The condemned (to repeat history) Is the world a lost cause? Is it on the brink of being completely overtaken by Islam? How close are we to the ultimate clash of cultures pitting the West’s modernity against the barbarism that is radical Islam? Well, if recent goings-on surrounding the London Olympics is any indication, way too close.

I find this conclusion inescapable, based in part on two recent events. One is the International Olympic Committee’s refusal to allow a minute of silence in honor of the 11 Israeli athletes captured, tortured and murdered within the Olympic Village during the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.

This attack against not just Jews and Israel, but against what the Olympics are supposed to stand for, gained even more ground in adulterating the Olympics’ goals and meanings with the IOC’s decision. That decision can only have been based on anti-Semitism or on fear of Arab terrorist retribution. Both, unacceptable excuses. Add to this that some 450 of London’s buses are reportedly displaying ads “for an upcoming Iran-linked anti-Israel rally,” and it becomes difficult not to conclude that England, at least, has fallen to the Islamists.

The pro-Palestinian Arab, anti-Israel/anti-Semitic bus ads, whose timing are unlikely to be a coincidence, reportedly sparked “outrage among the local Jewish community, and pushed the city into reviewing its ad policy.” But, not surprising, no one can be found with enough guts to do the right thing. Just like with the minute of silence, which some cowardly or anti-Semitic IOC official claimed would require equal time for the Palestinian terrorists who died that day, bus officials plan to do absolutely nothing about the anti-Israel ads. Transport for London, also known as TfL, reportedly said Friday it would not remove the ads, since they’re scheduled to be removed “in a few days,” anyway. The Al Quds Day march is an annual, international event founded by the late Iranian Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, which is scheduled for central London this year on August 17, the last day of Ramadan.

While the bus posters reportedly claim the event is about “the freedom of the Palestinians,” a website belonging to the Islamic Human Rights Commission, which organized the event, reportedly quotes Ayatollah Khomeini as saying that it is “a day for the oppressed to rise and stand up against the arrogant.” The website also reportedly includes links to incendiary quotes by Ayatollah Khomeini, like one in which he calls on people to “rise, destroy Israel and replace it with the heroic Palestinian nation,” and video footage of previous Al Quds day marches, showing demonstrators holding signs saying “We are all Hezbollah” and anti-Zionist Neturei Karta Hassidic Jews waving Palestinian flags.

Some English Jewish groups have called for the immediate removal of the six-week ad campaign, which would be in line with current TfL guidelines, which allow contractors to reject or amend political advertisements. Also, not surprising, a bus company spokesman reportedly declined to explain why this ad campaign was accepted. “We share unease over any advertisement which can be viewed as being ‘political’. We are therefore reviewing our advertising policy… to address this issue in future,” the spokesman reportedly said. “The advertisements in question, which are similar to advertisements which ran on our network last year, will be off the system in a few days. In the meantime, no similar advertisements will be accepted until such time as the policy review has been completed.” Meaning, that while this incendiary anti-Semitic ad will run its course during the Olympics while the world’s eyes are on London, any answering ads would be rejected for being political. Convenient, no? A report in the Israeli press quotes Dave Rich, deputy communications director for the Community Security Trust, which coordinates much of Anglo-Jewry’s security efforts, saying that “The founders and organizers of Al Quds Day make it clear that this rally is about calling for Israel to disappear, and every year marchers carry flags of Hezbollah, a terrorist organization that targets Jews and Israelis around the world. It is clearly unacceptable that this event was advertised on London buses and we are pleased that TfL have said they will review their policy in the future.” In Canada, Jewish groups are trying to stop an Al Quds Day event taking place in front of the Ontario Parliament in Toronto on August 18, asking Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty to stop the rally getting a permit. That no one is noticing the similarity between these huge annual anti-Semitic/anti-Israel hate fests and the Hitler rallies of a few generations ago, is testament to the truth of the adage that those who forget (or intentionally ignore or attempt to revise) history, are condemned to repeat it.

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