Debbie Schlussel
Encyclopedia
Debbie Schlussel is an American
attorney
, film critic, political commentator, and a conservative blog
ger who focuses particularly on Islam
and American Muslims. Her writing frequently targets the largely Muslim population of the Detroit suburb of Dearborn
, which she refers to as "Dearbornistan". Her columns are often provocative and controversial, specifically those detailing what she considers the unsavory elements of Islam, the objectionable activities of American Muslims, illegal immigrants
, as well as liberal and “faux-conservative”
politicians.
descent. Her father, H.L. Schlussel, was the son of immigrants. An ophthalmologist who also served in the United States Army
, he has been a major influence in his daughter's life. She became active in politics at an early age, joining the National Teenage Republicans
. She was a Jack Kemp
delegate at the 1988 Republican National Convention
and has worked on numerous political campaigns.
Schlussel received a BA
from the University of Michigan
and later earned a JD
and MBA
from the University of Wisconsin. While at the University of Michigan, she once appeared on an episode of The Morton Downey, Jr Show that was filmed in Detroit, Michigan
. In 1990, Schlussel ran for the Republican nomination for the 4th District (Oakland County) of the Michigan House of Representatives. She was defeated by Barbara Dobb by a single vote from around 8500 cast. Schlussel has since claimed that voter fraud led to her defeat, making allegations of impropriety against the family of her opponent and the judge who ruled on the issue.
In 1998, she stood for nomination to the same district (now renamed the 39th) against Marc Shulman. Schlussel has continued to attack Shulman, in particular when he received the Republican nomination for the Michigan Supreme Court
and was defeated.
, The Wall Street Journal
, The Washington Times
, The Jerusalem Post
, amongst others. Her film reviews are posted on Andrew Breitbart's Big Hollywood website. She hosted The Debbie Schlussel Show between 2002 and 2003.
The main focus of Schlussel's journalism is targeting what she regards as negative elements of American Islamic society. In 1998, she reported undercover from the Islamic Center of America
for The Detroit News
. According to her account, invited speaker Louis Farrakhan
made an incendiary and anti-American speech at the mosque and was greeted by 'frenzied applause and wild cheering'. The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
criticized her work in its 2002 Hate Crime report, citing Schlussel's criticism of Darrell Issa
after he met with Hezbollah in Syria
. Schlussel has also been cited by liberal media watchdog Media Matters
for spreading misinformation. Schlussel responded to the latter by calling Media Matters "far-left".
During and following the captivity of American journalist Jill Carroll
, Schlussel alleged that Carroll hated Israel and America, and implied that she sympathized with her captors. When objections were raised, she derided her critics as "blind worshippers of Jill Carroll" in need of "LASIK
."
Schlussel achieved some notoriety because of an editorial in the Wall Street Journal accusing Morgan Spurlock
(who produced the documentary series 30 Days and film Super Size Me
) of unbalanced and faulty methods in achieving the results for the television show.
In 2007, Schlussel opined that WNBA player Anna DeForge
is a bad role model because she is a lesbian. She was criticized for this statement by player Kayte Christensen
in an Arizona Republic column.
When the Virginia Tech Massacre
occurred on April 16th 2007, the police told the press that the shooter was an “Asian male” Schlussel was quick to tie it to Muslims, saying in a racist tirade that "Pakis are considered ‘Asian,’” and that it could be “part of a co-ordinated terrorist plot by Pakistanis.”
In 2011, Schlussel provoked controversy by her comments after CBS reporter Lara Logan
's sexual assault suffered while covering the Egyptian protests. Schlussel stated, "Lara Logan was among the chief cheerleaders of this 'revolution' by animals. Now she knows what Islamic revolution is really all about. So sad, too bad, Lara.
After the killing of Osama bin Laden
, Schlussel wrote on her blog "1 down, 1.8 billion more to go". Schlussel wrote about the 2011 Norway attacks
that while she doesn't "condone violent massacres on innocent civilians" and condemned their killer, she thought that "I’m not sad for either side... Now these kids’ families know what it feels like to be victims of the Islamic terrorists whose Judenrein boycotts and terrorist flotillas against Israel they support." She also stated, "I don’t get too upset when they face the karma that is their fate."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
attorney
Attorney at law
An attorney at law in the United States is a practitioner in a court of law who is legally qualified to prosecute and defend actions in such court on the retainer of clients. Alternative terms include counselor and lawyer...
, film critic, political commentator, and a conservative blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
ger who focuses particularly on Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
and American Muslims. Her writing frequently targets the largely Muslim population of the Detroit suburb of Dearborn
Dearborn, Michigan
-Economy:Ford Motor Company has its world headquarters in Dearborn. In addition its Dearborn campus contains many research, testing, finance and some production facilities. Ford Land controls the numerous properties owned by Ford including sales and leasing to unrelated businesses such as the...
, which she refers to as "Dearbornistan". Her columns are often provocative and controversial, specifically those detailing what she considers the unsavory elements of Islam, the objectionable activities of American Muslims, illegal immigrants
Illegal immigration to the United States
An illegal immigrant in the United States is an alien who has entered the United States without government permission or stayed beyond the termination date of a visa....
, as well as liberal and “faux-conservative”
Republican In Name Only
Republican In Name Only is a pejorative term that refers to a member of the Republican Party of the United States whose political views or actions are considered insufficiently conservative or otherwise not conforming to party positions...
politicians.
Early life and political career
Schlussel was born in 1969 to a family of Polish JewishHistory of the Jews in Poland
The history of the Jews in Poland dates back over a millennium. For centuries, Poland was home to the largest and most significant Jewish community in the world. Poland was the centre of Jewish culture thanks to a long period of statutory religious tolerance and social autonomy. This ended with the...
descent. Her father, H.L. Schlussel, was the son of immigrants. An ophthalmologist who also served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, he has been a major influence in his daughter's life. She became active in politics at an early age, joining the National Teenage Republicans
Teenage Republicans
Teen Age Republicans or "TARs" is a political youth organization that is an official auxiliary to the United States Republican Party. There are various TAR clubs throughout the United States, at county and state levels. TAR has a presence in all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, and...
. She was a Jack Kemp
Jack Kemp
Jack French Kemp was an American politician and a collegiate and professional football player. A Republican, he served as Housing Secretary in the administration of President George H. W. Bush from 1989 to 1993, having previously served nine terms as a congressman for Western New York's 31st...
delegate at the 1988 Republican National Convention
1988 Republican National Convention
The 1988 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States was held in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana from August 15 to August 18, 1988. It was the second time that a major party held its conclave in one of the five states known as the Deep South, coming on the...
and has worked on numerous political campaigns.
Schlussel received a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
and later earned a JD
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
and MBA
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
from the University of Wisconsin. While at the University of Michigan, she once appeared on an episode of The Morton Downey, Jr Show that was filmed in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
. In 1990, Schlussel ran for the Republican nomination for the 4th District (Oakland County) of the Michigan House of Representatives. She was defeated by Barbara Dobb by a single vote from around 8500 cast. Schlussel has since claimed that voter fraud led to her defeat, making allegations of impropriety against the family of her opponent and the judge who ruled on the issue.
In 1998, she stood for nomination to the same district (now renamed the 39th) against Marc Shulman. Schlussel has continued to attack Shulman, in particular when he received the Republican nomination for the Michigan Supreme Court
Michigan Supreme Court
The Michigan Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is known as Michigan's "court of last resort" and consists of seven justices who are elected to eight-year terms. Candidates are nominated by political parties and are elected on a nonpartisan ballot...
and was defeated.
Professional life and views
Schlussel's columns have been published in the New York PostNew York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
, The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
, The Washington Times
The Washington Times
The Washington Times is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. It was founded in 1982 by Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, and until 2010 was owned by News World Communications, an international media conglomerate associated with the...
, The Jerusalem Post
The Jerusalem Post
The Jerusalem Post is an Israeli daily English-language broadsheet newspaper, founded on December 1, 1932 by Gershon Agron as The Palestine Post. The daily readership numbers do not approach those of the major Hebrew newspapers....
, amongst others. Her film reviews are posted on Andrew Breitbart's Big Hollywood website. She hosted The Debbie Schlussel Show between 2002 and 2003.
The main focus of Schlussel's journalism is targeting what she regards as negative elements of American Islamic society. In 1998, she reported undercover from the Islamic Center of America
Islamic Center of America
The Islamic Center of America is a mosque in Dearborn, Michigan, opened in 2005, that is the largest in North America. It caters mainly to the Shi'a Muslim congregation; however, all Muslims may attend this mosque....
for The Detroit News
The Detroit News
The Detroit News is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival Free Press's building. The News absorbed the Detroit Tribune on February 1, 1919, the Detroit Journal on July 21, 1922, and on November 7, 1960,...
. According to her account, invited speaker Louis Farrakhan
Louis Farrakhan
Louis Farrakhan Muhammad, Sr. is the leader of the African-American religious movement the Nation of Islam . He served as the minister of major mosques in Boston and Harlem, and was appointed by the longtime NOI leader, Elijah Muhammad, before his death in 1975, as the National Representative of...
made an incendiary and anti-American speech at the mosque and was greeted by 'frenzied applause and wild cheering'. The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee states that it is the largest Arab American grassroots civil rights organization in the United States. According to its web page it is open to people of all backgrounds, faiths and ethnicities and has over 40 chapters in 24 states and members in all...
criticized her work in its 2002 Hate Crime report, citing Schlussel's criticism of Darrell Issa
Darrell Issa
Darrell Edward Issa is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the 48th, serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party. He was formerly a CEO of Directed Electronics, the Vista, California-based manufacturer of automobile security and convenience products...
after he met with Hezbollah in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. Schlussel has also been cited by liberal media watchdog Media Matters
Media Matters
Media Matters can refer to:* Media Matters for America, progressive media watchdog group founded by author David Brock* The radio program Media Matters hosted by communications professor Robert W. McChesney...
for spreading misinformation. Schlussel responded to the latter by calling Media Matters "far-left".
During and following the captivity of American journalist Jill Carroll
Jill Carroll
Jill Carroll is an American former journalist who was kidnapped and ultimately released in Iraq. Carroll was a reporter for the Christian Science Monitor at the time of her kidnapping...
, Schlussel alleged that Carroll hated Israel and America, and implied that she sympathized with her captors. When objections were raised, she derided her critics as "blind worshippers of Jill Carroll" in need of "LASIK
LASIK
LASIK or Lasik , commonly referred to simply as laser eye surgery, is a type of refractive surgery for correcting myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism...
."
Schlussel achieved some notoriety because of an editorial in the Wall Street Journal accusing Morgan Spurlock
Morgan Spurlock
Morgan Valentine Spurlock is an American documentary filmmaker, humorist, television producer, screenwriter and journalist best known for the documentary film Super Size Me...
(who produced the documentary series 30 Days and film Super Size Me
Super Size Me
Super Size Me is a 2004 American documentary film directed by and starring Morgan Spurlock, an American independent filmmaker. Spurlock's film follows a 30-day period from February 1 to March 2, 2003 during which he eats only McDonald's food...
) of unbalanced and faulty methods in achieving the results for the television show.
In 2007, Schlussel opined that WNBA player Anna DeForge
Anna DeForge
Anna Louise DeForge is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA. She is the first player from the University of Nebraska to ever play in the WNBA. After finding little success and playing time for several WNBA teams, she finally earned...
is a bad role model because she is a lesbian. She was criticized for this statement by player Kayte Christensen
Kayte Christensen
Kayte Lauren Christensen is an American Color commentator and former professional basketball player who has competed internationally and for the Phoenix Mercury,Houston Comets and Chicago Sky in the WNBA....
in an Arizona Republic column.
When the Virginia Tech Massacre
Virginia Tech massacre
The Virginia Tech massacre was a school shooting that took place on April 16, 2007, on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States. In two separate attacks, approximately two hours apart, the perpetrator, Seung-Hui Cho, killed 32 people...
occurred on April 16th 2007, the police told the press that the shooter was an “Asian male” Schlussel was quick to tie it to Muslims, saying in a racist tirade that "Pakis are considered ‘Asian,’” and that it could be “part of a co-ordinated terrorist plot by Pakistanis.”
In 2011, Schlussel provoked controversy by her comments after CBS reporter Lara Logan
Lara Logan
Lara Logan is a South African television and radio journalist, and war correspondent. She is the chief foreign affairs correspondent for CBS News, and a correspondent for CBS's 60 Minutes.-Personal life:...
's sexual assault suffered while covering the Egyptian protests. Schlussel stated, "Lara Logan was among the chief cheerleaders of this 'revolution' by animals. Now she knows what Islamic revolution is really all about. So sad, too bad, Lara.
After the killing of Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
, Schlussel wrote on her blog "1 down, 1.8 billion more to go". Schlussel wrote about the 2011 Norway attacks
2011 Norway attacks
The 2011 Norway attacks were two sequential terrorist attacks against the government, the civilian population and a summer camp in Norway on 22 July 2011....
that while she doesn't "condone violent massacres on innocent civilians" and condemned their killer, she thought that "I’m not sad for either side... Now these kids’ families know what it feels like to be victims of the Islamic terrorists whose Judenrein boycotts and terrorist flotillas against Israel they support." She also stated, "I don’t get too upset when they face the karma that is their fate."