes no attempt either to illustrate or rebut them by reference to actual events. Will somebody please tell me how somewhere up to 254 Americans are supposed to have been killed by right-wing extremists without it attracting attention ? Is there a list somewhere of these supposed attacks ?

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Lynda H • Aug 18, 2017 at 02:50

Despite every mainstream news report, the "deranged white supremacist" did not plough into a crowd of people. I've watched 3 videos of the tragedy and they don't lie. He believed he was under attack, accelerated, then slammed on his brakes when he saw the cars in front of him were moving slower than he thought. Braking too late, he ran into the back of the second car, which ran into the back of the red station wagon, which was the vehicle that hit the people. It was not a deliberate act. I hate defending a supremacist thug, but no person should be punished for a crime they didn't do.

The far left claim to fight for civil rights and justice, but will 'hang' an innocent man to further their agenda.

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Ziggy • Aug 17, 2017 at 15:16

Sorry, but neither is the GAO report reliable. The GAO report is also manipulated to make "far right" terrorism look worse than it is. Go to the Appendix II. Included in "right wing terrorism" are prison murders, the plane crash into the Austin IRS building by a person who quoted Marx, hated Capitalism and George Bush, etc. Also included as "far right" is the Roseburg, Oregon college shooting by a person who was part black and never expressed "white supremacism". Also included were two murders of child molesters that occurred by people who happened to be right wingers. Murders committed by people identified as right wing are included whether or not the murder was motivated by racism, such as a man who murdered two police officer who responded to calls of a domestic dispute.

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Chuck • Aug 17, 2017 at 13:49

Of course the loony left pontificators manipulate the statistics. What else makes them feel more superior than rattling off a bunch of numbers that few bother to vet or contest - the MSM simply nods fervently and repeats the "lies, damned lies, and statistics".

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Ron • Aug 17, 2017 at 12:30

Islam's "useful idiots" in the U.S. mainstream media are masters at manipulating statistics in an effort to downplay the threat posed by radicalized Islamists and overstate the danger of right-wing terrorism. As proof of the MSM's bias in favor of Islam, one simply needs to consider the fact that fatal attacks by jihadists are not counted until after 9-11. By doing this, the MSM has shown it is quite willing to ignore the deaths of nearly three thousand innocent individuals in order to understate the number of deaths caused by radical Islamists. By failing to provide the public with an accurate picture of the threat we are facing from jihadists, the MSM is following the example set by the Obama Administration by placing political correctness above national security.

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Kyle • Aug 17, 2017 at 12:27

Another reason why these statistics are at best disingenuous: why do they start counting AFTER 9/11? Is there any possible reason other than to willfully obfuscate the casualties caused by Islamic terror? Explain again why they arbitrarily decide that the victims of 9/11 don't count enough to be included in the statistics?

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Albert Reingewirtz • Aug 17, 2017 at 05:44

Toying with statistics showing that white nationalists killed more Americans than Islamic terror. Does it mean that the USA must let in more potent Islamic terrorists to even the numbers? What exactly is the aim of such toying with numbers?

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