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Charlie Kirk: The Hunger Artist of Free Speech

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How incitement from CAIR, campus radicals, and media allies turns deadly — and why the press prefers martyrs to survivors. When incitement bears fruit, the left cries “free speech.”

The assassination of Charlie Kirk exposes a disturbing pattern: when rhetoric from the left inspires violence, the response is not accountability, but denial. Instead of confronting the atmosphere of incitement they help create, leftist activists and their media allies rush to reframe violence as an aberration — or worse, as the inevitable byproduct of “free speech.”

This script is familiar to anyone who has followed the rhetoric surrounding the so‑called “Palestinian cause.” For decades, organizations such as the Hamas-linked Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) have trafficked in incendiary language, denouncing “Zionist judges,” labeling Jewish institutions as “enemies,” and portraying Israel as a “criminal terrorist organization.” When this rhetoric bears violent fruit, the same groups rush to the cameras to disclaim responsibility while posturing as defenders of civil rights.

We saw the pattern in WFAA’s coverage of the Tarrant County hate‑crime trial. CAIR reframed graffiti reading “F*** Israel” on a church wall as mere “criticism of a country’s policies.” According to this logic, virulent hostility toward the very existence of the Jewish state is simply protected expression. Left unsaid is how constant repetition of this rhetoric primes the environment for violent action.

The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism makes clear: legitimate criticism of Israel is not antisemitism, but applying double standards or denying the Jewish people their right to self‑determination is. There is a link between anti‑Israel agitation and antisemitic incidents in America: hostility spikes in lockstep with violence in the Middle East.

Yet WFAA repeated CAIR’s framing without challenge, omitting the group’s own record of incitement. The Network Contagion Research Institute documented CAIR‑sponsored rallies where speakers decried American courts as controlled by “Zionist judges” and branded synagogues “enemies.” That rhetoric set the stage for the Colleyville synagogue hostage crisis in 2022 — but coverage once again cast CAIR as a voice of calm and unity.

The murder of a prominent conservative is part of this same cycle. Pim Fortuyn, the Dutch politician, was assassinated in 2002 after relentless demonization. Theo van Gogh, the Dutch filmmaker, was murdered in 2004 for speaking against Islamic jihad activity. In the United States, Rep. Steve Scalise was critically wounded in the 2017 Congressional baseball shooting, an attack explicitly targeting Republicans. More recently, the attempted assassination of Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2022 underscored that the climate of incitement is not abstract. The pattern repeats: vilify conservatives, normalize hatred, and then feign shock when violence follows.

Charlie Kirk embodied free speech. He engaged even his fiercest opponents in open debate. We may not yet know every detail of his killer’s motive, but we do know this: Kirk died as a martyr for free expression. Contrast that with vandals who defaced a Texas church with anti‑Israel graffiti. The media celebrate them as “activists,” while CAIR’s absurd defense of their actions is presented as a “challenge” to free speech. The comparison is stark: a man who stood for dialogue is dead, while those who trade in hatred are shielded by euphemism.

Just as the press has long seemed to prefer dead Jews as symbols of victimhood rather than living Jews who defend themselves, it now revels in dead conservatives, while chastising those who survive. When Pamela Geller had the audacity to live through an ISIS assassination attempt, outlets scolded her for supposedly relishing attention. The message is clear: martyrdom is celebrated; survival is condemned.

CAIR has also stood by as pro‑Palestinian activists ran wild on and off campus. Columbia University offered a clear example: encampments disrupted classes, blocked entrances, and Jewish students reported being harassed and even physically prevented from passing through campus gates. Rather than condemn the excesses, CAIR and its allies framed them as free speech. See the New York Times (“Columbia Extends Remote Classes Amid Campus Unrest,” April 22, 2024) and the Wall Street Journal (“At Columbia, Jewish Students Say Encampment Created Atmosphere of Fear,” April 24, 2024).

This descent from reasoned dialogue to raw hostility recalls Franz Kafka’s parable The Hunger Artist. There, the public lost interest in a man’s artful endurance and turned instead to the spectacle of a savage animal. The analogy is telling: where once there was space for persuasion, the crowd now demands blood sport. Incitement has displaced discourse, and audiences are being conditioned to prefer rage over reason.

Charlie Kirk, in many ways, was like Kafka’s Hunger Artist. He practiced patience and endurance, engaging his opponents in the art of debate. But the public no longer values endurance. Today they clamor for action, for victory at any cost — and they will lie, cheat, steal, and kill to achieve it. The answer is not to “turn down the temperature,” but to hold accountable those who incite and enable violence. It is time to expose and dismantle the organized mobs — from Black Lives Matter to Antifa, Students for Justice in Palestine, Transmania, CAIR and other movements that the left embraces — that have normalized rage as politics. Don’t turn down the heat. Keep the spotlight fixed where it belongs.

Comments

  1. Mr. Kirk was set up. People on X were calling for him to be murdered and just as he was about to answer a question on gun violence, he was murdered.
    e warran and gov pritzker have both blamed Mr. Trump, saying this happened as a result of his speech and what happened on Jan 6.

    These are the same kind of lies which cair tells after they get called out for other muzzies having committed terror attacks and which cair praises (as awad and others did regarding Oct 23)

    both groups blame the innocent, while excusing any and all crimes committed by their members, even to blaming the victims of their evil actions for the crimes committed against them.
    .

  3. I just watched Charlie’s interview of Ridvan Aydemir at TPUSA earlier this year. At the time, I was boycotting any viewing of TPUSA b’cos of the disturbing antisemitic vibes that were there from at least a section of the attendees, and highlighted by Tucker Carlson’s explicit accusation of Israel/Mossad being behind Jeffrey Epstein. So I hardly followed what took place at TPUSA this year, especially since during that time, Trump was pandering to the muslims – Qatar against Israel and Pakistan against India, so I wasn’t in the mood that time to follow TPUSA

    However, I watched this interview, and was delighted to see how reasonably informed Charlie was about islam, and Ridvan simply filled in the blanks. Also, Charlie was probably the only mainstream conservative talking openly about islam as evil: people like Robert, David, Ridvan,…. et al, most conservatives have not even heard of. So it was nice to hear Charlie giving it a voice.

    I know that the body is barely cold, but I do wonder who’d be the next leader of TPUSA would be, and how similar, or different, he would be from Charlie on various issues, but particularly this one – islam! Also on which personalities on the Right will continue carrying the torch for Charlie, and how effective will they be by comparison. Also, as Ben Shapiro observed, these sorts of meetings are probably gonna end at least for a while, since schools are not gonna be able to provide the security needed for such gatherings. Maybe they can follow Mark Halperin’s “Two Way” template, where he has dozens on people on Zoom on his live YouTube broadcast, and different viewers get to weigh in on things. So maybe a future model would be the persuading conservative hosting such a show, and inviting random viewers to join via video and then have similar sort of conversations that Charlie used to have

    About the assassination itself, I’m done w/ all the niceties. Yeah, there is room for civil disagreement w/ normal people who may simply disagree w/ us on various things, be it tariffs, guns, wars, taxes, spending, et al. However, the time for tolerating all those “anti-hate” groups like SPLC, ACLU, ADL, Antifa, et al, is over. As Jeff Pollack noted in Breitbart, left wing terrorism can no longer be ignored, whether out of historical guilt or political correctness……This will not be, as the January 6 prosecutions were, a vehicle for suppressing political opposition. Rather, it will be a necessary effort to establish clear boundaries for political discourse in America. Ironically, the mandate for Patel and Bongino was to roll back some of the intrusiveness of the FBI in public civic life. However, this murder now forces the FBI to turn back its attention to left wing terrorists, and crack down on them in the same way that they have in the past cracked down on White racists. And as citizens on the right, we need to do what we can to cancel Leftists, particularly the lamestream media and woke organizations.

    On the MSM front, am glad to see some of the rejoicing employees of the lamestream media getting fired – according to some reports, MSNBC MSNOW has already fired Matthew Dowd, and Katy Tur needs to be fired as well. LSM sites like Daily Beast are trying to roll it back calling on conservatives to “forgive any grievances”, but they don’t deserve it. Neither do any of the other media outlets. Yeah, there is room for civil disagreement as I mentioned above, but it’s high time we turn on the Leftists the same sort of cancel culture that they tried to pull on us in the first Trump term, and particularly after George Floyd.

    I’m not the crying type, and had the sinking feeling when I heard that he had died. But watching the Daily Wire coverage, my heart sank when one of the guests mentioned how Erika as well as their 3yr & 1yr old kids were there at the site. Losing their husband/dad was bad enough, but I can’t even imagine how traumatic it would have been had the kids actually witnessed their father being killed. And I was almost driven to tears reading the First Lady’s observation that Charlie’s kids will grow up w/ stories instead of memories of their dad 😭

    Finally, I am glad that the flag is being lowered half mast both here and abroad in honor of Charlie, and is awarding him a Posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom award. As Michael Knowles, Ben Shapiro, Megyn Kelly…. noted, Charlie probably had 30 more years of active politics left in him, and could probably even have been POTUS some day. It was a divine miracle that saved President Trump last year, but tragically, fate is not that kind to everyone, including one w/ such potential as Charlie Kirk

    • I received an email from his organization yesterday which said they will not be doing anything for awhile….perhaps a long while.

      • I would hope that in his memory, a number of people – Dave Rubin, Will Witt, Isabel Brown, Jesse Watters, Dean Cain, Will Cain, Rob Schmitt, Eric Bolling, Ben Shapiro, Michael Knowles, Megyn Kelly, et al would rally a TPUSA meet both to commemorate him and also to encourage the members to continue the campaign for this country that he started

        • That may happen. I know Glenn Beck was really broken up about the shooting, and that was before it was known that Mr. Kirk had died. Mr. Beck may lead the way; and he has heavy security, which he lamented that Mr. Kirk did not have.

      • Erika in her poignant remarks just reversed that today. I can’t imagine how one explains to a 3-year old how Daddy is on an endless work tour w/ Jesus

      • ࿗Infidel࿘, I apologize for not addressing you by name in my previous comment.

        • Daniel

          Thank you. And you needn’t apologize: it’s a bit obvious from the thread branching that you were responding to me. I also understand how traumatized most decent people must be at his passing, regardless of where they stood politically

  4. My theory is that Qatar unleashed their sleeping assassin for hire to send Trump a message that “if you allow assassinations on our soil of our political Muslim brothers we can easily do the same so watch your step”

    • Cory–wth all respect–I doubt it. Not because Qatar is not evil enough, but because I doubt that they could place an assassin in the US one day after Israel took out Hamas in Qatar. I think it more likely that the killer is a homegrown leftist here.

      • I agree with you here gravenimage, I feel it is a brain-washed looney leftie. A hard-core assassin would not leave the weapon. With that said I am still very sad and traumatised by Charlie’s killing. I am in Trinidad and have followed him for about 8 years or so. As if I knew him. Everything in God’s time. The killer will get his due reward. All the best t you of all of you.

    • Cory

      Glenn Beck was wondering whether it was a 🏳️‍⚧️ shooter. The question that Charlie got before he was shot was “How many people have been killed by trans-people?” to which he replied “Too many”. Moments after that, the bullet struck his neck

      Even though online dawa artists may be celebrating, I happen to think that this was more of a 🏳️‍⚧️ rather than an ☪️ job

  5. “The shooting of Charlie Kirk in Utah had the hallmarks of a professional assassination, according to several security experts.”

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/charlie-kirk-assassination-had-professional-hallmarks-security-experts/ar-AA1MldbB?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=68c30b4740794624a459bf76b121b4b2&ei=7

    “Analysts point to the firing of a single shot and a preestablished escape route as evidence that the shooting had been carefully planned.”

      • thank you, Daniel.

        When I first heard he had been shot, I thought it was more than just some angry 20 something.
        And when I saw the crowds and the distance, read the X posts from “omar,” I knew he was set up and it was all planned out ahead of his visit.
        I read that the military had begun to look at all of those people trained as snipers because of the distance of the shot, etc.
        I feel so bad for his young children, his wife and any other family members mourning him.
        I’m so glad that he had a strong faith in God.

        • I felt sick with grief when I heard that he had died. I said, “Oh no.” out loud when I heard the news. I’m glad for his sake that he was a good person. May that be of benefit for him wherever he is now.

        • Daniel, we know that when the silime terrorists die while murdering others, their clerics and families cry “martyr.”

          But, Mr. Kirk was a true martyr. He died living his faith; not murdering others He was attempting to help young people survive these awful times.

          When I drove a school bus, there was a school named “Turning Point” where the troubled kids went when they weren’t being helped in the regular classes. When I heard of Mr. Kirk’s organization, I immediately thought of those students who needed so much help. He was trying.

        • Somehistory,

          I also feel so bad for his young children and his wife. I hope that their family and friends provide them with emotional support.

          You and everyone else here at Jihadwatch—the writers and the commenters—are an emotional support to me.

        • Daniel, The Bible calls God, “The God of all comfort.” And He can work through other like-minded, like-hearted people to also give comfort in times of stress and grief; and just to get through the days which try our souls.
          I’m glad you found this site; as I am glad that I did.

        • Dear somehistory, although I don’t share the same spiritual beliefs as you and he, I recognize that he was a good brave person who was living up to his moral ethical ideals which I understand that I do share with him and you.

        • Not exactly the same *beliefs,* Daniel; but we revere the Same God …of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, ,and David and other faithful ones of old….with the same principles for living and treating others.
          God is faithful and doesn’t forget anyone trying to please Him.

      • Well, somehistory, I am Theravada Buddhist. I follow the teachings of the Buddha, which don’t express that there is a creator being. However, the Buddha taught that every living being experiences, in this life or the next, the results of their own actions in this life and in previous lives.

        I disapprove of the death penalty. And I disapprove of abortion. And I hold the view that skillful (beneficent and effective) non-violent action is always the only appropriate response. However, I do verbally defend Israel, because they are so libeled and under such military, terroristic, diplomatic, and propagandic, siege from all quarters. I wish the Prime Minister of Israel, and other political leaders of Israel, would repeatedly, in the UN, and at press conferences, firmly effectively verbally counter the lies that are ubiquitously propagated against Israel about its current and historical situation and its current and historical actions.

        And I love America (the US).

        • I’m so sorry, Daniel. I was thinking that you had said you are a Jew and forgot that you had said you are a Buddhist.
          I meet so many, talk to so many, and then on here also, read from so many….I can’t keep up.
          I do hope my lapse didn’t overly offend you. I’ll try to remember in the future.
          I wish you well..
          What matters most, I believe, is what is in our hearts, and how we treat each other.

        • Dear somehistory, I’m not offended at all. I appreciate your conscientiousness. I have expressed the fact that I am ethnically Jewish, so I realize that could have caused misremembering.

          You wrote:

          “What matters most, I believe, is what is in our hearts, and how we treat each other.”

          I agree.

        • You’re welcome, somehistory. Thank you for your understanding and kindness.

    • somehistory,

      At the very least, the assassination was well-planned.

      And just one shot from a very high-powered rifle – reportedly a bolt action .30-06.

      Even though I had never met Mr. Kirk, I felt like I “knew him” through his excellent videos. What a wonderful and courageous man.

      I have felt absolutely sick to my stomach ever since the assassination.

      Just hope that they collar the perp – quickly.

      • Thank you, James. He impressed a lot of people. I heard him a few times and he was well spoken, knowing his subject and not afraid to tell how he felt about what he saw going on.
        and some must have felt threatened by what they saw and heard. He was going against those who take away freedoms and want little kids to be under their influence.

    • A closer photo….
      “And according to the official FBI Report, there were transgender and AntiFa markings on the bullet that killed Charlie.”

      https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZWmh!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F14170b58-55ac-4332-b845-81d0c1bf82b4_327x461.jpeg?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

  8. Thank you Charlie for being a humble Christian, a patriot, and a good man . I will meet you some day and thank you personally

  9. I’m not sure I agree with this ‘profiler” I took profiling courses, and it isn’t easy to make determinations based on a few things. But, I could be wrong about what I believe this person to be.

    “Inside the mind of a shooter: profiler breaks down the planning behind high-level assassination attempts”

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/inside-the-mind-of-a-shooter-profiler-breaks-down-the-planning-behind-high-level-assassination-attempts/ar-AA1Mnwo8?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=68c35bdfe91f432d835e7f51ee90538e&ei=28

  10. Charlie Kirk: The Hunger Artist of Free Speech
    ……………………………………

    So chilling. I hope his murderer is soon caught–but fear there will be more killings.

  11. Charlie Kirk wasn’t a political activist. He was a Christian through and through, and was foremost a Christian–it so happened that Christianity and the Bible permeated his political view. He said of all things he wanted to be known for as being a Christian.
    If anything, his life was a stark warning to all nominal Christians: Jesus Christ and the Biblical worldview must permeate in all areas of one’s life.
    He embodied Mark 12:30-31
    “And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

  12. I am heartsick and mind hurt by the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
    The loss to his family is unbearable to think of.

    His living dedication to Free Speech was always so up lifting.
    Regardless of the topic, I always marveled at his logic skills, on the fly,
    and his ability to get his point across, typically with a smile.

    If the term fascist applies anywhere – it would be used to describe
    someone who uses force to prevent people from speaking
    and prevent others from hearing.

    So the cowardly, fascist, underhanded, stalker, who couldn’t muster enough
    courage to accept Charlie’s invitation to ask a question and engage in debate,
    was so outmatched by Charlie, that he had to have a “safe space”,
    200 yards away and be armed with a high powered rifle, in order to engage with him.
    He only proved Charlie right.

    I think Charlie would want us to continue – but in a format where speakers
    and listeners are not at so great a risk. I think the suggestion of a large
    gatherings online is worth exploring. Harder to shut down by rioters and
    clearly provides the safety being under physical attack requires.
    Only use live venues when effective safety controls can be implemented.
    And for *@#%&” include all surrounding rooftops.

    I appreciate everyone’s comments here.
    It’s good to have a group of people to mourn the horror with,
    and remember Charlie with, and go forward with,
    as I think Charlie would want us to.

  14. Charlie Kirk, teacher of the truth. All topics open to discussion. Research what you do not know.

    He spoke the truth, taught American history that has been denied to students because the left wants to erase America’s history much like Islam destroying everything pre-Islam.

    Charlie Kirk talked about God and Jesus something else the left hates.

    Charlie Kirk was murdered for his outspoken belief that America could be stronger, independent. His faith in God and Jesus and life itself.

    The left may fell they have done a good deed in this murder however they will rue the day they killed Charlie Kirk his message will grow stronger much like Jesus’s message that has endured since his birth.

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