- In 2012 Sheldon Adelson said, “not all Islamists are terrorists, but all terrorists are Islamists.”
- He has brought the same unthinking bias to his attacks on internet poker in his latest video linking online gaming to terrorism..
- The FBI statistics report that only 6% of terrorist attacks on US soil are carried out by Muslim extremists.
The latest promotional video for Sheldon Adelson’s Coalition To Stop Internet Gambling (CSIG) links online gaming to terrorism is not his first foray into the subject. He has been heavily criticized for his opinions on terrorism in the past.
In 2012 he said, “not all Islamists are terrorists, but all terrorists are Islamists.” He has brought the same unthinking bias to his attacks on internet poker.
The latest advert states: “While the FBI is busy defending against terrorist threats and cyberattacks, Internet gambling will give criminals across the world a foothold in every American household, attracting criminal activity not only at home but internationally”.
Adelson is keen to quote the FBI in his denigration of online gambling—presumably the same FBI that reported only 6% of terrorist attacks on US soil are carried out by Muslim extremists.
There are almost no rules in the lobbying game; freedom of speech means that either side can say whatever it likes, and Adelson is exploiting this to the fullest. The CSIG video goes on to say: “An established ‘Al Quaeda Poker Network’ could extract enough money in just a few days to fund several 9/11 sized attacks.” Ganz falsch.
