US Anti-Islam Polemicists Fall Out: Andrew Bostom Accuses Robert Spencer of Plagiarism

Robert Spencer has a typical diatribe at his Jihad Watch site, denouncing the idea that anti-Semitism was imported into Islam, rather than being an essential element of the religion. Fellow polemicist Andrew Bostom, however, has a blog post of his own, linking to Spencer’s article but describing him as “A Little King Plagiarist” of his own work.

So what’s gone wrong? Just a few months ago Spencer and Bostom were making nice together at David Horowitz’s Restoration Weekend on a round table about Rifqa Bary; in 2008 Bostom was commending “My colleague and friend, the gifted and remarkably courageous independent scholar Robert Spencer”, and in September Bostom was defending Spencer in an exchange with the journalist Michael Kruse.

In February, a commentator to Bostom’s blog made an enigmatic reference to “Bostom, Diana West and Lawrence Auster” having something “in common, vis-à-vis Robert Spencer”, and that these persons “have become — for reasons we mere civilians of the anti-Islam movement may never know — personae non gratae”. That same commentator wrote on his own blog, The Hesperado:

Auster has not merely been ignored by Spencer for many months, he was publicly condemned by Spencer in the pages of Jihad Watch some time ago (I believe about two years ago) — thus breaking the Rule of the Gentlemen’s Agreement by which tensions and animosities within the anti-Islam movement are usually swept under the rug and not aired out in the sunshine of public discussion and debate. Apparently for the “Gentlemen” involved, it’s okay to publicly condemn a Charles Johnson or a Lawrence Auster (even though Auster is not guilty of the sins of Johnson), but one must hide behind closed doors when negotiating the differences — or perhaps serious ruptures — with other erstwhile colleagues, such as Bruce Bawer, Diana West, Andrew Bostom, and perhaps now also the Baron from the Gates of Vienna blog (which interestingly no longer appears on the Jihad Watch blogroll, and whose copious and valuable coverage of the Geert Wilders trial has been utterly ignored by Spencer).

(Hat tip: Bill Warner)

5 Responses

  1. […] within Islam’. IFPS’s board members include the familiar names Bat Ye’or, Robert Spencer, Andrew Bostom and affiliates like Aish Ha Torah. Incidentally, one of the listed advisers for IFPS is Rachel […]

  2. […] within Islam’. IFPS’s board members include the familiar names Bat Ye’or, Robert Spencer, Andrew Bostom and affiliates like Aish Ha Torah. Incidentally, one of the listed advisers for IFPS is Rachel […]

  3. […] IFPS’s board members include the familiar names Bat Ye’or, Robert Spencer, Andrew Bostom and affiliates like Aish Ha Torah. Names which have already been exposed for their leading roles in […]

  4. […] IFPS’s board members include the familiar names Bat Ye’or, Robert Spencer, Andrew Bostomand affiliates like Aish Ha Torah. Names which have already been exposed for their leading roles in […]

  5. […] Spencer and Andrew Bostom; one wonders whether the two men have patched things up since Bostom accused Spencer of […]

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