Facebook folds in free-speech battle

Facebook has lifted its suspension of Jamie Glazov of Frontpage Magazine and his warning about jihadists, and the author and commentator is crediting media reporting, including by WND, for the victory.

WND reported Wednesday the social-media company told Glazov was imposing a 30-day suspension because his article about preventing Islamic jihad attacks in America violated Facebook's "community standards.'

The article was about Glazov's new book, "Jihadist Psychopath: How He Is Charming, Seducing, and Devouring Us."

At Frontpage, where he is editor, he had posted "9 Steps to Successfully Counter Jihad," which included recommendations such as "Label the enemy and make a threat assessment" and "Stop 'partnering' with Muslim Brotherhood front groups."

That apparently was too much for Facebook, which declared "only you can see this post" because it "goes against our Community Standards."

But now Frontpage reports Facebook has reversed itself and apologized.

Facebook called the suspension a "mistake," but Frontpage didn't buy the explanation.

"We have no doubt, of course, that no 'mistake' had actually occurred in this matter and that the ban has only been lifted because of the publicity that we engaged in – and received," said a Frontpage report by the editors.

"While it is a positive development that Facebook has lifted the ban on Jamie (for now), this story is crucial to amplify now more than ever, seeing that Facebook, and all of leftist-run social media, is, at this moment, clearly accelerating its totalitarian attack on the free speech of conservatives."

The editors said it "goes without saying that this retraction and surrender by Facebook occurred only because of the wide publicity that Jamie's banning had received. And we are immensely grateful for all the massive support that was given to us across the Internet, including especially from Breitbart, PJMedia, WorldNetDaily and Thomas Lifson at American Thinker. Leading brave conservative figures such as Michelle Malkin and Laura Loomer also stood up for Jamie, tweeting about his ban – and to them we send our heartfelt appreciation."

Frontpage said at the time that "daring to give suggestions on how our civilization can stop jihadist attacks and another 9/11 is against Facebook's 'community standards.'"

"Glazov's advice also involves the promotion of supporting moderate Muslims – a move that is, clearly, horrifying to Facebook's masters and therefore also violates their 'community standards,'" the report said.

"No doubt, Glazov's consistent campaigning on behalf of Muslim women and girls in his efforts to protect them from FGM, honor killings and other Shariah barbarities, has gained him the anger and hatred of Facebook's guardians – who are clearly on the side of the Shariah enforcers and oppressors of Muslim women and girls."

The report recalled that Facebook censored Glazov in April for posting screenshots of a Muslim's threat to him.

Twitter also censored him for quoting directly from Islamic religious texts, citing its anti-"hate" policies.

"It is 'hateful conduct,' apparently, to reference what Islamic texts themselves say. Indeed, Frontpage's editor had simply referred to Sahih Bukhari's texts discussing Mohammed's marriage to Aisha when she was six years old (7.62.88) and to Quranic Suras that mandate the Hijab for women (24:31; 33:59) and sanction sexual slavery (4:3; 33:50)."

Glazov has written about the subject in previous books, including "High Noon for America: The Coming Showdown" and "United in Hate."

In his "9 Steps" article, he points out that the Obama administration was "cooperating with, and listening to, Muslim Brotherhood front groups such as CAIR and ISNA."

The government needs, he said, to "implement a concrete 'countering-jihad' strategy."

And he said it needs to recognize "Shariah's assault on the U.S. Constitution as seditious."

A last key point, he said, is to ridicule the enemy.

"Ridicule is a vicious and potent weapon. There is a baffling and shameful silence in our culture's sphere of comedy, especially in Hollywood and our media, with regard to the myriad ingredients of Shariah and jihad that merit at least a million hilarious satirical sketches.

"Bill Maher, for whatever unappealing drawbacks he has in conservatives' eyes, has set a bold standard in this respect in his Burka Fashion Show skit. American comedians need to start writing scripts that follow in Maher’s footsteps and Americans need to encourage and equip them to do so – and to also vigorously defend them from the attacks and slanders they will inevitably receive from totalitarian leftist and Islamic forces."