Sunday, 26-Oct-2003 9:35 AM

Who is Rita Katz?

The SBS Australia’s Dateline television programme that claimed Anwar Ibrahim has terrorist links depends heavily upon the accusations of a woman named Rita Katz (transcripts of the SBS feature).

And just who is Rita Katz?

Katz is an Iraqi Jew who now lives in the United States. She is a self-proclaimed "terrorist hunter" who operates a one-woman research centre in Washington called "The Search for International Terrorist Entities Institute," or SITE. This is obviously a word play on the SETI Institute -- the search for extra terrestrial intelligence. Look at the logo on Katz's website, and you will want to say "Beam me up, Scotty."

Katz is also the author of a book called "Terrorist Hunter: The Extraordinary Story of a Woman Who Went Undercover to Infiltrate the Radical Islamic Groups Operating in America", which lists her authorship as "anonymous". It later became known that Katz was "Anonymous".

In the book she tells her personal story: how, as a child, she and her Jewish family escaped imprisonment in Iraq after the regime executed her father as a spy for Israel.

One can well imagine how, as a young woman, as a Jew, as the daughter of an Israeli spy who was killed by the Iraqi government, as someone who had to flee from her own country -- one can well imagine how her hatred for Muslims grew.

If you use the Yahoo or Google search engines to learn more about her and her book, you will see a certain pattern.

First, she appears most often as an "expert" on Fox News, the right-wing American cable news network. There are no citations for any appearance by Katz on any mainstream or reputable news network -- except the infamous “60 Minutes" interview, in which she appeared anonymously, in shadows. Fox's animosity towards Muslims and Arabs, and its flag-waving American patriotism is well-known. It even set the video of the "shock and awe" bombing of Baghdad to music, as if its viewers were watching the 4th of July fireworks display.

Second, she is quoted and interviewed primarily by ultra right-wing websites such as the National Review Online and NewsMax, or by Jewish publications. When she speaks, it is usually before conservative and Jewish groups. The animosity that these groups have for Muslims and Arabs is well-known. The willingness of so many Jew and Christian right-wingers to believe the worst about Muslims is obvious. Consider, for example, the comments of Jerry Falwell and General William, "My God is bigger than your God" Boykin. Consider the right-wing darling of the Fox News Network, Ann Coulter, who said the United States should invade all Muslim countries and convert them to Christianity. People like this love Rita Katz.

Third, her two most prominent (and most controversial) interviews were both conducted by Jewish journalists -- Bob Simon for CBS and Ginny Stein for SBS. We have no intention to engage in Mahathir-style Jew-bashing. The point -- as we said above -- is that many Jews are inclined to believe the worst about Muslims and think that there is a terrorist under every bed.

Fourth, Katz is being sued for libel by the Herndon, Virginia groups that she accused of being terrorist fronts, and also by a company she accused of laundering money for terrorists, the Mar-Jac Poultry Company of Gainesville, Georgia.

So here is the real question for Malaysians to ponder.

One week ago, Dr Mahathir said that the West is biased because it thinks all Muslims are terrorists. He talked about Jewish influence in the media and the anti-Muslim comments of right wing American leaders like Reverend Jerry Falwell. Why then are friends of Abdullah Badawi doing the very thing that Dr Mahathir and all Malaysians condemn? Why are they falling into the trap of labelling all Muslims as terrorists, and believing the worst accusations that are made by right-wing Americans and Jewish groups in the United States?

Whose side are Badawi's friends on?

Free Anwar Campaign refutes terror links alleged in SBS report - Malaysiakini Oct 25

Bernama distorts SBS report on Anwar Ibrahim – FAC News Oct 25

Pak Lah fires the first shot – FAC News Oct 24