As if we haven’t had enough unexpected twists in the Oslo tragedy, a fascinating op-ed on Islamophobia by none other than Abe Foxman (“Norwegian attacks stem from a new ideological hate – The Washington Post“) of the Anti-Defamation League appeared in yesterday’s Washington Post.

I don’t often find myself agreeing with Mr. Foxman on issues involving Muslims – though I certainly share his concerns about the use of anti-Semitism as a political tool by Muslim extremists — but I think he is to be applauded for this principled and thoughtful warning about the growing threat of Islamophobia. Most interestingly, Foxman explitly explores the profound parallels between this new hate and the age-old “Socialism of Fools” that the ADL exists to fight.

Abe Foxman: “Norwegian attacks stem from a new ideological hate” – The Washington Post

It is especially heartening to see one of the most prominent fighters against anti-Semitism call out hate-spewing Islamophobes for what they are, an in language that makes their deep affinities with traditional anti-Semites crystal clear. Foxman writes of hardline Islamophobia:

These ideas are no longer geographically isolated. The Oslo perpetrator in his manifesto quoted extensively from the writings of European and American bloggers – including Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller – who promote a conspiratorial anti-Muslim agenda under the pretext of fighting radical Islam. Because of the reach of the Internet, these ideas float freely across borders and are reinforced by like-minded bigots.

Likewise, he laments elsewhere the “promotion by anti-Islamic zealots of a growing conspiracy theory about ‘creeping Sharia law.’”

That must smart coming from somebody with his credentials.

It will be interesting to see whether Islamophobe bloggers dare to smear Mr. Foxman as a “dhimmi” sellout, as is their wont when dealing with experts whose work calls into question their Manichean conspiracy theories and distortions of Islamic belief.